Your favorite kid clothing brands, please! Sick of hand me downs!

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi,

Please tell me your favorite sites and stores to buy kids clothing. I am late in the game here (obviously) since my oldest DD is 5.5 yo, but we have lasted a long time on hand me downs and dresses-turned-shirts and H&M or Target (and, err, two crazy huge mini Boden buys).

Yesterday, on a playdate, my daughter's friend looked SO cute and my DD's clothes were so raggedy and the other child's sitter told me that my DD's friend's parents bought her clothes at Nordstrom's ('T brand? - never heard of it) and J Crew Jr.

So... please post your favorite shops or online brands. I have listed some below but don't know so much. I am interested in any thoughts, cheap or expensive (if there are periodic sales!). I have a 5.5 yo and 23 mos old (DDs).

A list that I can think of is..
Carters (not for 5.5 yos? I think too young?)
Mini Boden (gulp, only on sale)
Hannah Anderson
Garnet Hill (? too stuffy? PITA slow and must-pay shipping, though?)
Nordstroms (don't know much about it)
J Crew Junior (don't know much about it)
Gymboree

And on the cheaper side...
JC Penny?
TJ Max?
Children's Place
H&M
Target
Costco!

TIA!

[Momit]

Not sure on the girls side, but in addition to ones you mentioned I have bought from
Lands End online and in store
Gap Kids online and in store
Next Direct online
Pumpkin Patch online
Nordstrom Rack
Heartstrings/Kitestrings online during big sales
Macy's mostly B&M during sales, their Green Dog brand has cute things
Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor online sales
Old Navy B&M occasionally browse clearance racks, would never pay full price for their quality

ETA just thought of a few more - Company Kids, CWD Kids and Kohls
ETA again Tea Collection, I see later posters mentioned it already, can't believe I forgot that one.

[Mommy_Mea]

I am not sure on the girl's side as well, but both Nordstrom and J Crew are $$. I look at the sale racks at J Crew every now and again and it is still super expensive! Nordstrom Rack though can be great, I have scored some great things for DS1 from their clearance racks (Pumpkin Patch, Mini Boden, etc)

I tend to shop GAP sales pretty heavily, I like how the clothes fit DS1 and they tend to be fairly durable.

[JBaxter]

Kohl's Gap & Old Navy. I have a few nice outfits from other places.

[anonomom]

My kids wear mostly Hanna (purchased from the outlets) or Gymboree. I've bought a few things from J. Crew's kid's line (crew cuts) on clearance, and the stuff is nice but runs quite narrow. My small-for-her-size 4yo barely fits in their 4t size (whereas she can still fit into some of her 2T gymboree).

There's also Tea collection. I haven't bought it in years, but the clothes are nice and distinctive. They used to run small, too, but I hear that has changed recently.

Land's End is great for basics and swimwear. They often have decent sales. Fits are more generous.

[indigo99]

I agree with pp. I do most of our family clothes shopping from Kohls. I have a card and order when they have a 30% off code online and give Kohl's cash. They carry Carters and Chaps. Their own brand Jumping Beans isn't very nice and runs small IME.

Gymboree is my favorite for cute outfits. They run bigger and are usually pretty good quality. I wish I lived closer to the outlet. I also like Gap quality, but their boys clothes seem a little more basic. Children's Place is decent quality and has some good prices on things like jeans. I really like their 3-in-1 coats with the removable fleece jackets inside.

[marymoo86]

Generally I buy wherever I can get the best bang for my buck :)

Hanna (during great sales)
Boden (during great sales)
Tea (during great sales) - generally the $15 dress sale or extra % of clearance sales
Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack - for Boden/Tea/shoes
Garnet Hill - have gotten great deals on sale of the day and clearance (sometimes free ship) - $6 dresses, swim
Gap/Old Navy - can find some really awesome deals on clearance if you aren't picky.
Gymboree can find some decent deals - labor day sale I got 2 tops/bottoms outfits, extra pair of bike shorts, and pair of gymmies for $25 after sale/coupon.
H&M for basics/playwear

Those are my usual "go-to" brands. Occasionally I will pick up a carters outfit from Costco if on rebate.

