Do you buy children’s clothes seasonally or little and often?

[SA1917R]

I’m curious how everyone shops for their children’s clothes. I have a growing boy and a newborn girl, and I feel like I’m constantly buying bits and pieces throughout the season. Do you tend to buy everything in one big shop or little by little? What’s the most frustrating part?

I buy a lot in the sales and then store the sizes for them to grow into. Also bundles on eBay and Vinted are good. Plus I get a lot passed on by friends with older kids so split those up into sizes to grow into and store.

I bought bundles from places like vinted and facebook, so you'd get everything you needed for most occasions in a size or two at once. Have some big moisture proof boxes in the attic which I put vacuum bags of future sizes in. Mostly the only really seasonal gear is outerwear, potentially the odd holiday related item. That also lives up in the attic in storage until needed (snowsuits one has outgrown that's waiting for the other for example).

Would say the most frustrating part is it's time consuming. But I detest going to actual shops and am quite environmentally conscious so would prefer to avoid buying new wherever possible. Figure by the time I've travelled to/from town, paid for a bus or parking etc then the time scrolling on vinted/paying for shipping balances out.

Now my children are older they need fewer clothes, and the second hand market is trickier as kids seem to wear through things and also have more style preferences. Having one of each with every different styles also means I'm keeping less for hand-me-downs. Still get as much as I can second hand, but less to store/keep track of.

I don’t find anything frustrating about it. I just buy as and when is needed. Mine are under 5 and haven’t felt they needed lots of clothes. Once they hit 2, clothes last longer. I tend to buy the size up in tops and trousers with adjustable waistbands so they last longer.

I just buy as and when needed. Same with school uniform. I don’t see the need to suddenly replace everything at one specific moment. They sell it all year round. Some years a growth spurt means they’ve grown out of several things but I quite often bought multi packs of things when they were younger so chucking a pack of three leggings or shorts in shopping basket at Asda wasn’t really an issue.

A bit of both here.
Our holidays do tend to happen at the start of summer and start of winter so that's probably why.
For example this year I brought my daughter five sundresses 3 shorts and 3 tee in one go as last year's were too short but then I've brought as necessary aswell.
So easy in this day and age just to log onto next when you know something is going to be happening and it arrives the next day that she doesn't need a huge wardrobe.

A bit of both. So when the weather got warmer we got 7yr old DD some shorts and t-shirt pjjamas, a few pairs of shorts, couple of t-shirts, few dresses and a couple of summer dresses for school. We've then added a few more bits as and when we've seen something we like.

It tends to be a mix of seasonally and when she's had a growth spurt out of things! Buy a small pile in one go, then add to it as needed or if we see something particularly cute.

As and when needed. Other than footwear they've never grown out of everything all in one go. Loads of stuff lasts for years.

It only gets annoying when they need something and the shops have decided they've moved on to the next thing. So it might get to mid-August, still very much Summer and they need some shorts and maybe a couple of bits of uniform for the new term but Sainsbury's have decided it is time for everyone to be thinking ahead to winter coats and jumpers already.

When they were babies I’d tend to buy the next size up in one go, as I found they’d suddenly grow out of everything. Now at primary age I tend to buy as and when through the year apart from school uniform and summer clothes.

This is mainly because they tend to need fewer clothes in the year other than summer, as they’re in school uniform so much, but then suddenly need lots more to wear over the summer holidays.

Little and often when they were teeny as everything was outgrown so fast. Now mine are primary school age it's normally more seasonally. Usually the first really warm day of the year I go 'oh shit' and realise half of their shorts/tshirts/sandals etc from the previous year are too small, then do a big online order!

I've never been very good at buying stuff in the sales and storing for them to grow into as I forget I've done it and then find the stuff when its too small 🙃

The most frustrating part is having to replace lost or broken school stuff right before the end of the school year. Last year DC1's school shoe strap broke 3 weeks before the end of the summer term.

I buy as needed or if i see something she’ll love, Vinted is great for that

I just buy when he's grown out of stuff or needs things replacing.

90% is hand me downs anyway, then I just pick stuff up at swaps and charity shops when I see it. Occasionally get bits on Vinted if need something specific