We invited Julia Angel of Boys Be Cool to share her expertise on dressing boys in high style on a budget. Below is her take on the world of boys fashion and tips on how to shop for boys without breaking the bank:
I can talk forever about shopping for Boys but I really want you to READ it, so I’ll keep it sweet and relatively short. Below are basic rules of smart shopping as well as interpreting trends to style outfits for little men’s clothes.
Outerwear
GAP is irreplaceable when it comes to stylish knitted cardigans; classic cable knit sweaters and winter coats. Shop Crazy 8 and Children’s Place for hip accessories like newsboy caps, hats, sunglasses etc. Also, check Macy’s sale and clearance on and offline. They have an amazing boys’ clothes selection. Some brands become affordable when they go on sale (especially anything by Ralph Lauren, which is perceived as an ultimate idea of style and luxury by the US boys’ clothes’ shoppers). Now, this is what I call an ultimate branding!
Main stream consumers have very little, if any, idea how cool urban style boys clothes really are and how ridiculous the prices are when clothes go on sale. Akademiks.com is my source for the grooviest hoodies and tees. The styles might seem too flamboyant and over the top, but there are also many very reserved styles in neutral colors but with very creative and distinctive designs that would spice up any outfit. The quality is great. The silk screening, appliqués and embroideries are fabulous!
I almost never buy anything from new collections (unless the prices are more than reasonable). It’s best to either wait for sales or use promotional or introductory discounts whenever possible. LoobaLee does a great job with monthly shopping forecasts, which guide you through popular brands’ sales events, making planning for the smart & savvy shopping a lot easier.
Though online selection at major retailers is better than offline, you still run a pretty high risk when waiting for sales. The tragic scenario is almost always the same: all T-sizes run out and all you have left are deeply discounted cardigans in 3M or 6M sizes or dinosaur tees in sizes 8 or 10. Basically all the useless stuff. If you see something, you fall madly in love with in GAP’s new collection, Do Not wait! They constantly run introductory promotions offering time limited discounts ranging from 15% to 35%. Based on my bitter experience, if something is incredibly cool, it won’t wait for you forever nor would it go on sale. 25% off is your safest bet. Actually, boys in the age range of 2-6 are the most problematic to find cool clothes for. Babies are taken care of. Older boys know what they want and they are a lot more fashion forward and pop culture conscious than we used to be at this age. Manufacturers do take a notice, while the majority of parents could care less about their 2-6 year old’ style. Not fair…
Shoes
Zappos.com can pretty much satisfy all your shoes cravings as a one stop shopping destination, plus free shipping both ways is always a nice bonus. I favor Zappos for their enormous boys’ shoes selection and absolutely outstanding customer service. The package arrives next morning; seriously, they treat every single customer as a VIP. If the shoes don’t fit, just pick up the phone and let the friendliest customer service rep know the right size. They would send you a new pair right away and just read this… THEY WON’T CHARGE YOU for this pair! Just don’t forget to return the wrong size. No double charge! No kidding! What a huge relief for the budget stylistas!
Naturally, there a lot more venues for shoe shopping but we will talk about this amazing and very engaging subject another time.
For more boys clothing shopping tips, check Part I of Boys Style on a Budget: Tops & Bottoms
Boys Be Cool is blog about how to dress little boys in impossibly cool style on a tight budget. Their motto: You don’t have to be a celebrity to dress your kid like one. Boys Be Cool helps you navigate the tricky world of boys’ fashion with a minimal damage to your bank account. In brief words, they take good care of you and your little boys, making life of son raising budget stylistas a lot easier.
Great perspective as usual Julia! Thank you for the awesome post and fabulous tips on shopping for boys. I also appreciate your support for LoobaLee. Together we can help a lot of families save a lot of money on their kids clothing — while dressing in great style. For me too… this is a mission in doing out part to help save the planet as well