Look. As a style obsessed mama, I realized how much harder it was to make toddler boy fashion stylish. I am not a fan of character t-shirts. No Sponge Bob. No Spiderman. None of that, at least not yet. So I really go out of my way to find great pieces - mostly on a budget, with a couple of splurges - to help anchor Kasen's outfits. I think he's beginning to develop a style of his own too and I'm impressed at his picks even this early in his age. Though...it seems to always come down to anything to uh, "dinosaur."
When it came around to adding some new Spring pieces to Kasen's wardrobe, Boden had recently announced a sale with free shipping, and as a result I was inclined to see what we could add. I always mix up Kasen's wardrobe between inexpensive essentials (I mean, come on, he grows out of them every 6 months or so) and other main staples, which tend to be the pricier items - but we never, ever pay full price for anything. I wait for sales, I look for coupons, and I wait until the end of the season to sometimes score what I need for the next year or two. For example, when Old Navy has $5 terry shorts, I buy them in every color. Old Navy also has incredibly inexpensive socks, and they're cute to boot, so we end up getting several pairs of those too. They're usually $1/pair or cheaper if you wait for sales. My favorite ones are the critter ones, with tigers, dragons, raccoons, etc. on the sides. I buy Carters' four piece PJs when they go on sale, and wait for 30% coupons to buy them in bulk for the upcoming season. I never pre-buy shoes. You don't know how quickly their little feet will grow. Instead, I wait to purchase shoes a size before. Right now, Kasen is a size 8/EUR 24. Since the Nike Free 5.0's have been the best fitting shoe for his feet, I was loathe to buy them full price at $49.95 - so when they go on sale, usually at Finish Line or the Nike Outlet for $19.95, I scoop up the colors I know he will like at the next size up. I also picked up Emu Australia shearling boots in size 8 and size 10 on Gilt back in the fall of 2013. Kasen's wearing them now and they're honestly his favorite pair of winter boots - they're soft, cushy, warm and easy to walk in.
For fashion items I typically peruse Zara Kids and H&M. They have fantastic button downs, hoodies, and ripped jeans, and they will have free shipping if you spend over a certain amount. Zara has a Massachusetts based warehouse so I've gotten orders I've placed online within a day! J.Crew is great for staples and fashion items as well but I typically only will shop there when the sale is on sale (i.e. extra 40%, 50% off). My favorite buy from there has been their short sleeve rashguards - when they went on sale for $19.99 and extra 40% off I bought all of the sizes I could. The other plus? Their kids' line, Crew Cuts has free shipping. Love that.
I also "splurge" on certain items, like winter coats, but always towards the end of the season, or I will stalk online sample sale sites. Kasen's winter coat, which is two years old, is the North Face Moondoggy - I purchased a 3T when he was not yet 1 when it went on clearance at Nordstrom at the end of the winter season. He wore it for two winter seasons - the first winter the arms were too long so we folded them up, and now it's just starting to fit a bit snug (he's 2 years and 8 months) as he is tall for his age. I just picked up a size 5 North Face Perrito from HauteLook, Nordstrom's sample sale site for $49.99 for Kasen to wear for the next two years. A steal!
As I love all things British, it shouldn't be a surprise that I also love Mini Boden. The clothes are so hardwearing and the colors and patterns so cute and cheeky it kinda makes me want another boy at some point just to see another little one of mine wear them. I grow sad when Kasen outgrows some of my favorites, so it was time to replenish the stash after getting a promo in my inbox on Boden's 20% off sale on selected items, but the very least 11% off (hey, at least it's something) plus free shipping:
This time around because Kasen loves Dinosaurs so much I decided to get him all dinosaur wear to enjoy for the spring and summer - who knows when he will outgrow it:
| Dinosaur Raglan Henley |
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| Dinosaur Fisherman's Hat |
| Dinosaur Sweatshirt |
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| Mini Boden Dinosaur Socks |
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