The average family spends about 3.8 percent of their income on clothing. The cost can vary based on the children’s age because young kids clothing is typically much cheaper than teenage clothing. Don’t worry you can find the perfect blend between doing laundry all the time and Marie Kondo’s minimalist storage tips. If you’ve ever wondered what clothes your child really needs to make it through the year, here’s a handy wardrobe checklist for your child’s closet to ensure you aren’t overdoing it!
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First You Must Simplify
When you are mindful of the clothing you buy for your children, you can reduce clutter, save money, and relieve some stress. Go through your child’s drawers and closet and remove clothing he or she has not worn in the past two months. Create piles: save (if you have a younger child to share clothing), donate (items not in perfect condition), and sell (get some money back). Divide the rest of your clothing into seasons. This helps you visualize how much you already have.
Create Your Wardrobe Checklist
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After you’ve got that massive mound down to workable piles, it’s time to create the list you will follow. For each season, you should have:
- 4-5 bottoms
- 5-7 tops
- 1-2 sweaters or hoodies
- 1-2 dresses or dress-up clothing
- 1 jacket
- 2-3 pajamas
- 3-4 pairs of shoes
- 6 pairs of socks
Now, some of these items will carry over for a couple of seasons so don’t think that you need to purchase new clothing in spring and again in the fall. For example, you can probably wear the same boots in the fall and winter. Take sorting through everything one season at a time while deciding which clothes than be warn another season, shared or donated.
Other Items You Need
Of course, there are additional clothing items you need. In addition to the items above, you will also need:
- 10 pairs of underwear (because kids can have accidents)
- 2 bathing suits
- Bathing suit cover-up
- 2 pairs of winter hats and gloves
- Snowsuit
- Snow boots
- Summer hat
You will also have to do inventory each season to make sure you have the right sizes for these items. You can also do a clothing swap with friends for you and your children as a fun play date.
Breakdown of the Different Categories
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Now, that you have a basic idea of how many you need with each category. Let’s take a look at some other tips to purchase everyday clothes.
Shoes
Shoes will vary per season but you want to make sure you have a least one pair of shoes for school, tennis shoes, and dress shoes. You should consider buying better quality brands because the shoes will last longer and get you through multiple seasons. You can actually save money because you won’t have to buy shoes as often.
Choosing Colors
Most likely, your child has a favorite color that he or she likes to wear most of the time. Stick to colors within this palette because you will have similar colors for laundry loads. Having a color palette also makes it easier to mix and match clothing. Just add a few neutrals to the mix to complete the wardrobe.
Personal Items
As you can see from the numbers above, it’s best to have enough socks and underwear to last your child a week. Make sure you have at least 2 pairs of winter and summer pajamas. The winter jammies can also double for long underwear underneath snowsuits since they are tight fitting. Buy the same color socks to make it easy to match. If you have several children, consider buying different colors for each kid to help with the sorting.
Buy From Different Stores
There are kids stores everywhere and clothes across different stories sometimes fit differently. It’s easier to save a bit of money because you know what that store has. Hopefully you won’t be as tempted to buy more.
If you buy higher quality items, you will spend more but will need less. If you like luxury brands, read more here to get the look and fill in the wardrobe gaps for your child.
Benefits of Sticking to a Wardrobe Checklist
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It simplifies your life. Kids stick to the same outfits because they don’t like to make decisions. If they have to come up with new outfits from overstuffed drawers and filled closets, they tend to shut down.
If your child has a lot of clothing, he or she may want to change more often. You know what that means—more laundry! With fewer choices and colors that match, you will have less to wash. You may have to do laundry more often to make sure there is enough, but it will be much easier to sort.
You can declutter your child’s bedroom because in doing so you can quickly see if something is not used. You can utilize the extra space to organize his or her room. For example, you can also hang up dress up and pretend clothes in the closet. You will save money by shopping with a purpose and by knowing exactly what you need to fill in any clothing gaps. Shopping will be less stressful and you will feel efficient.
Sticking to the List
Once you are all organized, it’s time to stay that way. As your child grows, you should replace each item with the next size up. Keep your seasonal clothes in bins under the bed when they aren’t in use so you can quickly grab something if the weather changes. Every time you buy something new, it’s time to get rid or donate that same item. For example, when you buy a new shirt, donate or sell a shirt.
If someone gives you something that is not on your list, you can keep it if you think it is an add on option. Give this list to grandparents and help them stick to your list. Tell them what items you need or ask them to buy something on this list for the next size up.
Looking for More Fashion Advice?
Now that you have your child’s wardrobe checklist, it’s time to explore some free fashion advice for yourself. Peruse Cliché Magazine’s fashion section and find out about the latest trends or check out the latest free issue on the hottest trends in today’s art, music, and fashion world. Images provided by Pixabay CC License
