Whether your children wear uniforms to school or not, back-to-school shopping can be not only stressful but expensive. How much do you really need to complete your child’s wardrobe?
I always thought I was a minimalist in the clothing department, but I know I’m not. We just moved and my 3-year-old now has her own closet, and I can’t believe how quickly it filled up with dresses, leggings, sweaters and pajamas. She has way more than she will ever wear or need, and yet I find myself casually browsing the latest Tea Collection and Mini Boden catalogs anyway.
What does she really need? Enough for one week’s worth of clothing for school without having to do the laundry.
Here’s that list in its most minimal form:
- 5 shirts
- 5 bottoms
- 2 pairs of shoes
- 5 pairs of socks
- 5 pairs of underwear
Here’s that same list in the form I would be most comfortable with, which accounts for changes in temperature and some variety for our little fashionista:
- 5 shirts
- 5 bottoms
- 2 pairs of shoes
- 5 pairs of socks
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 1 casual dress
- 1 more formal dress
- 2 headbands
- 1 light jacket
- 1 backpack
I always hear the trick to lay out outfits the night before school to make mornings easier. That works, but I have a way to make it even easier. I hang a complete outfit together. So I hang a shirt with a coordinating bottom and headband. That way when it’s time to get dressed my daughter just has to pull one hanger out of her closet, put on a pair of shoes and she’s done.
If you like to make the first day of school extra special with a shiny new outfit, here are some options I’ve been considering. Up here in the Northeast we never know if it will be hot or cold in September, so I’ve been looking at both long sleeve and short sleeve dresses:
Splurge: Stella Floral Dress (3claps, $49.90)
Steal: Printed Pintuck Swing Dress (Old Navy, $12.55)
Splurge: Must Love Dinsoaur Dress with Spikes (Mitz, $45)
Steal: A line T-shirt Dress Lighting Print Turquoise (Target, $9.99)
Splurge: Stripy Dress (Mini Boden, $36.50)
Steal: Happy by Pink Chicken Juicy Apple Dress (Target, $29.99)
I also only buy my kids 3 pairs of shoes in one size at one time, and I like to buy the best quality I can afford. In warmer weather that’s a sneaker, a sandal and a rain boot and in the cooler weather it’s a warm boot, a sneaker and a dressy shoe. Here are some favorites for back-to-school:
1. Boot: Keen Encanto Madison (Keen, $65)
2. Sneaker: Nike Free 5.0 Athletic Sneaker (Nordstrom, $48)
3. Livie & Luca Petal Mary Jane (Nordstrom, $58.95)
How much do you buy for back-to-school? Do you think 5 outfits is not enough or just right?
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