What Rooney Wears

headband: thief and bandit // dress: american apparel // leggings: old navy // shoes: old navy

I love having a little girl I can dress in cute outfits, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes that she will outgrow in a few months. I get a lot of questions about her headbands and shoes, so I thought I'd do a post about what she wears.

First, we get a lot of hand-me-downs from my sister, who has three daughters. This is such a blessing for us. Not only are they free clothes, but they are what her kids wore a lot and liked best. That means we don't have to mess around with outfits that aren't practical for kids. I also got some great hand-me-downs from another friend who has five kids. I love going through their bags and boxes and finding adorable pieces that can be reused.

I also buy a few things for Rooney each season to complete her wardrobe. I almost always buy things on sale or that I have a coupon for. We would likely have enough clothes from hand-me-downs, but I like Roo to have a few things that are just hers, and things that are trendy or otherwise fit the style I want her to have. My favorite stores for her clothes are Old Navy, Target and H&M. We only get to H&M once or twice a year, but they recently launched an online store and I already placed an order (with two coupon codes). Zara also has cute stuff and great sales at the end of each season. I bought the cutest shirt from there last spring (worn here) for $5.99 (free shipping) and hope to shop there more in the future.

Here are my best tips for buying clothes for littles:

• Old Navy has the best leggings (and they are usually 3 for $15). They are almost always cheaper in the store. Don't waste your money on $26 American Apparel leggings. It is not worth it - I speak from experience. Also, Old Navy leggings run a little small. Rooney wears 18m-2T in all other brands but at Old Navy she is 2T-3T.

• Dresses and shoes are quite impractical until they are walking.

• Headbands are our favorite accessory. We use soft, stretchy ones and Rooney loves them - she asks for me to put them on her. I've spent $10 on a single headband before but our favorites are actually ones that I made from an old gray T-shirt (I don't have a sewing machine so I just cut off a circle from the sleeve, or you can cut a strip and tie it). Another tip I got from my friend Gwen is to buy cute hair bows at Forever 21. They are not as cutesy as children's stores and super cheap ($1.80).

• Shoes probably warrant their own post, but most of her shoes are from Target. I also found the cutest moccasin boots from Kohl's (size 11, so they will fit in a couple years) for free since I was buying other stuff and had a coupon. Old Navy has cute shoes. I don't shop at Walmart very often but I've seen a few cute pairs there, too. I think shoes are one thing that we spend a little more $$ on than other items. Roo has Tiny TOMS (gift), pink Converse and Minnetonkas (her favorite!). But I don't think we've spent more than $20 on a pair of shoes for her.

• She has never worn real jeans. Who wants to crawl/play in those? I personally think they are uncomfortable so I want to protect her from jeans for as long as possible! She wears lots of leggings and jeggings.

• I buy bigger sizes when I see things on sale. This summer I bought two pairs of 2T leggings at Target for $1.50 each. What a steal! I also got a pair of 5T shorts for $2.50 (originally $10) and a couple pairs of shorts at Kohl's for $2.20. When you see sales it is a great time to buy clothes in bigger sizes. You can typically guess what size your child will be wearing at each season.

• I like to shop sale sites for kids' clothing and toys. My favorites are Zulily, Hautelook and Gilt. It is free to join and then you have access to flash sales. I got Rooney's American Apparel dress above via Hautelook.

• I rarely splurge on higher priced items, and if I do, I use a coupon code (do I sound like a broken record about coupon codes?). One of my favorite things I got her is an American Apparel cardigan - it is perfect for the cool summer mornings we've been having lately, and it goes with everything. She'll definitely be able to wear it for a couple years. I also got her a Hello sweatshirt on sale, which is one of my favorite things she owns.

• Rooney's clothing budget is $10/month.

Please tell me your tricks for buying cute clothes for kids!

P.S. I stopped in to JCPenney the other day and was really impressed with the kids line by Joe Fresh. I didn't make a purchase but I've been meaning to go back with a coupon. :)