Clothes for School-Aged Kids
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Non-Britney Clothing for Tall Kindergartener
April 2002I don't want to sound like a prude... What I am looking for is clothing for a kindergartener that is age-appropriate. She's on the tall side, and the inexpensive clothing I've seen at Target, Sears and the like all seems to be a bit too Brittney like for me. I don't have the time to haunt the resale shops and the money to spend at Hanna Andersson. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
I totally agree on the clothing situation, and will be looking forward to hearing other shopping recommendations. I have had some luck with Lands' End and LL Bean. Their clothing is of good quality and (I feel) appropriate for children. Both companies have overstock and close out sales that are quite reasonable, and daily updates to their website sale pages. Also, at Target, the ''Circo'' brand, which is their own, tends to be a little more basic/less sequin-infested than some of the other stuff they carry. Good luck! Claire
You are NOT a prude! You are wise! I find it very distressing sometimes when looking for clothes for my tall 3.5 year old daughter. Lots of inappropriate sexy clothing out there for a small child. Lets face it, they'll probably get there on their own soon enough, so we may as well enjoy them as ''unsexualized'' as possible for now. Anyway, some suggestions. Lands End has an overstocks catalog. The clothes are well made and basic. And the overstocks stuff is well priced. They have a web site. And since you mentioned Hannah Anderssen, they do have an ''attic'' with very reduced prices on their website. I think Gymborree has cute stuff too, but hit them during a sale. The sales can be really good (70% off sometimes) but I'm not sure how big their clothing runs. Lastly try one of the bigger Targets (Target Greatland in San Ramon) because I have found plenty of fine clothes as well. Hilary
I agree with you completely about the appropriateness of girls' clothing (and my daughter is only wearing 2T!) I have had the best luck in Vacaville at the outlet malls. Carter's, OshKosh, and the Gap outlet are all right next to one another. I believe that there is also an Old Navy outlet (although you may not find much there). I have found the prices to be well below regular retail, and I believe that they have clothing in sizes large enough for your daughter. Melissa T
I, too, have a tall girl (4'4'' in first grade!). If you are willing to shop online, I would check out http:// pleasemum.com. It is a Canadian store, but even with shipping, the prices ends up being comparable to places like Target. The clothes are consistently of good cotton, lots of solids and stripes, with the odd 'cute' graphic that doesn't seem at all Britney-esque. (Ok, there is an odd exception of glitter denim shorts!) Caroline
At that age we leaned heavily towards Lands End clothing. Good quality, attractive --some even fashionable, and with excellent customer service/return policies. Heather
Three cheers for anti-Brittany clothes! My daughter is also tall for her age and I try to check Old Navy and Gap for sales (I just got her some T-shirts at Gap for $1.97 each, believe it or not). If you go ''between seasons'' they are trying to unload stuff that is still very seasonally appropriate and you can find pretty normal clothes. D. Moran
Here's what I've found fits my also-tall daughter (70th percentile height, 30th weight):
*Hanna Andersen (definitely check the web 'attic')and Gap both run 'boxy', so that when long sleeves fit, the waist will be way too big, falling off. I've given up on Gap for lots of reasons. Hannas sometimes have too small of an opening for the head, which makes pullovers actually painful -- be sure the neck has buttons or another kind of placket if your kid's melon is on the ripe side. But I've been very happy with some Hanna outfits, like a microfiber 'duster' coat she's worn for over one year now. Short sleeves help buy you time. Leggings are better than pants because there's more forgiveness in where the garment ends on the leg: as long as it's below the knee, it protects during climbing!
* Gymboree on sale -- definitely better than Hanna or Gap for long legs and arms and a less big tummy. Also seems to shrink less than Gap.
* Check out Children's Place (relatively new to SF, but my sister in law in Chicago has had great luck at their sales and has stocked up there several times. SF store is near Union Sq). Washes well. Fit is similar to Gymboree, nice and long without making her look like Kate Moss around the neck and waist. Trendy but cute, not risque, styles. *Old Navy has an outlet in San Leandro, right by the freeway. We've had some luck finding REALLY CHEAP basics (onesies, jeans, overalls, fleece for a couple bucks) without logos or tacky 70's stuff on them. Some of the waists seem bigger, too, but for denim overalls they can't be beat, because the waist doesn't matter so much, and the length is adjustable. ann