To buy cheap toddler clothes

[Sundayspilot]

I’m having pangs of mommy guilt lately and need to know if I’m being a cheapskate. DH was teased quite badly as a kid for his cheap, unfashionable clothes and wants to avoid our DS going through the same thing. He thinks I don’t spend enough on toddler clothes.

I freely admit to being quite vain about my personal wardrobe, with most of my outfits from higher end labels. I take good care of my stuff and it lasts for years.

DS is 2 and really doesn’t care what he wears, so most of his stuff is from supermarket chains. I have a hard time justifying spending 30$ on a toddler t-shirt that will be outgrown very quickly.

Our city is notorious for having almost zero resale market for kids items. People want clothes for free or pennies on the dollar, so anything you buy should be considered a sunk cost around here.

Should I cough up for pricier stuff, or wait until DS is older and actually cares about it?

Wait until he cares about it! As long as his clothes are comfortable and fit right, I don't see the problem.

No point spending more than you need to. They will quickly be grown out of and they easily get ruined by falls and spills.

I always had mostly cheaper items and a few nicer bits to wear on days out and special occasions.

I would just get him cheap stuff with the odd more expensive outfit for events e.g. Christmas, grandparents birthday parites etc.

Generally 2 year olds are not renowned for looking after their clothes and they grow so fast its just not worth getting pricy stuff for day to day use

I think kids were bullied in the past for cheap clothes because they looked awful. Supermarket stuff is great now a days. At 2 no one will care. Save your money for when he's a teenager and will care!

My DD is at the Childminder’s full time- I pay about £1.40 a top (Primark) and £10 for 4 pairs of leggings or the same for shorts for when she goes there.

Nobody will bully a toddler for how he's dressed. Save the money for when he's older and cares what he's wearing. And don't worry about it not being fair cf. what you spend on clothes for yourself - you don't grow out of clothes every six months, right? Your cost per wear is probably similar to his.

I get some really nice stuff for our DS (2, so he's really not that bothered what he wears!) off eBay - I've had some lovely designer stuff brand new or nearly new for about £2. You sometimes have to hunt for it, but you get some great stuff and do some recycling at the same time

Cheap doesn't have to mean poor quality. Both mine have mainly second hand clothes from baby sales, the oldest is 6 going on 7 and hasn't objected yet. I can find nice quality clothes (the cheap clothes often won't be in a condition to pass on) and I sell them back the year after if they still look good. Especially during potty training I really wouldn't worry about it.

I used a mix of second hand bought from second hand sales, hand me downs, new from supermarkets and cheaper high street shops, then the odd more expensive items for special occasions or I really liked.

Cheap or second hand for nursery days when they get covered in paint and glue, lots and lots of bottom halves for when potty training - if items get stained from paint, poo, suncream etc not the end of the world.
Money saved on cheaper bulk items meant I could splash out on the odd piece, I liked mini boden when they were small, the clothes washed so well and I sold them on.

I really don't think you need to worry about tinies being teased about their clothes. Wait until they are older. DD is now 16, yes she has some labelled stuff, mostly for birthdays or in the sale, but she also buys second hand from vintage shops or charity shops, cheap as chips from low end high street, as well as supermarket clothes.

My mum used to dress me awfully so I totally see where your DH is coming from but cheap doesn't have to mean unfashionable/horrible. Lots of the 'cool' girls who I went to school with wore pretty much everything from primark.

I'm with your DH.

Cheap clothing is usually manufactured in sweatshops, by child workers paid a pittance. Somebody else pays the price.

I always buy from ethical companies, secondhand most of the time. Scandi brands in particular have excellent resell value. There are loads of FB selling groups (PayPal gives you buyer protection). Even Scandi playwear (stains etc) sells really fast! You have to post though.

I buy high quality secondhand and much of it looks new. Then I sell it on when she outgrows it.

I don't believe in spending a lot on toddler clothes, but I wouldn't buy from supermarkets or shops like Primark, ethics aside the quality stands out a mile off. I wouldn't want to wear badly finished clothes with itchy seams, so I wouldn't dress my toddler in them. And they tend to be plastered with tacky slogans or overly gendered.

Brands like Villervalla, Smafolk, Frugi, Boys&Girls, Tiny Cottons, AlbaKid, Gardener and the Gang, Lily and Sid, Fred&Noah, HugoLovesTiki, Bobo, Papu Stories etc use soft organic cotton and IMO look much much nicer!

Those Frugi outfits sure are cute! But the shipping! Even DH would groan at 12£ shipping on a 5£ shirt

I think it's a false economy to buy everything new but cheap, especially if you have more than one child.
I buy better quality brands in the sales a year ahead or second hand in good condition (eBay, Facebook, NCT sales), then get the basics like leggings from supermarkets. As PPs I've found some fantastic bargains. Last week I passed a Joules shop and got a load of bits for 4yo DD1 for next summer, including T-shirts for under £5. That's cheaper than the thin character T-shirts she sometimes gets from the supermarket, but much better quality. She currently has a beautiful lined cotton party dress that I got for a couple of quid and looked unworn. At the last NCT sale I got several better-branded items for £2 each that still had the tags attached.
I find the cheapy bits tend to wear through by the time DD1 has grown out of them (usually stretched and misshapen) and are only good for nursery spares, but the 'nicer' brands have lasted through both children and are still good enough to sell on.

My eldest is 6 and still no one cares what anyone else wears. To be fair there are one or two girls who are into clothes in his class but no would be teased for having cheap clothes. At 2 you should just get him whatever he's comfortable in - I preferred quality second hand stuff at that age.

You’re being sensible. DD spent most of her first 6 or so months in obscenely expensive clothes (mostly gifts) like Bonpoint cashmere baby grows. Now she’s walking and eating food it’s the sale rail at Old Navy or Baby Gap because her clothes get covered in unidentifiable stains and we’ve told the family to walk past Petit Bateau until she conquers cutlery!

I think it's a false economy to buy everything new but cheap, especially if you have more than one child

That's not always true. DS has already outgrown nearly all the sleepsuits and vests that DD had (and he isn't yet 6 months).

All babies grow at different rates and if you have the wrong season clothing in their size, you have to but more anyway. Previous child's snowsuit is no good when DC2 reaches that size in June.