I happen to love Valentine’s Day, and have always managed to sparingly slip a couple of items into my children’s wardrobes, yet stay within my philosophy of trying to dress my kids for almost free.
In general, the smaller the size, the better your resale value. Valentine clothing is more popular for babies, toddlers, and little kids than for older kids. And, it is far more popular for girls than it is for boys.
For valuable items on the resale market, look to Gymboree, Hanna Andersson, Baby Gap, and Gap Kids. Wait until a week to 10 days before Valentines Day and get 30-50% off. The boutique brands may also be an option and be on sale, but I prefer to wait for the deep discounts after the holiday. Look for MIS-TEE-V-US, Young Colors, or Michael Simon.
I’ve also been known to fall for the occasional pop-culture Valentine Tee from Target, Old Navy, Children’s Place. If you go this route, spend only about $5-$6 and plan to donate, give away, or sell at your next garage sale.
Here’s some ideas to leverage your current wardrobe at no additional cost and/or extend your the wear of your Valentine purchase into Spring.
If buying new:
- ** Avoid any Valentine clothing with words. Rather, choose solids or items that have fun prints or designs that can continue to be worn after the holiday.
For boys, stick with the basics:
- ** A great red shirt, sweater, or vest from existing wardrobe** Layer red with white, black, or gray. And if you have a boy who likes pink….go for it ☺
For girls, surely you already have some pink! Try these ideas for a fun holiday look:
- ** Layer pink, red, white, purple or lavender tops together for a cute, trendy look. Two words of advice: 1) avoid all red and purple (too “Red Hat Lady”) and 2) use (at most) only one layer of prints.** Accessorize with home-made Valentine jewelry, such as pins, bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, or hair accessories. Use pipe cleaners, beads, heart-shaped foamies, gems, and glitter. Have some fun!
My final piece of advice – watch those post-Valentines Day Sales and plan ahead! You may be able to pick up valuable designer items at deep discounts for next year. Pick up that Red or pink shirt you’ll want next year at this year’s sales. You can even grab some fun valentine socks and accessories for practically pennies at 75 – 80% off!
— Suzanne Rielle, Co-Founder, Loobalee.com