That being said, this is probably easier as DD is size 3/4 to find good deals. I'm sure the older the child the harder it is to find as good of a deal as sizes sellout quicker at higher prices.

[maestramommy]

We do a combo of HMDs (all these older girl cousins!) and new bought. I was buying a few Target items until my kids hit big girl sizes, then I went with

Target for underwear and socks
Gymbo for leggings
Children's Place sometimes for basics I can't find at Gymbo
HA at Costco;) for leggings and twirl dresses
LE for swim and outwear

I find the younger two are so hard on their clothes that it just doesn't pay to buy really premium brands. Even HA leggings don't last more than one season anymore. I scored a whole new set of leggings at Gymbo this spring that I'm breaking out for the fall/winter ($7/pair or less!), but I'll bet they'll be made into shorts next summer. There's only so much patching I can do.

[SnuggleBuggles]

For play clothes, I love Jumping Beans at Kohks. It runs true to size for us and just nice basics to mix and match.

[Momit]

For play clothes, I love Jumping Beans at Kohks. It runs true to size for us and just nice basics to mix and match.

We love these too, especially the bottoms - shorts, lightweight cotton pants, sweats, elastic waist jeans. It's on the smaller side of TTS and seems tiny compared to Gymbo, which is fine for my skinny kid.

[Tenasparkl]

Generally I buy wherever I can get the best bang for my buck :)

Hanna (during great sales)
Boden (during great sales)
Tea (during great sales) - generally the $15 dress sale or extra % of clearance sales
Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack - for Boden/Tea/shoes
Garnet Hill - have gotten great deals on sale of the day and clearance (sometimes free ship) - $6 dresses, swim
Gap/Old Navy - can find some really awesome deals on clearance if you aren't picky.
Gymboree can find some decent deals - labor day sale I got 2 tops/bottoms outfits, extra pair of bike shorts, and pair of gymmies for $25 after sale/coupon.
H&M for basics/playwear

Those are my usual "go-to" brands. Occasionally I will pick up a carters outfit from Costco if on rebate.

That being said, this is probably easier as DD is size 3/4 to find good deals. I'm sure the older the child the harder it is to find as good of a deal as sizes sellout quicker at higher prices.

This exactly, but switch Gymboree to basic dresses from American Apparel. I also just started buying for DD at Land's End. I'm really apply with the cute dresses (with pockets her new request).

[mom2binsd]

I have had a lot of luck at Children's Place, they have great coupons (get them for your phone) and lots of choices, don't be put off by the blingy graphic tshirts that greet your upon entering the store, they have lots of cute stuff that I've found to be very durable.

When I lived near one I found Dillards had great sales, we have a store called Von Maur (it's like a mini Nordstroms, and has great sales racks and carries many of the Nordstroms brands).

For that age I loved Gymboree still, GAP on sale, H&M, Naartjie (depends if you live near one, I think due to wonky sizing I'd only buy in store), Pumpkin Patch (I found it in stores on sale, lots of cute patterns and not too grown up styling).

I also love TJ Maxx, you never know what you'll find.

[lizzywednesday]

I shop outlets during sales with coupons, but I think that's a lot more convenient for me than it might be for the OP (IIRC, she is in NYC)

My DD's build is suited to OshKosh B'Gosh, Carter's, and sometimes Gymboree. We get basic (plain, non-graphic) t-shirts & PJs at Children's Place.

We buy Hanna on sale ... or put it on her WishList for Grammy & Mom-Mom to buy.
I am very taken with Tea this season. The "wash it once and it shrinks" issue of the past is now a non-issue, but it is cut a bit slim, so I tend to size up anyway. (This is also a WishList item, though, because I cannot PTT with only 15% off!)

H&M is an absolute lifesaver now that there's one in our local mall; I also size up there.

