If you are like me, you love shopping! I have loved clothes shopping since I was a little girl. My fondest memories with some of the people I love the most are our shopping trips that we took all over-stores, outlets, flea markets, you name it! So now being a mommy, I have embraced the role of shopping for clothes for my little Duce. HOWEVER…No one ever told me how difficult it was to shop for boys! Girls their own stores! There are racks and racks of clothes. Sometimes three fourths of the store is covered in girls clothes! While the boys section is off in a small corner. So needless to say, I have struggled tremendously to find nice, inexpensive and unique clothes for my son over the last two years. So much, that I have adopted the model: “If you like it, buy it!” Because the reality is, you won’t come across a vast variety of boys clothes that you will love every time you walk into a store or outlet. So when you see something that catches your eye, purchase it! Heck! Get it in a couple of different sizes if you really like it.
Why is this such a challenge? Obviously, women spend more money on clothes than men, so that takes care of the adults. But what about the children? I think the idea of “prettying” up a girl with cute shirts, skirts, dresses, stockings, other accessories and more is such an exciting and lucrative experience for moms and merchants. Girls clothes sell! Boys on the other hand, you can buy them shorts, sweats, jeans and shirts and call it a day! The tough part, however, is that there isn’t much of a variety. You have the same dull colors, signature pieces and super animated and graphic filled t-shirts, that I will be the first to admit, most of them aren’t my favorite by a long shot. Or, there are the girl moms that shop in the boys section and purchases what limited options that are already available. Ahhhh! Boys just get cheated when it comes to the wardrobe section! So, my husband and I have found a few stores that have served us well, and I want to share them with all my boy moms out there! This post is dedicated to you!
Key Pieces:
For my son, we focus on keeping him stocked up on key pieces that he can switch out and style as the days change. These pieces are:
- Polos
- Graphic Tees
- Jeans
- Sweat pants and basketball shorts
- Cool Shoes
Best Stores:
- Carter’s – Cute onesies, jacket and pant sweat suits and dress shirts. They are great for the 1st year! You can find cool boy ties, suspenders and cheap dress shoes there too. Definitely a good place to shop for holiday attire in that first year. The clothes don’t last as well with many washes like other clothes I have listed below so keep that in mind when you are treating and washing over and over again to get those tough stains out.
- Children’s Place – Graphic tees and basketball shorts. I love their variety and the cool sayings and pictures that are boy tough and not just full of cartoon animations of shows he doesn’t even watch . =) I have also purchases great belts that are reversible! I will also mention that, prior to age one, I have found their selection to be very limited in most stores.
- Target – Jeans! Jeans! Jeans! I have to be honest. I HATE shopping for Duce at Target. The clearance racks NEVER have boys clothes on sale. Maybe NEVER is a strong word…but it’s close! Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a good sale?! The clothes on clearance that they may have, are wild looking; something you wouldn’t buy if it were full price in my opinion. However, the jeans are AMAZING! I love shopping the Cat & Jack line! They fit well, last with multiple washes, and have awesome details in their designs. Also, if you are looking for cool action figure marvel and disney like shirts, they are your place to go. My biggest complaint is that you are going to almost always pay full price-which isn’t terrible, and the selection is limited for toddler boys.
- Old Navy – Tees, long and short sleeve shirts, jeans, jackets, dress shirts, sweatpants with pockets, shorts and khakis. As you can see from the list, we shop at old navy OFTEN! It literally can be our one stop shop for Duce. Their boy clothes have a more mature look once you hit age 1 and up. Under age 1 can be tough so I advice to stick with Carter’s because Old Navy’s selection is limited. You can find nice casual outfits that can be worn to church, birthday parties, family outings, you name it! They have a great variety and awesome sales! We have found some of Duce’s best long sleeve and dress shirts there. Duce loves pockets, and Old Navy has sweatpants with pockets deep enough for toy cars and blocks! If you like, you can get a matching sweat jacket or pullover too!
- Gap Outlets – shirts, jeans, pajamas, sweatpants and coats. Gap is a step above Old Navy, but apart of the same clothing corporation. Gap gives you a more young boy casual look without all the graphics and funny wordings. You get nice shirts like Old Navy but the quality and style is a little more mature. We have shopped more here in Duce’s 18 month and up years. They have amazing coats, hats and gloves that are warm and of good quality, and “FANCY” pullovers, cardigans and sweaters too! They make our Duce look like a little grown man! We love it! One of the things I love about shopping at Gap is that their clothes run a little big. So if it says 18-24 months, an average boy can still wear those clothes well into 26 months with no issues. You have a little more time with Gap clothes which is great for avoiding buying the same shirt or pants in 2 sizes in one trip.
- Ralph Lauren Polo Outlets – Polos and Cardigans. Most times they are pretty affordable, however, other times, you will have to just follow my model: “If you like it, buy it!” Polo has great quality polos and cardigans that we love because they can be paired with other items, last well with many washes and look amazing!
- Finish Line- SHOES! SHOES! SHOES! Because it can be SOOOO HARD to find nice clothes for boys, and you are usually stuck with solids and not fun and vibrant colors, we go all out in the shoe department! My husband loves shoes so this is his area! He searches and finds them and sends them my way for final picks! Typically we shop online, because there is a better selection of baby/toddler/kid shoes. However, we also go into the stores and find some good buys.
- BONUS! We get Duce’s play shoes from the Rack Room Shoes. Not a huge selection, but decent shoes that he can run around in during play dates and while outside having fun that last through wear and tear.
- BONUS 2! Undergarments like socks, undershirts and tanks we get off AMAZON! Variety packs and great prices!
So there you have it! Those are my top 7 (and 2 BONUSES) places that we alternate purchasing clothes for our big boy as he grows from newborn to toddler. I am sure there are other places, but we tend to seek out quality, boy style, and longevity of clothes when we purchase them, so other stores don’t make the cut for us. I hope you can find some encouragement and excitement in shopping for your little boys with the list I have provided.
**Share with me in the comments places you have found that are great too! Can’t wait to read! **
-Soli deo Gloria💜
Copyright © 2019 by Da’Quisha Whitaker
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Her-Shey Mommy Chronicles 