Kids Clothes: Buying Outfits That Will Last

by Mom It Forward on March 12th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Is it heresy to say that I don't enjoy shopping for kids' clothing? First of all, finding the time to shop is difficult. Second, the kids for whom I shop are totally bored by shopping (of course), and only rarely care about the items I buy for them. All my two-year-old cares about is shoes. As long as he has them on, even if he's otherwise totally naked, he's okay. Third, my two young boys are very rough on their clothes. It's hard to go through the effort of shopping for them when I know they'll wear holes the size of Texas in each knee by month's end, or grow "floods" at each ankle by summer's end.

I was pleasantly surprised recently when I presented them both with outfits from Osh Kosh B'gosh: cargo shorts, polo shirt, and a poplin rain jacket, all in solid colors. They both donned them instantly, my two-year-old with a little help of course, and wore the outfits for the rest of the day, and the jackets nonstop for three days after that, until I insisted on removing them to be washed. Maybe I should be investing a little more effort into their attire, huh?

Each item was solid-colored, which I like: easy to mix and match. My seven-year-old's shorts were navy blue, jacket green, and shirt yellow. This was an awesome color combination. My two year-old's jacket was hunter orange, with tan shorts and a blue polo shirt. I wouldn't have picked that jacket color for the life of me, but he loved it. As I went online to find out more about Osh Kosh and their new clothing line B'Gosh Basics, of which the items we received were a part, I was impressed not only by the wide array of colors available but by the ease of the shopping experience.

Visions of peace danced before my eyes as I realized the simplicity of what and how they offered B'Gosh Basics. You go to OshKoshBosh.com and click on "Bgosh Basics." You select the size of clothing you seek. There is a row for polo shirts - each color shown clearly - you select the one you want. Below that, a row for shorts, then a row for jackets...you get the picture.

You can visually mix and match on the screen, which is such a plus. And it's such cute stuff, so basic, so classic. These tips, provided by OshKosh, further helped to reduce my anxiety:

I received the two outfits for free for this review. However, if I'd have bought them online, my two year-old's would have cost $37, and my seven year-old's would have cost me $39. Not cheap. Especially when compared to places like Old Navy. However, maybe if I bought more durable clothes, like B'gosh's, they wouldn't wear out as soon as the ones I buy at Old Navy, so in the long run, they are more cost-efficient. I can't speak to that point yet, at least with these particular outfits. That could be the subject of another review...at summer's end.

My seven-year-old is starting to be more selective. I do want my children to look good, and apparently they do too, if their constant wearing of their new Osh Kosh outfits was any indication. But I don't want the difficulties of traditional children's clothes shopping. Maybe, with B'Gosh Basics online, I won't be such a heretic after all.