With back to school shopping upon us, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and over budget. With buying our kids the things they need to have a successful education, the list of items required for school can be extensive and expensive. One of the ways to remove the stress and burden is by making a kid’s wardrobe capsule.

What is a kid’s wardrobe capsule?

A Kid’s wardrobe capsule is a genius way of being able to mix and match a few pieces of clothing and accessories to create multiple outfits. You purposely buy items that can be paired with one another and be versatile. Having the ability to mix and match allows you to create an unlimited number of ensemble options within your kid’s wardrobe.

Children's wardrobes are often bright and colorful with multiple graphic designs. Unfortunately, this makes it easy to spot when the same shirt has been worn three times in one week. But if you choose only to buy non-graphic shirts or blouses that can be dressed or ready for playtime, you can not only get away with them wearing it as often as they want, but you can also reduce some of the clutter in their dressers, closets, and cut back on a lot of routine laundry duties.

The following is how you can make a back to school capsule wardrobe.

Pick your budget and number of pieces

If you only want to do laundry once a week, selecting enough clothing pieces to get you through every day is a great number. This means 7 tops, bottoms, underwear, and pairs of socks. Of course, you can go with more if you want - it’s totally up to you.

One of the best ways to stay in budget is to first shop through the clothing pieces that your child already has in the house. You might even find a back to school dress, or a pair of jeans in great condition tucked away somewhere.

By looking for the tops first, and then working your way to the bottoms you are able to better visualize what is needed to complete the kid's capsule wardrobe.

Pick your color scheme 

While some kids enjoy bright and vibrant colors, others may not seem to mind a more neutral tone. Choosing a color scheme that not only works well for your kid but that can also transition easily from fall to winter to spring or summer is a great way to really get the most use out of the kid’s clothing.

You should also make sure to include the idea of shoes in with your visualizing and planning. Having 2 pair to transition between is a great way to match outfits together or be ready for whatever that day may bring.

Choose where to shop

Choosing a place to shop for a toddler wardrobe or school dress attire is something that you should choose based on what you already have for the kid's wardrobe capsule as well as what your budget tells you is okay. 

You want to select a store that can get you the most for your money while still giving you good quality clothing. I personally recommend TJ Maxx, Target, Walmart, and OshKosh Bogosh stores.  Always be sure to sign up for email lists for stores so that you’re in the know on sales, coupons, and other promotions.

Buy a size larger where possible to account for growth spurts 

Your kid is going to grow so much during the school year that by the time they finish the year, they will look nothing like the first day of school photo you took as they waited for the bus. This is not only a sign of growing up, but it’s also a sign that clothes should be bought for what they will grow into and not for what they are about to grow out of. 

Choosing to buy clothes in the next size up is a great way to get clothes to fit for a longer length of time without the need to buy more when your kid has a growth spurt, for example, over winter break.

Focus on transitional kid’s clothing pieces

Chances are high that when school starts, the weather outside is still hot from summer. Depending on where you are geographically, you may get a wind chill and falling leaves by October, followed by snow by November. Prepare your kid’s capsule wardrobe according to the weather pattern where you live, and keep in mind the extreme weather conditions during the school year in order to properly transition clothing during the school year.

By making your kid's wardrobe capsule include clothes that are great for layering, you will account for all weather changes and always be ready for what mother nature throws at you. Sweaters and cardigans are a great way to do this.

Sell old clothes

You paid good money for those clothes your kid wore a few times before outgrowing. If you want to keep your house decluttered and keep as much laundry as possible out of the hamper, the best thing to do is to remove the old clothes from your home. 

Sell the old clothing pieces that no longer fit or bring joy. If there are younger siblings that can fit the clothes, consider holding on to them so that you don’t have to rebuy anything later down the road, then you can sell anything after you’ve gotten all of the use from them that you can. 

If you have anything left after trying to sell the clothes, donate them to needy families or charities so that they can get the use out of them and you can keep your house clean and organized. It’s a win-win.

Save money, stay decluttered, and live with a simple laundry routine!

Once you’ve saved money on your kid’s capsule wardrobe and decluttered the old clothes from your home you can enjoy your savings and simple laundry routine all year long. The small effort you placed at the beginning of the year to make it all happen will be worth it when you can enjoy the entire year with less chore filled stress and more money in your pockets.

Are you familiar with the concept of a capsule wardrobe for kids? If so, have you tried making one? If you have tips to share, let me know in the comments!

XOXO,

Onteria

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