Quality kids clothing (spinoff from Janie & Jack thread)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

[Anonymous]

Lilly P dresses hold up well

[Anonymous]

Egg, Hatley, and Joules.

Appaman and Chaser Kids (both a little on the funky side).

My favorite leggings are the iron knee leggings from Lands' End.

Tea for dresses and tops, but not leggings.

HA is nice quality, but like a PP, I find the cut of the clothes to be odd (at least for my DD).

[Anonymous]

I take really careful care of my kid's stuff, so even the cheaper brands last just fine if I'm careful about what I buy - you can usually tell on the rack what will pill, stain, or tear easily. Her thicker fleece-lined leggings for winter (from Gymboree, Oshkosh, Target) all still look great and could easily be handed down; the printed regular cotton ones (Gap, Old Navy, Target) will be trashed by the end of the season. She has nicer cotton-blend sweaters (usually from the boys' section) from Gap, Old Navy, and Gymboree that still look new after two winters, whereas the more trendy fuzzy ones are done after one. She's had one Mini Boden dress that stretched and faded terribly. We only do HA for pajamas but have noticed that the newer ones are mostly printed rather than woven and don't feel as soft, plus the necklines stretch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

Ok, if that's what you want to think. I liked the way it looked, so did others who complimented her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

Ok, if that's what you want to think. I liked the way it looked, so did others who complimented her.

I have petit bateau outfits that have fit my baby from 3 months to about 10 months. she did a lot of growing, but I think the brand is styled so it fits a broader range. So, when she was younger, the dress sleeves were cuffed, now the sleeves look 3/4, but it fits normally everywhere else so it doesn't look too small or constrict her. But this probably wouldn't work for a baby with different proportions (my kid is very long, but a little thin for her height, fwiw).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

Ok, if that's what you want to think. I liked the way it looked, so did others who complimented her.

I have petit bateau outfits that have fit my baby from 3 months to about 10 months. she did a lot of growing, but I think the brand is styled so it fits a broader range. So, when she was younger, the dress sleeves were cuffed, now the sleeves look 3/4, but it fits normally everywhere else so it doesn't look too small or constrict her. But this probably wouldn't work for a baby with different proportions (my kid is very long, but a little thin for her height, fwiw).

I'll buy something lasting a year, maybe even two. But from 18 months to six years old?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

Ok, if that's what you want to think. I liked the way it looked, so did others who complimented her.

I have petit bateau outfits that have fit my baby from 3 months to about 10 months. she did a lot of growing, but I think the brand is styled so it fits a broader range. So, when she was younger, the dress sleeves were cuffed, now the sleeves look 3/4, but it fits normally everywhere else so it doesn't look too small or constrict her. But this probably wouldn't work for a baby with different proportions (my kid is very long, but a little thin for her height, fwiw).

6-7 months is not out of the realm of possibility for fit, however, since the season/temperature changes during that time, I generally do not dress my children in the clothing from January (cold) when it is August (hot). For a young child I would not count on more than 3-4 months actual (fit/season appropriate) use. If you want to save it for another kid, great, but there is no way that one kid is wearing the same outfit for 4-5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is sometimes worth it to buy quality clothes if they can be worn a long time. I have a slow-growing kid (she's tiny) so I've gotten up to 5 years out of certain items. She had this one cardigan sweater that lasted from 18 months to age 5-6. First it was slightly big, then it fit, then it fit as a shrunken cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves. It looked good the whole time -- I called it the magic sweater. It was Petit Bateau by the way. For a girl, the longest lasting items have been cardigan sweaters and certain styles of dress (shift dress was a dress then a tunic). If your kid has younger siblings to pass clothes too, that's another good reason to buy quality.

I found Tea has really gone down in quality -- the prints look very worn after a few washings. Hanna seems the same to me.

So, you want your kid to wear ill-fitting clothes so that you can justify the higher price? That doesn't make sense either.

Yeah sorry PP but there's no way that stuff looked anything but too small.

Ok, if that's what you want to think. I liked the way it looked, so did others who complimented her.

I have petit bateau outfits that have fit my baby from 3 months to about 10 months. she did a lot of growing, but I think the brand is styled so it fits a broader range. So, when she was younger, the dress sleeves were cuffed, now the sleeves look 3/4, but it fits normally everywhere else so it doesn't look too small or constrict her. But this probably wouldn't work for a baby with different proportions (my kid is very long, but a little thin for her height, fwiw).

6-7 months is not out of the realm of possibility for fit, however, since the season/temperature changes during that time, I generally do not dress my children in the clothing from January (cold) when it is August (hot). For a young child I would not count on more than 3-4 months actual (fit/season appropriate) use. If you want to save it for another kid, great, but there is no way that one kid is wearing the same outfit for 4-5 years.

I am that poster whose kid wore the sweater for 4-5 years. I didn't mean to suggest that this is something most people should be able to do. I was just saying why I buy certain quality items (and that magic sweater was a handmedown). FWIW, my DD is quite small and thin for her age and has a very short torso. When she grows, she apparently grows only length-wise in her arms and legs. She's 8 now and wears size 8 pants, but can fit in size 5-6 tops (unless I buy bigger and use them as tunics ) Most items (pants in particular) last only 1 maybe 2 years.

[Anonymous]

As someone who spends alot (too much) admittedly, on kids clothes, I have bought a ton of mini boden and HA for my kids, a boy and girl, ages 7 (wearing a 10) and 5 over the past 6 years. HA is boxier but lasts WAY better if you are like me, and wash after every wear and are not precious about it - i.e., into the dryer you go. Boden is cuter and cut better but the quality is crap unless you wash it like precious jewels. Joules is so cute quality is hit or miss and it runs small. Mayoral is cute, runs small, too precious also. Same with all the boutique brands.

For us, it is HA for everyday, and Mayoral or boden for occassional wear knowing it will look like crap quickly. J Crew for kids is simply terrible quality, I have no idea what they are doing, btw.

[Anonymous]

YES!! Hanna A pjs are CRAP now. I bought four for two kids. No better than GAP kids or Carter’s pjs. HA leggings and even Mini Boden leggings are not lasting much longer than stuff from Walmart (gasp). Thinning around the knees, holes. It’s hugely disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Oh and Janie and Jack quality went down so much I stopped buying. I hated the new “branding” too. Do you really have to write the brand where it shows?

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. A lot of the recs for where to buy “quality” clothes are stores that would sell smocked dresses. I don’t care how good the quality is, I’m not dressing my daughter like she’s a tablecloth out of the pantry of a 1950s housewife. Not sad at all for the loss of Janie and Jack and its wear-once-on-an-outing style. Not even if I had my own yacht or two.

[Anonymous]

Hatley and Jojo Maman Bebe.