[smilequeen]

I have boys, but yes, I think Tea Collection and Crewcuts have some cute girl stuff. I've gotten girl gifts at several places depending on the style of the family. I think I'd go for a lot of Tea, Crewcuts, Janie and Jack, Hanna, a little Gap, and boutique stuff if I had a girl. My boys wear a ton of Boden, I'm not as big on their girl stuff. They wear those brands I mentioned too, and a few boutique things (well, the little guy...Catimini and Gnu...which has a girls counterpart lemon loves lime or something?). Peek at Nordstrom (although I don't know their girl stuff). Naartjie has cuter girl clothes than boy clothes too. It's harder to find cute boy clothes though, so it's mostly higher end stuff here. Girls stuff is cute pretty much everywhere, so you could get off cheaper.

[zukeypur]

We do mostly Gymbo ( although their jeans only last for 2 months before getting holes, so I'm not buying them anymore), TCP, Gap, ON, and Hanna fron Costco. Occasionally target or crazy 8, and very rarely Justice (knit top jeans!!!!)

[elbenn]

I'm going to add a store that I don't think anyone has mentioned--Olive Juice Kids. Their clothes are so, so adorable. They are expensive, but if you get on their email list, they sometimes have good sales.

[new_mommy25]

I'm price sensitive. DD's wardrobe is a mix of Gap, Old Navy, TCP, Gymboree, and Macy's. I think she looks pretty cute. :D

[lkoala]

I think the best bang for your buck in terms of cuteness + durability would be Gymboree. They have the same themes as all the others (boden, garnet hill, hanna) but at a more reasonable cost, especially with the 20% off coupons + sales. They are also pretty reasonable with Halloween costumes.

I love lemon loves lime, biscotti (for dresses), mini boden, pumpkin patch and hanna andersson for clothing. Carter's is great too. Just bought some leggings from Carters at Kohls and they are soft and durable.

Lands End has great swim wear, coats, uniform shirts and socks.

Everyday play clothes, I would go with jumping beans (Kohls) or children's place.

I love Pediped for shoes that are cute but also long lasting. Sometimes you can get great styles on sale on Amazon.

I buy underwear and cami's from Marks & Spence. DD refuses to wear the heavy Hanna ones now...

I'm not that big of a fan of Gap, the clothes seem a bit grown up to me. Don't really understand the hippiness of Naartje or Mathilda Jane so I stay away from there. I haven't purchased anything from Tea Collection so I don't know how they are...

I used to buy sckoon organics & under the nile for DD when she was younger but they don't really make anything for her age group now.

[citymama]

It's my belief that you can get cute kids' clothes just about anywhere. I think you used the word "raggedy" making me think it's more the age of the clothes than the style that got to you.

I see cute things at all price points. I think my list would be (asterisks indicate my favorites):

Budget:
* Can't beat Carters (only in 0-6 though)
* H&M
Old Navy, Target, Kohls
TCP if it's your style - you can really find some deals though

Mid-Range:
Gap has good quality stuff if you find it on sale
I guess there's Gymboree but I'm not a fan except for some staples like their velour leggings

Higher end:
* Hanna Andersson on sale - you can get Hanna at Target prices at some of their killer outlet sales
* Boden on sale - but it's rarely going to go as low as Hanna
* Tea Collection - look out for their $15 dress and $10 legging sales, but they never go dirt cheap

I've never bought LE, GH or Nordstrom (other than swim wear), but if you can get deals, go for it!

[Tenasparkl]

Peek at Nordstrom (although I don't know their girl stuff).

The girl stuff is adorable too. They have a few stores and I used to be able to find the baby stuff for dirt cheap before they closed the location my my office :cry:. I find lots of it for both DD and DS at Nordstrom Rack. I don't think people know it that well, so I find it pretty regularly for good prices.

[BabyBearsMom]

I like Crewcuts (J crew Jr), next direct, miniboden, lands end, gap/old navy, crazy 8, pumpkin patch USA, and tea collection. Very occasionally Hanna Anderson and Gymboree.

