Dress Your Kids In the Best For Less
Every mum wants their child to look good but it can be hard to
find fashionable and good quality clothes that are also
affordable. As a mother of seven young children I have, over the
years, developed a knack to finding clothes that my children
want to wear and which also don't hurt my purse strings. To
dress your children in the best for less you don't need to take
out a second mortgage and frequent top designer shops - there
are other ways and means of finding top quality children's
clothing at bargain prices.
Buying second-hand no longer has the stigma attached to it that
it once had. Families on tight budgets have woken up to the idea
that used does not always mean worn out. The rapid growth of
online auctions has helped fuel the market for second-hand
children's clothes and Mothers are no longer embarrassed to
admit that what their children are wearing wasn't bought brand
new - but usually there is no need to admit to anything since
nearly new clothing can look as good as new! After all - once a
new outfit has been washed it's no longer new anyway .
There are various places where a discerning Parent can pick up
good as new used clothing for their children. One of the
cheapest places has to be Car Boot Sales. In the UK these have
taken off in a big way in recent years and many families treat
it as a Sunday day out once a week. All sorts of bargains can be
found at a car boot sale and the prices are generally cheaper
than buying from other sources. On the down side to get the best
bargains you need to get up very early and also know your
labels. If you are able to tell a Laura Ashley dress from the
fabric amongst a pile of chain store clothing then you are on to
a winner - especially since the seller will usually ask very
little for it. Beware that some people will be less than honest
in what they sell and so check all zips work and that there are
no obvious rips or stains. However, even the occasional mistake
will not matter since the price paid won't have been much in the
first place.
Online Auctions are another good place to pick up both new and
used children's clothing. Again it's worth knowing your labels
and also watch out for steep postage prices. Your bargain win
may turn into a very expensive win if the seller is charging so
much postage that the item ends up costing more than it would
have cost new to buy! Some sellers will have a returns policy
but most will not accept returns. There therefore is a fair bit
of trust involved in buying from auctions since the seller's
idea of 'excellent condition' may well be different from yours.
Also watch the sizing - if the seller doesn't offer measurements
it may be worth asking for them since I have in the past
received dresses that have been a good 2 sizes smaller than the
stated size (shrunk in the wash and seller has bought for resale
purposes and so has no idea that the item has shrunk from its
label size) and also I have been sold dresses that in fact have
turned out to be long tops!
For more safety and security and the option to return items if
they are not suitable then online websites are a good way of
buying quality new and used children's clothes. The first UK one
was set up five years ago and since then many others have
followed. Be aware though that you have a 7 day cooling off
period from the date you receive your order in which you can
cancel and return the goods purchased . You may also find that
postage is cheaper than buying from Auctions and so a larger
order will work out cheaper. It can also be easier and less
frustrating to be able to purchase several items online at the
same time rather than just one at a time
Nearly new clothing sales are another good way of picking up
cheap good quality baby and children's items. Most local NCT
branches hold these twice a year and also some Playgroups and
nurseries hold them as fundraising events. The quality is
usually good since items that are not nearly new are not allowed
to be displayed but quite often there are limited larger sizes
available for your older children. Lots of clothes for babies
and toddlers though and so well worth going if you have children
these ages or are expecting a baby.
Apart from finding friends and relatives who are able to give
you hand-me-down clothing that their children have finished with
the final good source of finding affordable quality children's
clothing is to look at your local free newspaper or advert-only
newspaper as there are usually pages of private sellers
advertising their own children's clothes. Beware that a trader
is not masquerading as a private seller though as you have less
legal rights if the items you buy turn out to be faulty. Whilst
bargains can be found the downside of visiting people's houses
to view clothing are that you have to travel to get there which
costs money, might find a pile of rags rather than clothes that
have hardly been worn and also you might find that the style of
clothes being sold does not suit your taste. Some people keep
clothes for many years for sentimental reasons and then decades
later decide that they can finally part with them! Nevertheless,
I have still managed to find so lovely clothes for my children
this way.
Hopefully your search for quality bargain children's clothes
won't turn in to too much of an addiction! It's easy for that to
happen once you get the bug and the proud feeling you get when
friends and strangers comment on how well dressed your children
look and you know that it only cost you a few pounds is
unbeatable! Of course, if you end up buying too many clothes the
above options are also good for selling them on again. This
provides the money to buy the next size up and recycling
clothing can only be good for the environment.