Finding infant clothes are pretty simple, finding unique items takes a bit more effort. When I started to look for clothes for my daughter I was a complete novice at what babies even needed clothing wise. I was the mom that put her kid in a onesie and considered it an outfit! Then I realize other people added pants, shoes, maybe a hair bow or hat. Who knew?

Baby Girl Clothes

My foray into clothes for babies began. I was often told how getting cute, stylish outfits for girls was so much easier than boys. In fact, my daycare provider has told me that all the boys wear the same things and she has a harder time knowing which clothes belong to whom.

Fortunately for me I had several friends that had girls and sent me boxes of hand-me-downs. The brilliant thing about baby clothes is they are gently used and don’t have a lot of wear and tear, perfect for passing along the friend chain. This helped me with my baby fashion sense considerably. I had some complete outfits to give me ideas, and I had some outfits that I thought- no way! – those went back into the box for the next baby mama of a little girl.

Naturally, there were items that my daughter not only needed, but I enjoy a bit of retail therapy as much as the next girl and it was a lot more fun to shop for Teagan that it was for my postpartum physique!

Trendy Baby Clothes

Where to shop and how to make your purchases last longer than 3 months... I tend to be an internet shopper, especially with a toddler in tow, so I often hunt for things online first and if I’m not sure about an item or the fit I go into the store. This saves me time because I already know what I’m after! My favorite places to look are Old Navy, H&M and Baby Gap. These stores usually have some good sales and if I see something I like I tend to buy things for my daughter to grow into, especially if the sale item is off season.

I found Mia Belle on the net and they have gorgeous outfits and some very trendy baby clothes. I love that you can find items unlike any place else and the quality is fantastic and the prices are pretty reasonable for high end baby/toddler clothes.

I extend the length of clothes by adapting their use for my own intentions. Cropped leggings are very popular for little girls and I start using them when they are still fitting my daughter like full length pants, this effectively doubles their life span in her closet. My other trick is to keep dresses and use them as tunics and shirts, depending on the cut and style. Clearly that wouldn’t work for every dress! :) I also mix and match her outfits. In fact I have a hard time putting my daughter in an outfit as purchased or intended by the manufacturer. I like to swap out the pieces and come up with our own look.

Inexpensive Kids Clothes

It really doesn’t get any cheaper than hand-me-downs; however there are lots of other alternatives. Naturally there are loads of sales on-line. Amazon has a wide vendor selection of baby and toddler clothes and some pretty good sale items, as does Old Navy and Gap. Personally, I like to gather up clothes that my daughter has outgrown and that I haven’t found a friend to pass along to and head to my local baby resale shop. I’m not getting rich off selling her clothes to the shop, but I am getting some spending money that I turn around and spend on some new items for Teagan in the shop. The place I go is very clean and selective on the items they will take, regardless of clothing, toy or larger item (high chair, strollers, etc). I do clean everything I purchase myself, but I’ve found some fantastic items for Teagan. My favorite being a Guess jean jacket for $5!

Once you dive into the land of baby and toddler clothes you’ll find some amazing options in affordable toddler clothes; ways to make clothes last longer than the size tag suggests and a fun way to challenge your style creativity. My next challenge is finding boy clothes that have some style and flare beyond the standard uniform of t shirt and jeans!