[sweet_pea]

I buy from a little bit from different brands, it just depends of what I like and how good the prices are. Mostly Land's End and L. L. Bean with some Gymboree, Hanna and Gap. MiniBoden is cute too, if you can get it on super sale. With L. L. Bean, prices are on the higher side, but they have great long-wearing staples, esp. outerwear, and things like solid and striped tees, knit cotton dresses for girls, etc. For church and special occasions my favorite brand is Janie and Jack. I also buy clothing from some of these brands used off of eBay.

[cvanbrunt]

My girls have a ton of Hanna but I'm finding the prints to be too much these days. My new faves are peek and another great quality Swedish clothing company, Polarn O Pyret. There is a store here in Boston but there is an online store http://www.polarnopyretusa.com/

[lkoala]

My girls have a ton of Hanna but I'm finding the prints to be too much these days. My new faves are peek and another great quality Swedish clothing company, Polarn O Pyret. There is a store here in Boston but there is an online store http://www.polarnopyretusa.com/

I love Polarn O Pyret. Good quality stuff.

[citymama]

My girls have a ton of Hanna but I'm finding the prints to be too much these days. My new faves are peek and another great quality Swedish clothing company, Polarn O Pyret. There is a store here in Boston but there is an online store http://www.polarnopyretusa.com/

PoP is wonderful but I haven't found a way to get it for dirt cheap as I have with Hanna! Suggestions?

[cvanbrunt]

PoP is wonderful but I haven't found a way to get it for dirt cheap as I have with Hanna! Suggestions?

We wandered into the store by accident and they were having an end of season sale. I got two dresses, 2 pairs of jeans, 4 shirts, 4 pairs of socks, and a very nice fleece jacket for just under 200 bucks! I went to the website later and had no idea it was that expensive regular price. I think I got lucky. I will go back at the next season change, for sure.

[Mommy_Mea]

My girls have a ton of Hanna but I'm finding the prints to be too much these days. My new faves are peek and another great quality Swedish clothing company, Polarn O Pyret. There is a store here in Boston but there is an online store http://www.polarnopyretusa.com/

I have some peek for my boys from Nordstrom rack, I love it!

[Tenasparkl]

I also like to look on amazon for brands like splendid & ella moss on sale. My DD has some really cute dresses that I got really cheap. Both run pretty small though.

[vludmilla]

Most of DD's clothes that are not HMD's are Tea Collection, Garnet Hill, or Boden. I buy some Hanna (usually underwear) and occasionally I buy some items at TCP if I want them cheap and they stand a good chance of being ruined.

[mom2binsd]

I think that it all depends on your kids, my kids have both worn Gymbo jeans for years, DD has probably had 20 pairs over the years and some she wore a lot and never put the knees out, in fact I don't think I remember getting holes in jeans in general).

[SoCalMommy]

All of the brands I like have already been mentioned, but just came across a new one at the outlets called Sprockets. Just bought some shirts and a skirt for DD but havent worn them yet so not sure about quality. They were really affordable. I think go up to elementary school children sizes. (sorry, can't remember specifics since I was only buying 4T).

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi,

OP here - this is VERY helpful. Thank you.

Funny about perspective - I am so used to cheap stores and hand-me-downs that I thought that Gymboree (store near me just closed :( ) was on the way to the higher end, but it sounds from this thread that Gymboree is more the 'top' of the lower end. I will check it out - in the past, I thought it was too flower-y cute-sy, but I will give it another try. Maybe I am just remembering the clothing for younger kids.

A quick question: Is Nordstrom Rack only in stores? I looked online and it was unclear - it kept sending me to the normal Nordstroms, and the prices were very high.

Also: Besides this website and checking in here, how do most of you keep up with the sales? Are you just on many of the stores e-mail lists? I am not on many of those yet, so should start getting on them...

[carolinacool]

Funny about perspective - I am so used to cheap stores and hand-me-downs that I thought that Gymboree (store near me just closed :( ) was on the way to the higher end, but it sounds from this thread that Gymboree is more the 'top' of the lower end. I will check it out - in the past, I thought it was too flower-y cute-sy, but I will give it another try. Maybe I am just remembering the clothing for younger kids.

