Admittedly, my daughters’ red carpet appearances are few and far between, (especially now that my parents have pulled up their seventies-rust-coloured basement flooring), but I still like them to look their best when we go out. Is there any mom out there who hasn’t hit the road with perfectly coiffed and attired children, only to realize that you yourself forgot to brush your teeth and change out of the spit-up shirt?
The other night when watching Nip/Tuck — I mean, some respectable, educational programming — a character dropped her baby off for her every-other-weekend with dad, leaving strict instructions. Not about the feedings or the nap schedule, no, she wanted to stress that tomorrow Daddy should “remember to put her in the Dolce”. This makes sense coming from fictional Californian plastic surgeons, but do real people talk like that? Maybe that’s the equivalent of me instructing my husband to “remember to put them in the Joe Fresh”.
Frannie and Maggie’s wardrobes are peppered with hand-me-downs (from older cousins and my beloved kijiji) as well as occasional designer duds (which to me translates as a Tommy Hilfiger or Polo logo — no Dolce), but the bulk of their clothing comes from the usual big retailers: Please Mum, Bonnie Togs, The Children’s Place, Old Navy, Sears and Zellers. Lately, though, I have become a fan of another designer, Joseph Mimran, and seem to be buying more and more of his Joe Fresh label (available at Loblaws stores.)
One day last week, my husband surprised us by returning home from Loblaws with some new spring apparel for Frannie and Maggie…and he actually has very good taste! Pictured are their new matching dresses, hats, socks and p.j.’s, which are adorable, but the best part was the price tag: the receipt reads $83.53 (and that even included some dental floss!)
I’d like to think that we’re supporting a Canadian business, which of course we are, but I should note that unfortunately our cute new items have ‘Made in China’ and ‘Made in Bangladesh’ tags.
It’s nice to know that Frannie and Maggie’s wardrobes are ready for spring…even though the closest they’ll get to a runway is the aisle at church. Would it be entirely inappropriate to get them to stop and pirouette halfway up the aisle next Sunday?
Where do you shop for your kids? Do you ever spend more on them than on yourself? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Love the article. I totally agree with you when you said, “Is there any mom out there who hasn't hit the road with perfectly coiffed and attired children…”
I do have to say that one of my favourite places to shop is The Children’s Place. Love the quality of their clothing and the sales that they have on (Plus, the coupons in the Chatelaine magazine help). I am a firm believer in buying clothing for my two children when its on sale (going out of season). I have totes of clothing for the next season and sizes, making sure NEVER to pay full price. Some might call it “cheap” although I don’t see the point in paying the full price for an outfit that they might literally wear once (that special dress for Christmas or Easter). The Children’s Place has very adorable items for both girls and boys (hard to find in one store), although purchased before the sale, you are a little on the pricy side. I also love the prices and the cute ‘holiday themed’ outfits from Bonnie Toggs. Very affordable and everyone loves the quality of Osh Kosh.
I do find myself shopping for my kids more than for me. Having The Children's Place in Peterborough is a bit dangerous for me! I have certainly been out of the house with spit up (and worse!) on my own clothes.
I too love a deal from Joe Fresh among other places. One thing to know however is that they do not reuse their hangers, any that you do not take home go straight to the garbage. I assume the same could be true of Old Navy. I guess it's cheaper to have someone in China put the clothes on the new hanger and ship it that way. I'm trying to be more conscious of the true cost of the 'deals' I see.
Love your blog!
I started out only shopping at Please Mom for my boys. Back then that was all there realy was in Peterborough. But now that we have a Bonnie Togs, Childrens Place and my new favorite Joe Fresh (The Super Store). It is one stop shopping and the car carts are a big hit with my kids. I love the Joe Freash line of clothing and the price just makes it that much better. But I do have to say I can't stay out of anyof the other stores if they are having a sale. My favorite is the $5.99 sale Childrens Place has at the end of a season.
As for me, well i can't remember the last time I went out the door with out something on me that wasn't supposed to be there. Or went shopping for just myself. It may start out that way but it always ends with that would look cute on….
That was an amazing sale a few weeks ago at Children's Place! I scooped up most of next fall's back-to-school wardrobe. But Please Mum has been a huge hit this year with great deals and the extensive dinosaur theme. My son actually has more clothes than my daughter now because I grab everything that relates to his dinosaur obsession. I haven't set foot in the new Bonnie Togs. What's with the separate entrance?
It maybe a pain to go out side to get into Bonnie Togs, but it is well worth it. They have the cutest things and great prices.
Mom was in to Bonnie Togs to buy a bathing suit for Frannie's birthday (since we were heading to a hotel for March Break and of course she had outgrown all of last year's bathing suits) and she was told that they are considered a "destination store", so they still get traffic even without a mall entrance. The rent is also lower outside.
I am a big fan of Bonnie Togs. Love the baby section and prices are very affordable.
They also carry a great selection of boys clothes.
I find most of the big box stores carry mostly character clothing ie hanna montana, high school musical, Bob the Builder…. that's not to say I haven't purchased a Disney Princess outfit or Thomas the Train clothing for my kids but I like to stay away from the branding and marketing trap when buying clothing. It gets overwhelming when a child has thomas movies, thomas puzzles, thomas pencils, thomas clothing etc you get the point.
Anyway, I am faced with a new problem. My oldest has ventured out of 6x and is now in 7. I am having a difficult time finding age appropriate clothing for this new stage. Anyone know where to find great clothing for (7-10) year olds? On a final note, I also shop at Winners. Great girls dresses for Easter!
Happy Shopping everyone!
Winners does have a great AFFORDABLE selection of dresses for kids, … usually along the lines of $12-18.99!! Completely forgot about that!!
I love to buy my boys Joe Fresh, Please Mum, Bonnie Togs and yes Old Navy. But I have to say I do go to value village a lot to get stuff for them. The wear there knees our so fast on and around the farm so I get 2nd hand for them a lot. And when you shop at Valley village the money goes to Diabetics for help find a cure.