i’m a big fan of thrift stores and yard sales… i scored some really cute infant boy stuff (mostly designer) for like $1/each… i’ve also had good luck at target and kohl’s… :)

Well…..after several years I have decided that if I buy higher quality clothing on sale for my son……I buy less and it still looks nice wash after wash. Thus I still stay in my budget, cause aren’t we all on one;)

0-12 months the baby will go through sizes so quickly that I found clothing from carters Oshkosh and children’s place were great. I could usually shop the sales and get SUPER deals. But after 12 months they stay in the same size longer and those clothes started to look ratty.

Gap, Janie and jack, nordstrom, gymboree, and mini Boden have held up well after many washes. I don’t buy a lot and I buy things at 50% off. I buy ahead one year.

There are things I have found are worth the $$. Namely the Patagonia jacket I purchased when he was 15 months old. I got it in a size 2 and he wore it 2 years in a row. It was worth every dollar!

Good luck as you find you own personal style for your baby and shopping for him.

Thrift and yard sales here as well! Just bought a stack of striped and plain bodysuits (nothing “babyish”!) for a quarter each at a yard sale; most were barely used. I’m also a fan of discount store clearance racks–I’ve “splurged” a bit for something cool, a few bucks each for something pop culture-y that my husband will like, such as a Beatles tee and a Chewbacca tee, and a bit more than I should have for Spider-Man Crocs. Otherwise, most of my sons wear second-hand stuff, and we do get compliments on how well-dressed they are (usually). One item about which I am very particular: socks. MUST buy them from Children’s Place!

Some of the Boden or Hannah-style stuff is cute for boys, but I rarely spend the money. I used to buy some fun things for my oldest from small sellers wry baby or other etsy sellers- the kind that is fun and maybe ironic but not tacky. By #3 I went with a lot of organic neutrals, especially from American Apparel. I liked the boyish babylegs and often paired a neutral AA top with their karate pants or wool longies over a cloth diaper. We had a small wardrobe and put a lot of plain navy, red, brown, black, or green on them. It all mixed and matched (colorblocking! ;O ) well. The snazz came in with a colorful pair of babylegs or robeez.

The part that confuses me is… what’s wrong with having an infant look juvenile? Don’t get me wrong – I love a baby in a Pink Floyd/ACDC/Queen shirt. But the ages at which boys can wear cute clothes are VERY limited. My 7 year old nephew’s wardrobe is like a miniature version of his dad’s, only with fewer suits (it’s been that way for about 5 years, too.) Little girls stay in little girl clothes until their teens. Boys switch to adult styles pretty much right after diapers. (‘Course, I have no fashion sense whatsoever – I still wear hand-me-downs from the 40s and 50s – which is probably why I don’t understand.)