Definitely. Where I live, Mini-Boden, Hanna, Tea, etc., are not supper common at all. While not high end, Gymboree is definitely a higher-end brand around here. I have a friend who calls it a "high priced" store and has never bought anything in there. I shop consignment sales around here and I never see any of those first brands I just mentioned.

[AnnieW625]

I tend to buy a lot of the same brands that other have mentioned here. I have hits and misses from each line though.

Hits:
Carters-- wish it went to size 8 at least, esp. in the footsie fleece pjs. DD1 was soo sad when she sized out of them when she was 5. Costco has these in the middle of summer for less than $10.

Gap-- it really depends on the line IMHO. I loved their layette and playdate favorites from Baby Gap. I love their playdate straight jeans for slim kids. I like a few things here and there for the bigger kids. I do like their slim corduroy pants, but in general I wish they would keep more slim jeans that aren't skinny jeans in the store.

Gymboree-- I love their swim suits, tee shirts (long and short), sun dresses, and I usually really like their fall clothes style and their holiday dresses.

Hanna Andersson---three button play dresses for the under 5 set, love these, but they are now sadly discontinued so if I want anymore for the next two years I am off to Ebay. A lot of the Hanna Andersson that DD2 is wearing now is from Ebay. I like the styles that are now 3-5 yrs. old. Their fleece lined jacket is awesome and has been a staple in our house for 5 yrs. now. It is perfect for California or mild to moderate winters. My girls like their long and short johns, and I have never paid more than $18 for a set of long johns and no more than $15 for a pair of short johns.

JC Penney-- I am really liking some of this for DD1 as an alternative to Justice. The Joe Fresh and Cynthia Rowley lines are really age appropriate for the 7-10 set. Some of the Joe Fresh stuff reminds me of Mini Boden.

Mini Boden-- my girls love their Mini Boden night gowns I picked up at Nordstrom Rack last summer. I loved Baby Boden for DD2, but haven't kept a single Mini Boden clothing item for DD1. I ordered a few dresses and they didn't feel nice for the price, unlined and the cotton was thin. For $50 or whatever they were I thought Janie & Jack on sale was a better deal.

Old Navy-- this is really working for DD1 right now. She wears their slim boot cut jeans.

Target Brands-- I have been happy with these and I think they are a great deal for the money. DD2 is wearing some hand me downs from DD1 and they are great play clothes.

Misses
Gymboree-- I hate animal prints and try to avoid them unless they are really cute like monkeys.

H&M-- I don't think the quality is all that great.

Hanna Andersson-- tees are too boxy, I miss the 3 button play dresses, I don't really like the ribbed capris, the swim suits aren't worth the money---get them on clearance or stick to Target.

[Tenasparkl]

A quick question: Is Nordstrom Rack only in stores? I looked online and it was unclear - it kept sending me to the normal Nordstroms, and the prices were very high.


Nordstrom Rack are there own separate stores. I think there's a small section online called the Rack, but I've never found it to be as good as the stores.

[citymama]

Annie - 3 button playdresses have not been discontinued. And some of us think ribbed capris are the bomb! I usually buy outlet Hannas for cheaper than I can get on eBay, and better quality/condition.

[ilfaith]

I have three boys, but when I shop for my nieces (who are almost-7, just-turned-6, and 4-and-a-half) I tend to buy at Gymboree (their retail prices aren't cheap, but they have great sales, constant markdowns, and frequent coupons), Crazy8 (Gymboree's less expensive sister), and Gap Kids (again, their items always go on sale; I never pay full price). I also love Naartjie...but it is a different look (kind of bohemian) and not everyone's taste. Children's Place is kind of hit-or-miss. They have some good basics and a lot of what I call "pink glitter explosion" for the pre-Justice set.

[fedoragirl]

Annie - 3 button playdresses have not been discontinued.

