Friday, August 1, 2008

Kindergarten is coming OH MY

My obsession with Bigfoot is real, however, my more immediate obsession is making sure that Oldest has age appropriate clothing for school.



My dilemma - Oldest is changing sizes, 5T to 6 otherwise known as little girls clothes. She is no longer a toddler and I am sad about that, yes, but I am more sad at the blatant change in style of clothing available to her as a 5.5 year old. For example:








This is example is almost seamless, but the point is that Oldest is not quite 5.5 years old and I want her to dress in clothes that are not provocative nor could be perceived as such. So I hunt and I hunt and I hunt for clothes that are not only appropriate but meet our budget. Because, as you know, clothes only get more expensive the bigger they get.

For example, I really LOVE this out fit:



Shoes = $29.50
Dress = $24.50
Leggings = $12.50
Total = $66.50



WHOA!

8 comments:

scargosun said...

eeek! I don't have many outfits that cost that much!

Tammy said...

Have fun shopping. I think TCP has great deals along with Gap Outlet. We have a Prime Outlets near me and I can usually find such cute things at a great price. My youngest daughter is entering 1st grade. When she started Kindergarten last year, I had some tears in my eyes. My baby is going to school. Saw your blog a few days back. I really like it. :)

Unknown said...

Oh. My. Gawd.
Have you seen some of the 6 year olds running around?
They look like mini hookers : 0

I read a book this summer called, "Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like A Skank"
Very funny.

Have fun shopping!

Caroline said...

I have twin girls starting Kindergarten this fall. One has narrow feet - virtually impossible to fit. Stride rite and Nordstrom are the only stores we've found that carry narrow shoes. (Very expensive)

I love little knit dresses with leggings, and my daughters love wearing them because they're so comfortable. However, it's expensive so we don't have many dress/legging combos. TCP carries plain, boot-cut jeans for girls (no sparkly flowers or hearts so they will actually match multiple shirts) and I just grab shirts that I think are appropriate as I find them. We also have outlets close by, and I've found a lot of deals there. Gymboree is also having a big sale.

Anonymous said...

Have you tried Children's Orchard for quality gently used items? You could even sell some baby stuff you no longer need to fund the clothing. Alternatively check out the sale rack at Hanna Andersson in Natick Mall or online for great knit dresses/leggings. Lands End also has them (saw them at Sears) but I don't know what the prices are like.

KathyLikesPink said...

I was very upset when Darling Daughter reached the 2nd grade or so, for the same reason. I spoke to a clerk in Filene's and she said that the clothes from that size (I can't remember what it was...6 or 7) were the same style and cut right up to Juniors. Totally freaked me out. I am very much against sexualizing little girls!

I found that Lands End and LL Bean stuff were less "sexy", and if I stuck to some of the sporting types of clothing, they were more appropriate too.

Also, find a consignment shop with good quality stuff! I found one (by chance) in Acton and the stuff from one family (I know because there were name tags sewed in) were always in good shape and a high quality brand.

Muffy Willowbrook said...

It is adorable though. Did you buy it?

Deb said...

Oh I know - the styles and the prices are horrible once they grow out of the toddler sizes! I shop a lot at secondhand stores and outlet shops for the girls. I was looking at clearance sales the other day and the price difference for similar clothes in 5T or 6 was horrible, even on clearance stuff. Sigh.