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1) Find out their preferences
Take a good, hard look at your child’s clothing. Does she like frills and florals? Is he into superheroes and sports? If you know what colors and patterns your kid prefers, it’ll be easier to find something that actually fits him or her. Sites like Gilt are great for finding designer kid’s clothes at reasonable prices.
2) Avoid colors they don’t like
Kids have sophisticated taste in fashion—they just don’t know it yet. If you want to make sure your kids will actually wear clothes you buy, avoid clothes with colors or patterns they don’t like. (It doesn’t matter if you think it looks great—if they don’t, they won’t wear it.) When shopping for kid’s clothing. This way, when you go back for more purchases later on down the road, you can easily find things that your kids already own.
3) Choose quality fabrics and stitching
Children’s clothes tend to get worn out quicker than adult clothes, so invest in quality. When it comes to kids’ clothing, cheap often means poor quality fabrics and stitching. Avoid polyester blends at all costs—even if it means paying a little more upfront.
4) Consider the season when purchasing clothes for kids
As a general rule, look for clothes that are appropriate to wear when it’s not yet sweltering outside. If it’s cold or rainy, go in something like a jacket or raincoat instead of shorts and T-shirts. If it’s too hot to leave your house without air conditioning, stick with loose clothing made of lightweight fabrics.
5) Fit is king – they should be able to move freely
To get kids to wear their clothes, it’s important to make sure they fit them well. If a piece of clothing is too loose or too tight, there’s no way your child will be interested in wearing it. Dress your children in clothing that’s roomy enough to allow for growth and playtime without being so big that it looks like they’re drowning in their clothes.
6) Try clothes on together – you can’t trust labels alone!
If a kid is unhappy with an item of clothing, they’re unlikely to wear it. Make sure kids love their clothes by doing something as simple as trying them on together. For younger kids, it may be best to let them try things on in a dressing room; older children can work with you at home or in your local shop. By making sure they love what they choose, they’ll feel comfortable wearing it and will hopefully reach for those items first when getting dressed.
7) Accessorise with personality, not too much sparkle!
A big problem with kids’ clothes is they often don’t have enough personality. We see it in adult clothing all of the time – a lot of people shy away from patterns, crazy colors, unique cuts, and interesting designs because well, you know, no one will wear that. In reality, if you’re going to spend money on buying something for someone else (in my opinion) it should be something that allows them to express their own personality.
8) Don’t forget shoes! They should be comfortable.
If you’re shopping for kids, one of your primary concerns is likely to be the size. However, unless your child has a shoe size in between children’s sizes (like 11 or 12), you need to be mindful of more than just their shoe size when you shop. When it comes to children’s clothing, bigger isn’t always better: Children with feet near or in between sizes might end up with clothes and shoes that are either too big or too small.
9) Experiment with sizes – we have kids in all different shapes and sizes!
One thing you can do is take your child shopping with you and have them try on clothes of all different sizes. Make sure to let them give their opinion too! They’ll tell you if they think it looks good, whether or not they like it and they may even suggest something similar in size they like better.
10) Take pictures
save your favorites into an album on your phone (and add a few selfies!) so you always have something fresh to show them.
Kids can be incredibly choosy and sometimes have no interest in your carefully curated Instagram feed of inspirational clothes for kids. Instead, bring out their own personal collection of clothes (that they love to wear) and get them to make some fashion choices. Once they’ve been on a shopping trip or two themselves, ask them what their favorite item is—they might just want to wear it again!
Cover Image Credit Bess Hamiti
By Sabeen Sehar