They've not? Are they available in stores because I can't find them online?

OP, I just shopped at Gymboree for the first time. I found some really nice stuff at rock bottom prices (for labor day). They even shipped a pair of jeans to me for free because they didn't have that size in store. Nice!
My kids wear Carters for everyday play clothes. Mini-Boden and Hanna inject some uniqueness in their wardrobes. Two places I never shop anymore are Gap and TCP. I hate their quality. Everything falls apart within months and my kids are not rough on clothes. I also don't appreciate Gap's campaign to outfit little kids as teenagers.
I would sign up for Mini-Boden emails as well as Hanna outlet emails.
I've become better about buying fewer items at higher quality so they can be washed and worn several times. And Hanna and Boden always perform the best in this.
And we have started buying a lot of Land's End now. I need to venture into NextDirect and Marks and Spencer.

[mom2binsd]

All of the brands I like have already been mentioned, but just came across a new one at the outlets called Sprockets. Just bought some shirts and a skirt for DD but havent worn them yet so not sure about quality. They were really affordable. I think go up to elementary school children sizes. (sorry, can't remember specifics since I was only buying 4T).

I remember that Mervyn's house brand for kids was Sprockets and I loved their stuff when did was little.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[citymama]

They've not? Are they available in stores because I can't find them online?


They're online: http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC&pcid=7&styleid=35731&simg=35731_52TAV1

They just have 3 new colors in the button style this Fall, but they certainly haven't discontinued them. They're selling like hot cakes!

[AnnieW625]

.....And some of us think ribbed capris are the bomb! I usually buy outlet Hannas for cheaper than I can get on eBay, and better quality/condition.

Ribbed capris, I have one pair of navy ones from 2008, which are fine, but I still prefer the softer cotton. I bought one other pair on EBay. Then I bought two others from an outlet sale new, but they were still $10 so not bargain priced, but I was ordering other things and needed them so I figured it was cheaper to not have to pay their reduiculous shipping again. I find that the lighter colors (pink, green, and a yellow/orange one) stain very easily vs. that darker one. Plus because of the stains I don't put them in the dryer so they get really stiff drying in the sun.

I had excellent luck with EBay quality as most of the items I got were like NWOT. My kids have probably worn those Hanna items from EBay more than the original owners of them. I also have more patience these days for EBay (although the selection is 10x worse because it is inflated with $$$$$$ marked up $5 sale items from the outlets or $25 special make playdress dresses that were no more than $15 to begin with.) vs. waiting or contemplating ordering from an outlet sale. In general I also miss the Hanna styles of old that really set Hanna apart from every other kids fashion line out there (or maybe I am just getting cranky in my old age!:shake:)


I remember that Mervyn's house brand for kids was Sprockets and I loved their stuff when did was little.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

It has been 5 or almost 6 yrs. since Mervyns closed and I still miss them. DD2 is wearing some old hand me down Sprockets from the early 2000s (hand me downs from a friend for Dd1) and I get sentimental each time she wears them.


They're online: http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC&pcid=7&styleid=35731&simg=35731_52TAV1

They just have 3 new colors in the button style this Fall, but they certainly haven't discontinued them. They're selling like hot cakes!
Thanks! Cute colors. I am tempted, but I already have three 100 ones from DD1 waiting for DD2. I wish they would do some more spring and summer ones, but last year they didn't. I don't think DD1 would go for the three button style now at 7.

[chottumommy]

PoP is wonderful but I haven't found a way to get it for dirt cheap as I have with Hanna! Suggestions?

I find their stuff at decent price at EOS. However even if they are a little expensive their quality is even better than Hanna and ofcourse much much better than Boden. Their sizes run slim (Europeon) so it works great for my lean kids. Nothing in the US other than Tea fits them. Even after both the kids have worn them they look in great condition and can easily go through a couple of more kids.

Their sizing is also generous and there are things my DS2 has worn at 9 months that he can still wear at 2.5 years. I just love their clothing. Wish they had more choices for boys.