Unlike your own wardrobe, where you update pieces when you get bored of them or you find they are ten years out of date, you will find yourself continually buying new clothes for your kids simply because they out grow them. If you are lucky enough to receive hand-me-downs or have older children, then you can save yourself a lot of money. Children's clothing is not cheap and throughout a year you would probably spend in excess of $1000 per child on clothes and shoes. To help keep the cost down and have a more workable wardrobe there are some essential pieces that you should have in your child's wardrobe, which is true for both boys and girls.
Mix and match
Just as you would do for yourself, it is a great idea to buy a few key pieces of better quality and build their wardrobe around them. Choosing a colour theme for a season is a good idea too. Pick a few items in more neutral colours, like white, cream and beige, and then choose pieces of the same colour that range in shade. You will find you buy less clothes this way if they all match together.
Accessories
Accessories are great for children too, and can help dress up an outfit or give it a different look. There are plenty of pretty hair clips, hair ties, ribbons and head bands available for girls, and a scarf and a cosy hat or beanie can make a cute change to an outfit in winter. Tights are nice with skirts or dresses, and give an outfit a more dressy look. Depending on the age of the child jewellery is not usually necessary, although little girls like to play dress ups with it, but if you child is going out to play you risk losing or breaking it. A special bangle or necklace for going out is nice, and the fun colourful plastic variety is good for dress ups and when she just has to wear jewellery. For boys pants can be dressed up with a belt, throw a vest on top of a shirt, try a scarf and hat in winter and a cap in summer.
Essential pieces
For a girl the essential clothes to have in her wardrobe include a couple of skirts, one for every day and one for best, a few dresses, having a going out one as well as one for everyday, several pairs of tights and socks, a warm scarf and beanie, a hat to keep the sun off, a pair of jeans, a couple of pairs of shorts, a pair of leggings, t-shirts, a few good cotton tops and have a pair of sneakers, shoes for best and having a pair of boots is always handy.
For boys you will need a few pairs of jeans and shorts, a couple of good shirts, both long sleeve and shirt sleeve, a vest for dressing up an outfit, a scarf and beanie, a cap or bucket hat for the summer, plenty of t-shirts to knock about in, and with shoes, a pair of sneakers, a more dressy pair of shoes, sandals or thongs for summer and elastic-sided boots are great for wearing around outside.
