Friday, August 19, 2011

Size Wise

So here we are heading into fall, and I have the same problem as last year: I have no fall clothes for my kids.  I'm actually happy to have this problem as it means (1) the kids are growing and (2) I get to go shopping.  Plus, last year KJ didn't need any new clothes so I'm super tired of his t-shirts and am ready to refresh his look.  But as I look online and try to figure out how to make both my kids and my wallet happy, I'm faced with a problem: sizing. 

With my schedule, I do almost all of my shopping online.  I am almost never able to get to a store before 9 p.m. (when the stores close), and our weekends so are packed with kid activities and grocery shopping and laundry and all that other fun must-do stuff that we almost never make it to the mall.  Online is the perfect remedy.  Except, sizing for kid's clothes is just crazy. 

KJ is exactly at the 50 percentile on the height and weight charts for his age, 4.  One would think, therefore, that most  size 4T items would fit him.  Not so, my friend.  In my experience, most Gymboree and Carters items run big.  Anything purchased from Target runs small.  And I haven't figured out any consistency at all with respect to Old Navy.  Yes, all of these stores provide size charts.  And most of them have weight and height recommendations on the label.  But it still seems like every single item is a crap shoot.  Maybe it'll fit and maybe it won't. 

And KJ is the easy child.  At least I can get in the right realm of sizes for him.  Sweet Pea is a whole different ball game.  After all of her early growing struggles, Sweet Pea seems to have come into her own.  She's not big for her age or anything, but she seems less tiny.  And that alone is something.  Knock on wood, we haven't taken Sweet Pea to the doctor for months, so I have no idea what she actually weighs or how she compares to other two-and-a-half-year olds, but she's bigger than she was last year and that's all that really matters.  But what size to buy her?  Sweet Pea will turn three in January.  I only want to buy one set of winter clothes for her, so whatever I buy now I want to last into spring.  So the question becomes, how big will she get? 

The other day when I was in Penny's getting KJ's (late) 4-year-old-pictures taken, I bought Sweet Pea a cute 2T top.  When I brought it home, it was much too little for her.  So I had to return it.  Then, I bought Sweet Pea some dresses from Mini Boden.  The 2Ts were a little large, but probably the best choice.  And once, I picked up a single outfit from Carters.  She's swimming in the 24 month size outfit I bought her.  It seems like she wears a different size for each and every manufacturer. 

As I write this, I have a virtual cart full of adorable things from Gymboree, just waiting for me to purchase.  But I'm so worried about how in the world I'll return all that stuff if it's the wrong size that I can't just seem to click the "buy" button.  Maybe KJ's tired t-shirts aren't so bad after all . . .

Karen

1 comment:

  1. It is soooo different for different stores! I have several fall dresses from Old Navy and Children's Place in the car to return (I also order online, shopping with the kids is a form of torture I'm just not into). 18-24 months size headed back to the store. Most of her current wardrobe is 12-18, apparently A hasn't grown enough to jump sizes yet....despite putting on several pounds since spring? I will not be pleased if I have to go back and buy the 18-24s come January! T is mostly in 5Ts now, but I'm noticing that the 4T to XS boys (4-6) is similar to the 24 months/2T thing. Should be the same, yet very different in practice.

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