Thursday, March 12, 2009

Kid Fashion - There are Brand names and then there's Target

I've posted before about wanting clothes that will last for my kids and how I'm willing to pay more if they will still look nice after 5 washings (which I've found begins to fade many-o-brands I've tried even using cold water and low heat dry)!

Well, I had gotten the Mini-Boden catalog for a while and always thought the clothes were cute, but too pricey, especially since I would have to pay for shipping because we do not have a physical store here. But, one day a little over a year ago, they were offering free shipping and a sale on top of that, so I bought some things for my son and daughter.

I was curious if the higher price tag would mean higher quality, especially for things like t-shirts and jeans.

Do you know what I found? For the most part, no, the quality was not worth the extra price, with the exception of two items.

These zip off cargos which are pricey, but they are super durable and convert from pants to shorts. My oldest son has worn them every week for a year as both pants and shorts and they still look brand new! Not to mention he LOVES the concept of being able to zip off the bottoms should he get hot mid way through the day, its all about options, my friends. The second and only other notable item I purchased is this skirt in this style, ours from last year is pink and white polka-dots which I don't see this year, but the style and fabric are excellent, so you can't go wrong with any color choice. The skirt is very soft, easy to pull on and off and went great with pretty much every shirt in her closet!

Another big name brand is Hanna Andersson which I usually only frequent right before winter for their awesome long-sleeve soft cotton dresses, but they are having a sale on their summer dresses right now. Check out this cute one or this one. While you're over there these cropped pants are adorable and would be so comfy for spring, summer and early fall, paired with either a short-sleeve or long-sleeve shirt.

I'll leave you with these cheap, fun little girl shoes that I may or may not have bought for my daughter while picking up Diaper Genie refills this week! If you have not yet discovered the Target shoe department for your kids, go! The shoes are super prices, cute, and usually just as comfy as Stride Rite! But if you are not actually shopping for shoes, avoid it like the plague, because you will cave to the temptation!

And speaking of the temptation, while you're at Target if you happen to notice this dress you will totally be forced to buy it because where else can you find a $5 dress?

Find more Fashion Friday at Big Mama.

6 comments:

  1. Those sundresses are too cute. I want one for me.

    I'm tempted by name brand clothes for the kids, but I'm always disappointed in the quality when I give in.

    I just watch for sales, mend what I can and buy used when reasonable.

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  2. I love those dresses! So cute!

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  3. I OWN that Target Dress!! Or at least, my daughter does. I'm like you - willing to pay for quality. But Target is my one exception.

    Thanks for visiting my blog today!

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  4. I'm trying to do the same, find higher quality clothes that will last. After Christmas, I mistakenly took home one of my nieces shirts, who's a year old than my daughter. My brother said to keep it instead of paying to ship to him, and it's opened my eyes, let me tell you, to this clothing label and it's durability. The label says "TKS The Kids Source" and I found that they are sold at Sears. The next time I'm nearby a Sears I'm definitely going to check it out, I tell you, this shirt is thick, hasn't faded, doesn't get dirty, is thin enough for the Louisiana heat, doesn't need ironing, and the colors stay and don't fade. Perfect!!

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  5. Speaking of clothing that lasts, we have a pair of pants here that has been with us for seven years and through five children. Only in the last few months did it finally develop a TINY hole in the seat (which I'm planning to patch because at this point these pants are a TRADITION!) They're from The CHildren's Place and they're navy blue with white stripes (which is why we've had both boys and girls in them.) They're toddler pants, so they've been crawled in for seven years now and the knees aren't at all worn! Amazing.

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  6. There's for sure something to be said about quality kids' clothes. I'm all about buying cheap though so my kids' clothes have mostly always been either from ebay or second hand stores. When we're done with their clothes I can usually resell them for MORE than what I originally paid - because they are good brands and they still look good (and because I got a steal to begin with!). You can't do that with walmart clothes. I LOVE Gymboree and Hannah Anderson long sleeve dresses, and shirts and jeans from Children's Place (Rina is SO right).

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I'd love to hear what you think!