How to Save on Your Daughter’s Clothes

Keeping my first three kids (boys) dressed nicely on a budget was fairly easy.  Jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket, and they were happy.  My only big challenge was keeping them in jeans that didn’t have holes in the knees.

Then came our daughter.  Suddenly, I was thrust into a whole new clothing world full of, not only jeans, but skirts, dresses, and matching hair bows.  I had to do something for the sake of our budget (and my closet space).  So, I learned to save money on clothes by buying more strategically, bypassing the two-piece outfits and going for pieces that can be used with multiple outfits and seasons.

Not only have I saved money by using clothes all year long instead of for only one season, but also having a plan allows me to take advantage of those great end-of-season clearance sales.  As the end of summer approaches, I hit the clearance racks for cute shirts or dresses that will look good with a jean jacket, cardigan, or over a long sleeved shirt; summer skirts; and flip-flops.

When winter draws to a close, I will pick up boots; a jean jacket; cardigans in black, brown, and gray; a heavier dressy jacket in navy or black; leggings; and scarves and other accessories.  This allows my daughter to wear her summer clothes all year long by adding a jacket or cardigan, leggings and scarves.

 

For example, this lime green sleeveless shirt from Children’s Place was $1.  For hot summer days, I pair it with skinny jeans, rolled twice, and white flip- flops.  As the temperatures drop, I unroll those jeans, add a coat and fun scarf, and trade out those flip-flops for brown boots.

The mauve tunic shirt above was also picked up at the end of summer ($2).  It’s cute paired with brown pants and the same boots.  Then, come fall, I just add a jean jacket.

My daughter got this long sleeve shirt and the leggings for Christmas.  They worked great with this end-of-summer clearance skirt.  And, in a few months, I will simply cut and hem the sleeves of the blue shirt and pair it with the jean skirt and white flip-flops.  If the skirt is too short for modesty’s sake, I will hem the leggings to just below the knees.  This small time investment gives her a cute new summer outfit and some pieces that can be paired with other things for a totally different look.  As a bonus, I don’t have to buy new hair bows and accessories since we are re-purposing the same clothes.

 

I hope these examples got your creative juices flowing and help you save  money by stretching your daughters’ wardrobes also.  When it comes to clothes, what are your favorite money saving tips?

 

Author bio: Mandi is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to 4 kids and wife to one handsome husband.  She is pursuing her dream of building a small farm on 30 acres, and spends her days doing math; chasing chickens, guineas, donkeys, horses, dogs, and a feisty cat; and trying to keep the house in some sort of order.  She is discovering that simplifying her life is her only hope for sanity, but sometimes simplifying can be complicated.  Her goal is to encourage others as she blogs about her daily struggles and victories at www.OurLifeOutHere.com.