about the brands

Those that know me well, know that I'm a 'brand-name snob' when it comes to clothing. I have my reasons and they make sense to me. If something different makes sense to you, then please do that instead. I'll try and explain why I do what I do, along with some differences between brands.

I am a huge fan of reselling and passing on my kid clothing. I also am a big fan of NOT taking ALL 4 children to try on clothes at the same time. Thirdly, (as with shoes) I prefer things that are made well and will last through more than one kid or season. These are my main reasons for buying only brand name clothing. Kid clothing that is NOT brand name is VERY hard to eBay or resell through other channels. Department store clothing varies GREATLY within the same size. They have so many different brands on the rack that you could pull of 10 pair of size 8 pants and they would all fit differently. This means the kid would need to try on everything. I consider myself a lazy shopper, and try to avoid this process as much as possible. I prefer to be able to go to the store and buy what they need without all of them tagging along. When you shop at stores such as Old Navy or Children's Place, the sizes are consistent and once you know how they fit, they don't need to be tried on every time. Lastly, I have found from experience, that name brand clothing tends to be made better and last longer than what you find at Walmart or Target or even Kohl's sometimes. I prefer my shirts to stay straight after washing. I love that Gap jeans can be worn an entire season by a 6 year old boy and still not have holes in the knees. So those are my reasons. Now on to the differences between brands...

OLD NAVY: This used to be my favorite place for almost everything. Over the years their quality has gone down and their prices have gone up. I can still find good prices during the clearance times, but I rarely buy anything there now when it's not on clearance. I am now to the point where I will prefer Old Navy items from used clothing stores over their new stuff because it's made better. Okay, enough rambling. I have found Old Navy clothing to be 'long and lean' and running smaller than other brands. In the older childrens' sizes, you'll find slim and husky options for pants. But, in general, Old Navy clothing fits best on long-legged, skinny children.

GAP: I think most know that Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic are all owned by the same company. But their clothing sizes and shapes do differ. Gap clothing is definitely made to wear better and last longer than Old Navy. Gap clothing also runs larger. It runs a bit wider and almost a whole size bigger than Old Navy, especially at the baby/toddler level. An 2T at Old Navy would be equivalent to 18 months in Gap. You'll also find dressier clothing at Gap made for holidays such as Christmas and Easter. And Gap carries the fantastic flannel-lined pants for boys that are so great in the winter.

CHILDREN'S PLACE: I would put Children's Place quality in between that of Old Navy and Gap. Their clothing is closer to Old Navy prices, but their fabrics are still a bit heavier and wear a bit longer. They also carry the lined pants for the winter as Gap does. Children's Place clothes run wider and shorter than Old Navy and Gap. Their clothes fit best on children that are not just skin and bones. But I have found that their sizes are numbered pretty comparable to Old Navy. (i.e. if my son wears a size 8 pant at Old Navy, I would by the same at Children's Place).

GYMBOREE: I really consider this store a bit more on the specialty side. Their styles change more drastically from one season to the next, and they use a lot more color than the above 3 stores. For me this means harder in the resell market because the clothing goes 'out of style' faster and becomes less desirable. Their sizes run bigger than Old Navy (as most do). They do carry dressier items if you're looking for a special event.

CARTER'S: This brand you typically don't see a full store of, unless you are in an outlet mall. This is the brand you'll find in department stores. You also won't shop much for this brand after you are past the toddler phase. I do like the quality of their clothing, and will suffer through department store shopping if I know there are good deals. Their footie pajamas are made very soft and stay on the foot. Their onesies are excellent too. I've found that with my kids, Carter's sizes are pretty true to age. For instance, when my youngest was 18 months, she wore the pajamas that were 18 months. Of course, kids come in all shapes and sizes, and this won't hold true for everyone. But this is what worked for us.

REI: We don't buy much clothing at this store. It tends to lean heavy on the shoes and gear. And if we do buy clothing it's usually adult and not kid sized. But we have bought rain coats and the occasional miscellaneous item here for the kids. REI has a fabulous return policy! They don't require a receipt for anything and I haven't found anything yet that they wouldn't take back (used or not). They carry very expensive outdoor labels, but they also have their own brand - called REI of course. Their own brand of clothing, in my experience, has been great. I have things for several years that are still going strong. So if you're looking for specialty items for a vacation or other outdoor adventure, this is the place to look.