225BatonRouge.com - Blogs

I have a confession to make: before we moved here, I thought Southerners were a bit crazy when it came to dressing their children. Whenever Christmas cards arrived, I’d admire all of the perfectly groomed children in their precious little outfits and wonder if it wasn’t all just a bit too much. Perhaps because of the snow and other inclement weather where I’ve lived for most of my life, putting little smocked or appliquéd outfits on children was wildly impractical for most of the year. So when we became parents shortly after arriving in Baton Rouge, I certainly didn’t expect to join the trend.

Well, that was then and this is now. For better or for worse, I’ve had a change of heart. Seeing baby J in a sweet little outfit brought more joy than I expected and somehow I couldn’t handle putting him in “big kid” outfits from the beginning. I guess I’ve wanted to treasure his babyhood and toddler years and somehow the miniature adult outfits left me feeling like we were missing out on something fun. Of course, dodging the inevitable onslaught of food and mess that are part of a normal childhood on the occasions when he’s wearing something oh-so-cute presents its own problems, but I’ve learned to work around that (i.e., strip the kid down before he eats).

The bigger problem has been dealing with my conscience, which simply will not allow me to spend a fortune on his clothes knowing full well that he will outgrow them in a matter of months. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with this too. Here’s what I’ve learned in the past two years:

1. The consignment stores in town sometimes have great buys on barely used and even new clothing. There are a bunch of them, including Abigail’s Best and The Refinery to name a few. It’s worth checking out and can provide a place to sell off items you no longer need or simply don’t like.

2. Borrowing from friends or hand-me-downs from relatives can do wonders to expand a child’s wardrobe without breaking the bank.

3. Many of the high-end clothing makers have tent sales or outlets with great finds. This Friday, Banbury Cross is having a sale at the Embassy Suites Hotel and on Saturday, Kelly’s Kids is having a similar sale at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. You may have to contend with long lines and a slew of other mother’s determined to find something cute for their little ones, but it can be worth the effort. Rags Land also offers an outlet store on Government Street that seems to be open most of the year and has a fairly good selection.

4. Ebay. Once you have an idea how a brand fits your particular child, Ebay can be a great resource. Even with the shipping fees, you can save a bundle on new or barely worn beautiful children’s clothing. Of course, this also provides a way for you to sell off items your children no longer need.

5. Other Web sites, such as bestdressedchild.com, have sale sections that sometimes offer great deals.

6. There are so many great boutiques in town with gorgeous children’s clothing. End-of-season sales can be a bit of a gamble since you don’t know exactly how much your child will grow in the coming months, but it may be worth the risk if you’ve found something you love.

Life is much more than clothing, of course. And everyone has different opinions on what’s appropriate and what their children should wear. For now though it’s been fun to enjoy this season in baby J’s life when mommy still gets to make most of the clothing decisions.

If you have additional ideas about ways to dress your child for less, I’d love to hear them!