One of the most common questions we get on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter when we post a photo isn’t “what paint color is that?” or “who makes that lamp?” — it’s “where did you get that shirt/dress/skirt?” People aren’t asking about me or John so much as about Clara. Plenty of readers have asked for a post about how we find deals and save money on kids’ clothes and where we shop for her, so here it is. Thanks to those social media photos, we have lots of examples to illustrate how we dress Clara without overspending.
It feels a little odd to analyze a toddler’s wardrobe in such detail—she’s two, after all—yet over the past two years we’ve learned a few practical things that save time and money. There are also things we wish we’d known earlier, which would have helped even more. Below is the story of Clara’s clothes, as told through our Instagram feed and our experience.
Most of Clara’s clothes come from four reliable places:
- Hand-me-downs from her cousin Elsa or the three-year-old next door
- Old Navy (often from clearance or bought with a coupon)
- Target (usually clearance finds)
- H&M (great for summery dresses)
She also gets occasional gifts or gift cards we spend in the kids’ department. We’ll pop into other stores now and then, like the Carter’s Outlet near John’s parents’ beach house, but the majority of her wardrobe is from those four sources. For example, the dress in the photo above came from Target’s clearance rack and was a birthday gift from John’s sister Emily; it was about $6 and sized 2T, so it should last at least a year. Dresses are often the best value because one piece equals a complete outfit—compare a $4 tee plus $4 shorts to a $6 dress that’s ready to wear.
Here’s a dress from H&M that was $12. At first I hesitated at the price, but Clara wore it so often—probably at least once a week all summer—that the cost per wear drops dramatically. If we hand it down later, the effective cost goes down even more.
Clara wears outfits repeatedly. You might spot her petting goats in something one week and playing with dolls in the same outfit the next. A simple top-and-bottom formula helps us create lots of outfits from a limited wardrobe: a colorful, blousy top paired with basic jeggings or dark jeans, or a bright skirt or colored jeans paired with a classic top like a white ruffled tank. This keeps outfits balanced—neither boring nor over-the-top—and makes pairing quick and predictable. That “Clara clothing formula” saves both time and money because we avoid buying pieces that won’t integrate well with what she already owns.
One favorite outfit combines a printed tee from a J.Crew outlet with a soft pink ruffled skirt—hand-me-downs plus basics make for playful, practical looks. Another beloved top from Old Navy was about $8: blousy, flowy, scalloped trim and colorful flowers, which Clara adores. We pair it with jeggings or jeans so we don’t need specific bottoms to “match,” relying instead on classic staples in her drawer.
I found a patterned bottom and a basic top at the Carter Outlets over Memorial Day for under $10 total, and Clara has worn that ensemble at least eight times. In practice she usually rotates 10–12 “good outfits.” We do laundry once a week, and she has a few messy-play outfits for painting or muddy adventures, so she doesn’t need dozens of dressy items. Because she typically wears one outfit all day, we prioritize quality and cohesion over sheer quantity. Early on we chased sales and bought lots of cheap tees, but now we focus on pieces we know will be favorites. Before buying, I ask: will this go in the “favorite outfits” drawer or the middle drawer of mismatched bargains?
Ignore sizing labels when deciding if something is still wearable; go by how it fits. One skirt labeled 12 months still fits Clara comfortably, and it even has built-in bloomers for modesty. Rather than stashing it away during its “off” size, we keep wearing it until it’s genuinely too small. Conversely, if an item is a bit big we sometimes adapt it so she can wear it sooner—turning a dress’s strap into a halter or tucking a strap into an elastic back can add another season of use.
This H&M dress was $11 and has a delicate eyelet detail and soft blue seersucker. Clara’s favorite shoes are her pink Crocs, which she wears most of the time. We used to buy lots of different shoes, only to watch perfectly good pairs sit unused because she preferred the same pair. Now we embrace her go-to shoes and pair them with almost any outfit, which saves money and reduces clutter.
Old Navy coupons are another easy saver—I keep them in a small folder and rarely buy there without one. Our sweet spot for outfits is roughly $6–$12 each: affordable, durable, and not so cheap that they fall apart quickly. Over time we’ve learned how different brands fit her (for example, Old Navy 3T jeans fit well while 2T dresses from many shops usually work best). That knowledge helps avoid unnecessary purchases and replacements.
Clara comes shopping with us and loves the mannequin family at the front of Old Navy—she always runs over to point out the “children and the dog.” One of my favorite photos shows her in a hand-me-down checked shirt paired with John’s checked shirt, and even though her hair is still growing in and she sometimes gets mistaken for a boy, her pink Crocs add a little girl-power flair. She also tells people her favorite colors are “pink and yellow,” so those shades often make their way into her clothes.
That’s our Clara clothing roundup: where we shop, how we mix hand-me-downs with clearance finds, and the small strategies that keep her wardrobe functional and fun without breaking the bank. What are your favorite kid clothing stores or money-saving tips? Do you have a magic number of outfits that works for your family?
Psst – I’m obsessed with a certain beach house one reader suggested. It’s been open in my tabs for days because it’s so pretty.