Do you buy your kid(s) a new holiday outfit every year?

[AnnieW625]

I bought DD1 a Hanna Andersson red Nordic style sweater dress off EBay last year in a 110, and low and behold the dress still fits. She also has the navy plaid dress from the 2011 Gymboree Easter line she has only worn once. We need an outfit for Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Part of me wants to get her another dress, but the other part of me thinks it is dumb because she already has two very capable dresses. We live in So Cal so the Hanna sweater dress is kind of overkill, but it was $19 w/tights so I couldn't pass it up:).

I love this this Hanna dress from this year (http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC%7c11%7c3%7c24%7c25%7c3%7c%7c&simg=38244_70D), and it is a better deal than this sparkle one from Lands End (http://m.landsend.com/mt/www.landsend.com/pp/LongSleeveSparkleKnitDress~231204_1187.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::MNX&CM_MERCH=IDX_Girls-_-DressesSkirtsSkorts&origin=index) (currently 25% off for F&F which includes shipping) but she might get to wear it more because it's not specifically a holiday dress.

No matter what DD2 is not getting anything because she has the Gymboree dress I got for DD1 at that age, and got an adorable Ralph Lauren red velour dress as a hand me down from a friend. I do really like this jumper (http://m.landsend.com/mt/www.landsend.com/pp/LongSleeveSparkleKnitDress~231204_1187.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::MNX&CM_MERCH=IDX_Girls-_-DressesSkirtsSkorts&origin=index)though and am tempted to buy this jumper for DD2, but I think I might wait until EOS for next year.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I do get them something new because we take so many pictures. But, some years the new thing might be PJs as Christmas morning photos are the ones I like the most. The kids don't get dressed up much for anything during the holidays.

Beth

[hellokitty]

I'm not buying anything special this yr. I am so sick and tired of sweater vests (and so are my kids). They can just wear any run of the mill oxford button down shirt. DS3 will probably be the only one who wears a cute sweater vest, since he has hand-me-downs from his older brothers.

[zag95]

DD wore her first Hanna Christmas dress 2 yrs in a row. The second HA Christmas dress she'll wear again this season (she also wore it last!). Love buying 2 dresses and getting 2 yrs of wear out of each.

Since I didn't have to buy a new dress, I went for a dress coat and bought a bit big so she can wear it this yr and next.

[anonomom]

DD1 will be wearing the same dress as last year -- her HA re sweater twirl dress. I bought a new dress for DD2, since she wore a hand-me-down last year and the dress that DD1 wore at this age is still too big on her.

If we had taken Christmas card photos with dd1's dress last year, we would be buying new this year. Can't have her in the same dress 2 years in a row for our cards. :wink2:

[Melanie]

Generally yes - for pictures. They're not always red and white, but we do family portraits at the holidays each year so we need to change our outfits a bit. Having said that, if Dd had a dress we liked from last year used for Portraits or Christmas Even, then we'd make use of it for a different holiday occasion this year. But that rarely happens with Dd. More often with Ds.

[wimama]

I voted yes, because I bought DD an outfit and DS half an outfit.

My mom always bought me a new outfit each year for both Christmas and Easter, and I enjoyed getting dressed up for the holidays. That said I only bought DS a new holiday sweater, the Hanna boy's red sweater when it was on sale. He will be wearing his dress khakis and black Jungle Mocs, that he wears for dressier times like church or going out to eat. For DD I bought her a Hanna red dress and tights on Ebay. But, for Easter I did have him wear his previous years Easter outfit, which was khakis and a yellow striped oxford shirt. I think boys are easier, half their outfits can be reworn for occasions other than holidays.:wink2:

I think if buy something they can rewear on other occasions it is easier to justify.

[wellyes]

Not if I can help it, but I've been known to do a desperate last minute dress clothes run. In theory , though, I think it is wasteful.

[Melaine]

They can still wear their Christmas dresses from last year. I usually get one new holiday thing at least, but it is usually EOS, so bought in Jan. and saved until Nov. So they will be wearing their red LTT knock-offs from Target as their "fancy dress" and they will have several casual outfits, including new sweater vests with tutu skirts that I bought from Gymboree outlet for $3.99. I doubt I will buy anything new this year, but it's possible I will weaken. Their Thanksgiving Day dresses are Gymboree from a consignment sale. They wore them yesterday because I was too lazy to say no, so they won't be "new" either.

[katydid1971]

Yes I always have a new holiday clothes but it is something I purchased the year before on clearance. DC have a matching plaid silk dress and button down shirt that came from gymboree last year (or maybe the year before:bag). There is also a little doll in the same dress, DD will love it!!! For Thanksgiving they will wear nicer school clothes. I always have their picture taken so I like to see them in something new.

[WatchingThemGrow]

DD used the same dress 2 years in a row, but I think I put her in something different for the pictures we sent out. (Goodness, I hope I did!) I usually have something red and something not red, dressy, but fine for wearing in Jan/Feb to church. This year's 2 dresses are both 2nd hand things that she's had for 2 years. One is a silk Hanna (forgot the name) that was $7 at a consignment sale. The boys got Costco half-zip sweaters last year that we used for pictures. We may use them for warmth, but not for pictures. For that, they'll just wear LE navy gingham button downs and khakis. "New" but not "holiday" by any stretch. So my answer would be maybe every other year...

