Dressing a Little Boy

Ever since my sole son -- Buddy Twin, as I call him here -- was born a little more than 2 years ago, I have been lamenting the selection of clothes for boys. After raising a daughter for many years, I found it easy to make her look pretty adorable on a budget. But a boy? Much harder. Most of the less expensive clothes look less than desirable to a Mama who prefers a preppy look.

And as mom of twins, less expensive is a key part of that last sentence. Bunny Twin, my littlest girl, is lucky to have a pretty decent wardrobe of clothes from Big Girl. I have had to fill in the gaps in places -- Big Girl was born in July, while Bunny was born in December -- but I am able to re-use many things, which helps out the budget.

Re-using little girl clothes is also easier because you can make them look "new" with a fresh pair of tights, a new hair accessory, or a brand-new sweater. It's also easier to make discount store clothes look nicer as well with the same tricks.

But boys' stuff? Not as easy, in my opinion. I am able to get things like khakis and jeans in less expensive stores, but other things have been a little difficult. I'm not really a graphic tee fan, unless it has a classic look to it. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm picky. It's not about being fashionable, or wearing a brand, even I end up drifting to certain brands over others. It's more about the "look" -- as I tell my oldest, "it doesn't matter what you're wearing, but you need to look clean and neat and like someone cares about you." (More on that in a future post.)

I have sought advice regarding a boy wardrobe in a variety of places, and many of my friends have pointed me to thrift stores and consignment shops, which is fine. (My nearest Once Upon A Child is a bit of a drive, and I have yet to check out Savers, although many have recommended that too.)

And I have had my share of great hand-me-downs: Just recently a friend of mine gave me a bunch of clothes, which contained all of the fabulous items you see at the top of this post. Certain stores seem to offer things that suit my preferred style: Gymboree and Gap, to name just two. Marshall's has yielded some cute stuff, as has the occassional Target find.

But just about a week or so ago, Kohl's had a sale and I scored an adorable interchangeable wardrobe that will make the little man look oh-so-preppy-cute this summer:

5 pieces, under $5 each, all from Kohl's

Each piece was less than $5 (and generously funded by Buddy's Grammy). The blue shirt goes with both pairs of shorts, and I'm sure the red shirt will be worn for Memorial Day and July 4th. All three tops can be used with khakis and jeans in the spring and fall. This MoM is happy and hoping for no unfortunate stains to muck up my visions.

If they do, I can always pull out this:

A Gap Hawaiian shirt acquired through the same set of hand-me-downs above. We are ready for a luau!!

Moms of little men, where do you find your clothes? Share in the comments!