How to Dress Your Kids…On a Budget

Posted on 11 August 2010

Kelly Stamps is the charming writer of the widely read and well-loved blog, Kelly’s Korner, where she keeps loyal readers entertained with tales about life as a mom to her baby girl, Harper. Since we highlight kid’s fashion in our August Family Homes issue (check out our adorable kid’s fashion online), we asked the expert Miss Stamps to stop on by and let us know how she dresses her daughter so well on a budget. Here are a few of her clever tips.

I knew when I had a little girl that my favorite thing–especially when she was young–would be dressing her up. I’m a huge fan of smocked dresses, swing tops and ruffle pants and custom outfits. I especially love all things monogrammed.

I do love dressing her up each day but I’m also on a budget so I’ve had to find ways to dress her without paying a fortune. I did a lot of internet browsing and found brands that I loved. Ragsland, Kelly’s Kids, Petite Ami, Potato Saks, Bailey Boys and Orient Expressed are just a few of the brands I adore. So I began to shop eBay for those brands. I watch for my daughter’s size and sort by lowest price first and I have found many great deals this way. Nice clothes for toddlers are usually only worn once or twice so everything I have bought has looked brand new.

Another thing I do often is search eBay for “monogrammed H” items. That is my daughter’s first letter of her first name and I have found many custom outfits for bargain prices.

I also found well-dressed children a little older than Harper and offered to buy their hand-me-downs. There are also many great consignment stores in Arkansas as well as events like Rhea Lana and Duck Duck Goose that come to the area a few times a year.

There are many cute children’s boutiques in our state and it is fun to shop and look for sales or find special outfits for full price. Just a few that I have visited are 3 Monkeys in Rogers, Bella Jacks in Fayetteville and Sara’s and Pink and Blue Avenue in Magnolia.

Dressing a child well doesn’t have to break the bank–you just have to shop smart!