[lizzywednesday]

DD only got new things this year because her stuff from last year won't fit as a dress. She just looks adorable in dresses!!! And I like to coordinate her outfit with my nephews' ... last year, we got formal photos done with the 3 of them and they all wore matching hooded sweater-suits from ON. So cute! (We plan to do a similar thing this year with PJ's.)

Since she's the first girl on my side (and the girls on DH's side of the family are MUCH older and DH's SIL hadn't saved a lot of their clothing) I kind of like to buy her new things, though I learned my lesson last year about which of my preferred brands go on sale and when!

[newg]

DD1 will be wearing the dress she wore last year.....but I will buy her a new sweat cardigan to wear over it.....and new tights.
DD2 will probably get a new dress, but only because she's a growing baby and doesn't have anything......unless she can wear a 12m dress that DD1 wore for her 1st birthday.
She would also get a new sweater cardigan and tights and shoes......

[MoJo]

At this stage (3 and 1) the answer is more than one new-to-them outfit each Christmas. . . . because I love them, and can buy them like new for under $5 each. They will wear them for pictures, two or three Christmas parties, and hopefully church at least a few times. Each girl has a bright red dress (which may get recycled for Valentine's day), a fancy black or black and white dress which could be worn for any special occasion, and new red shirts with satin bows that look great but are more casual (probably what they'll actually wear on Christmas day.) They also have coordinating burgundy velvety dresses that we just used for preschool pictures.

The baby also has at least two one-piece outfits that are very Christmas-y; she'll probably wear those to daycare every week in December! She also has Jelly Bean's hand-me-down PJs.

The current "problem" (according to my three year old) is that Jelly Bean's BABY DOLL doesn't have a Christmas dress that fits. . . because my girls were born in June and their first Christmas outfits weren't dresses and are too big for the doll.

[mecawa]

DD1 gets a new one every year, usually she needs a new one every year though. DD2 gets one only if she absolutely needs it, she uses what DD1 wore when she was that age as long as it fits, she does tend to run a lot smaller than DD1, and most kids her age for that matter, so she did get a new one this year, the one that DD1 had worn, she could swim in, and the one she wore last year is now to short.

It's hard to not buy, I find, they come out with new and some really cute stuff every year, and it's so hard to not get new ones. Plus I know I get sick of looking at the same thing, so sometimes I have that compulsion to buy a new holiday dress even though they don't need it, I usually say if I got a great deal on it then it's okay.

[catsnkid]

We aren't that big into the x-mass thing.. DS has had a few christmas themed shirts and onesies that I will put on him. Today he wore the shirt from last year to school - it still fits. I try to dress him in a nice outfit on the days when we see family.

[BabyBearsMom]

I voted "accessories" for other. Currently I do because DD grows so much year over year. But if she still fit in the same dress, I have no issues reusing it.

[emily]

I voted yes b/c we take pictures. I'm actually saving all of DD's dresses for her. I will get something new for DS but I agree with hellokitty. There is definately a shortage of stuff to buy for boys.


I'm not buying anything special this yr. I am so sick and tired of sweater vests (and so are my kids). They can just wear any run of the mill oxford button down shirt. DS3 will probably be the only one who wears a cute sweater vest, since he has hand-me-downs from his older brothers.

[arivecchi]

We don't even do holiday outfits! I do love holiday PJs though.

[daniele_ut]

So far, I have bought them something new each year, but always on sale. For instance, this year I spent $18 on dd's dress and $15 on a sweater for DS that he'll wear with his existing church pants. They'll probably wear them throughout the winter, since they are both more wintry and don't scream Christmas.

In past years, DD had Hanna Little Red Dresses that were bought for around $15. I didn't even bother with a holiday outfit for the baby since he may still be in the NICU for Christmas and he sure as heck isn't going to church even if he *is* home by then.

[lalasmama]

Last year we bought DD a new dress. It fit her fine; just a smidge big. This year it fits *perfectly*, so she's wearing it again. We didn't do holiday pictures last year, so I doubt anyone will remember that she's had it 2 years in a row.

[brittone2]

Yes, pretty much every year, although sometimes I can reuse khakis for the boys (handed down from one to the other, or sometimes DS1 fits in the same pair from one year to the next), or turtlenecks for DS1 (he wore the same one this year as he did last year).

I like doing a professional pic for Christmas cards, mostly because that ends up being easier for me than trying to get a decent photo of all 3 kids. DS2 is very, very busy right now, and he's tough to photograph LOL. So it makes my life easier to do a professional photo at Christmas. For that reason I like them to have a new outfit each year. For Christmas day they don't always wear the same outfit as they were photographed in, because we're pretty casual on the actual day of Christmas. (like DD has worn a more formal dress for photos and then something like a red/white playdress on Christmas day).

We've been doing brunch out at a lovely restaurant around the holidays as our gift to my ILs and extended family, and the kids will probably rewear their outfits from our photo session for that.