Fabulous Fashion on a Budget :: Thrifting for Kid’s Clothes

My love for thrift store shopping began when we moved into our new house. I wanted to begin decorating our house to become our home, but I was not about to spend a lot of money. One day when I was thrift store shopping, I wandered a little too far to the left into the children’s clothing. Let’s just say it has opened my eyes and is now a game-changer.

Let’s be real for a minute. I am in no way a fashion expert nor a fashionista. I am just a mom with two growing children and no time to pay retail price. I didn’t realize how much thrifting for clothes was going to change my life and my budget.

My daughter is a tall one. She outgrows things quickly. Every school year, I buy her two to three pairs of jeans for the year. However, she usually outgrows them by the time winter is here. That’s when I have to shell out more money, and well, they just don’t make clothes cheap. So when I discovered the clothes section of the thrift store, it was a life-awakening moment. I was able to equip my daughter with seven to eight pairs of jeans for the price of the two to three pairs of jeans I use to buy.

So enough of my babbling about my happiness for thrift store clothes. I thought I would show you a few outfits we found thrifting that look great without breaking the bank.

Casual

So this outfit from cardigan to boots is all thrift store finds. My daughter is at that age where she wants to be able to style herself. She seems to be currently obsessed with cardigans and not the cheap ones. We found this name-brand cardigan for $3. I like it because it was nice and thick, perfect for a fall day. The shirt and pants I found for $5. I bought them that cheap because it was out of season. The shirt was in perfect condition, and the pants still had tags on them. Each of those was from name brands too. The boots were the right size. I was lucky to find this buy because it just so happened to be her size and in great condition. I usually don’t find kids’ shoes in that great of condition at a thrift store. Those were also $5.

 Sunday Best/ Holiday Outfit

So this outfit is called “the mom outfit.” This is the outfit I make her go change into when I don’t like the one she chose. I sometimes like to pull my mom card. The jacket I bought out of season, and it was only $7. The sweater and dress were only $4 and some change. The dress had a faded ink stain at the bottom, but nothing horrible. I figure she wouldn’t be standing around long enough for anyone to notice. The sweater was just a perfect combo. The dress is a tank top strap, so the sweater works perfectly if there is a draft.

Sporty/Comfy

Now, this outfit is her outfit. Again everything from the sweater to shoes is thrift store finds. This outfit isn’t much, but I paid a little more just because two items are from a name-brand store that little girls love. Let’s just say my daughter played the “it’s cheaper than one shirt there and I get both.” The sweater and leggings were $11. I bought them because she was right. I know how much she loves that brand plus they were still in mint condition. The athletic shirt was $1.50. It wasn’t name brand but it was in great condition. The shoes were only $5. The awesome thing about that find is they fit her perfectly. Luck was on my side that day.

Buying clothes at the thrift store has helped me save a lot of money. My daughter has more clothes than she did before, and I didn’t even go over my clothing budget. So if you’re like me and have growing children, check out some of your local thrift stores. You might just be amazed at how much is out there.

Originally published January 2019.

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