“where do you buy Brady’s clothes?”

I get this question a lot in comments, messages, and emails asking for links and products that are my favorite when it comes to shopping for a boy. truth is, while I LOVE shopping for the girls, finding fun and unique pieces for Brady has been just as much fun!

I’ve become pretty picky about clothing, mainly because I want items I’m investing in to last longer than one wash, and fingers crossed, hold up well enough for someone to wear as a hand-me-down. lets be honest, dressing four kids can be expensive (albeit exhausting) and over time I’ve learned how to look for things that will carry my babes through a season without holes in the knees and breaking the bank.

:: what I look for ::

• shop the classic pieces. for the most part, I try to buy the majority of items that are not overly trendy, gender neutral, and easy to mix & match with stuff already hanging in his closet.
• easy care. I need to be able to throw everyday items in the wash without worrying about pilling or wearing holes in them. I line dry most of Brady’s woven shirts and denim in hopes to get longer wear out of them.
• good fit. gap and old navy used to be very boxy on my children and shirts were always way too short! they have come a long way and have become my go-to for basics!
• shorts that are short enough. I like Brady’s shorts to hit above his knees.
• pants that are long enough. my child has the longest legs of all my kids.
• all-in-one pieces. I love overalls, jumpsuits, rompers, and coveralls. h&m and Zara are my go-to for those types of items, typically more affordable than I’ve found shopping small and more trendy than old navy or gap. plus, they require a lot less effort when you are in a hurry and just need to throw something on and hit the door.
• micro-prints. I tend to gravitate towards trendy/edgy styles for Brady, but love a good preppy addition like this to mix it up now and then. big printed animals and characters aside, I do love a good micro print. especially with the summer coming up! tiny cactus prints! palm trees! give me all of them!

:: what I steer clear of ::

• onesies. the twins wore your typical cotton onesies every day of their life for the first 12 months. I sort of got out of that habit with Baker and now, especially with Brady, I’m not a huge fan of the “tucked in” look. I do appreciate a good quality onesie for when he’s wearing overalls and for layering under sweaters and vests, but any other time is just an extra set of snaps I have to undo for a diaper change.
• I hate snaps. snapping a break dancing toddler into pajamas or trying to line them up during a diaper change is for the birds! zippers for life.
• matching sets. the little sets that come with shorts/pants and a coordinating top, for the most part, doesn’t interest me. if I end up buying one I break it up and rarely dress Brady in both pieces at the same time.
• characters. this is hard because I think every one is different in their preferences with this, but most of the time the little tee’s or jammies that say “daddy’s all-star” or things along those lines are not my style. the same goes for clothing with characters, etc. (except Zara pretty much won me over with these jeans with the mouse all over them..) this ‘rule’ has played itself out as the big girls have gotten older and they have more of a say in what they want to wear, and I’m sure Brady will follow suit as he grows and has influence on what he wears.

:: shop small ::

• I shop small for the unique items I cant find in store.
• because some of these items can be a bit more pricey, its important that I can mix and match into Brady’s current wardrobe so he will wear them more than once.
• beau hudson :: beanies, skinny denim + cardigans. the number one comment I get about Brady’s clothing is in reference to the knit cardigans and beanies he wears. AMAZING quality and he gets a ton of wear out of them. they are meant to fit a tad oversized and Brady can still wear his old 3-6m through his normal sizing 12-18m.
• george hats + rey to z + grom squad:: hats! keeping the sun off his cheeks in style.
• millie + roo :: harem pants, shorts, and tank tops.
• trilogy design co + loved by hannah and eli + mama said tees :: graphic tees
• rags to raches + june & january :: one pieces + rompers
• freshly picked + sweet n swag :: leather moccasins
• golden hill design :: onesies. I know I mentioned above that I don’t like onesies, BUT these are an amazing fit + leave a smooth look for layering.

:: top go-to stores ::

CARTERS + OSH’KOSH

• basically what Brady wore from birth to 3 months.
• very affordable and something is always on sale!
• my favorite (zipper) fleece pajamas EVER
• rash guard rompers for swimming in sizes small enough to fit Brady in his first summer!
• I do like Osh’kosh denim, but they tend to run a little wide. I prefer the skinny fit over the regular.
• one of my favorite pairs of jeans Brady wears is from Carters 🙂 again, prefer the skinny fit in Carter’s denim.

H&M

• SO much of Brady’s wardrobe comes from h&m.
• denim is a favorite- they have the best rolled cuff shorts and suspenders to match!
• trendy styles in pants (chino, moto, leggings, print, color)
• appreciate the quality and style in their sweaters + knits in the fall and winter season.
• great basics for a great price (sweat pants, shorts + t-shirts)
• SHOES. THE best shoes and for a great price. sneakers and boots have been a favorite from h&m. I got these sneakers in two sizes!

ZARA

• denim, denim, denim. zara denim is the best fitting for my girls, too! run very true to size.
• trendy eclectic styles :: micro print, linen pants + shirts, poplin style shorts, seersucker
• basic swimwear. I love the style of their baby swim briefs!
• the best layering basics. my favorite knit bomber and quilted jacket came from Zara!

OLD NAVY + GAP

• accessories :: hats, sunglasses, socks
• pajamas– I prefer the 2-piece jammies which generally starts at 6-12m sizing
• basics :: tank tops, t-shirts, shorts
• preppy woven shirts :: collared shirts, gingham + micro prints, and dressier/preppier styles of clothing

HANNA ANDERSSON 

• the best fitting pajamas you will ever own.
• they run on the pricey side, but wash and wear 100 times and they look the same.
• zero fading, zero pill, zero shrinkage in the wash.
• I can buy 4 pairs of old navy pajamas (on sale) for the price of one pair of hanna jams, but the hanna jams will outlast in quality to the ON jams every time.
• I wait until they go on sale or they show up on zulily!

staying within a budget

• I have been re-selling clothing at our local consignment and on @shopthebabes since Parker & Jolie were babies. everything that sells is invested back into their clothing for the next season. it helps tremendously when all four kids need new clothes.
• I’m not constantly selling their used items online (it takes SO much time), so when budgeting for clothing I allot about $200-$250 per kid/per season. I don’t spend $250 x 4 it all at once, but over the course of the season I’ll end up spending that amount total. 
• Baker and Brady are growing like a weeds so I’ve been buying more for them in the sizes they need much sooner this season while the twins are still able to wear some of the tops, shorts and dresses they wore last spring/summer. I probably won’t be spending much on summer styles for the twins until closer to the end.
• buy items that can mix with other items in his wardrobe, especially those that are from small shops.
• I size up in shirts. I would rather something be a tiny bit big than too small- not to mention he can get a longer wear out of them.
• I buy bottoms with the built in elastic expanders so they continue to fit as Brady grows.

what are some of your favorite stores for your babes?? don’t forget to mention any tips and tricks you might have for dressing your kids in the comments below!