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The Staples In Lucy’s Closet

Today we’re answering: Where’d you get Lucy’s X, Y, Z? Our 2-year-old has a modest wardrobe that eliminates daily stress, and we’re sharing how we do it, where we shop and rounding up our favorite pieces!

Family laughing on the bed, toddler smiling in-between mom and dad | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home
photo by Gooch Too

It sounds funny to even consider that Lucy has ‘staples’ in her ‘closet,’ because really, it’s more like The Clothes That We Run Into the Ground, the teeny, tiny clothes that only need 1 neat fold to fit into her dresser drawers. I mean, she’s two! But I’ll admit, we do put thought into her clothing. We do. Because putting thought into Lucy’s clothing allows us to give it no thought at all on a daily basis. Here’s what I mean!

We Choose Clothing That Can Mix-n-Match Easily

As Lucy approached toddlerdom, we worked hard to get her clothing to a place that would require the least amount of effort. To do this, we were sure to stock only basic pants – jeans in every wash, dark leggings and cozy, neutral sweatpants. This gave us the freedom to have more fun with tops, since any top could be paired with any pant.

Toddler washing her hands at the sink | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home
Lucy’s learning tower

Do we have a thing or two that is wild in the cutest way possible? Of course, it’s hard to resist! But on the whole, Lucy’s drawers are filled modestly with less than 10 pairs of pants, 10 tops and tees, 10 sweaters or jackets, and a handful of pajamas at any given time. That’s it.

Lucy rides her hot pink car inside | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home
Family sitting outside near the raised garden | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

We Don’t Accept Every Last Hand-Me-Down

Does that sound harsh? It’s not meant to! But in reality, we know that choosing an outfit every day based on someone else’s preferences only adds one more step into our routine. Instead, we politely go through clothing that our friend no longer wants, we choose the pieces that we like (with Lucy’s help!), and we either return or donate the rest, based on our friend’s preference. We would rather someone find value in and wear the clothing, rather than accepting hand-me-downs out of guilt, rummaging past something we don’t love day after day.

Lucy being playful | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

We Purchase 3-5 New Pieces Each Season, and We Thrift the Rest

The thrill of the thrift, am I right? Thrifting for toddler clothes is so. much. more. fun that thrifting for myself (I’ve certainly lost the touch when it comes to my own closet), and we’re mindful to only make the purchase if we know it can fold seamlessly into her existing wardrobe. So rather than say, meh, it’s only $2! to a sweater that fits but we don’t love, we say, let’s save the $2 for something else. It’s a mindset that we use for more than just clothing; we put it into practice for groceries, dining out and, well, everything else!

Lucy rides her bike in the backyard | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

Answering the Question: Where Did You Get That?

We hear this one a lot! The clothing we do buy almost always comes from Uniqlo, H&M, Primary (we love their jammies!), or Old Navy, to name a few. There are dozens of small shops that we adore and will spend a little more on from time to time, which we’re happy to do to not only support these businesses, but because we know the level of quality and care is unmatched. Below, I’m sharing the staples you’d find in Lucy’s closet – er, the clothes you’d find tucked into her dresser drawers!

Sweet Lucy playing in the sleeping loft | How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home
Lucy’s sleeping loft

Note: Because clothing is seasonal, I’m focusing on the places we frequent, what you may find in our shopping cart, and similar items we’ve thrifted.

For Play

How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

1. logo t-shirt, $15 | 2. chambray button up, $23 | 3. Chicago sweatshirt, $30 | 4. pair of cotton tops, $15 | 5. denim overalls, $28 | 6. wide-leg capri pants, $12 | 7. Levi skinnies, $25 | 8. triangle print leggings, $8 | 9. velcro sneakers, $18 | 10. denim icon jacket (only complete with this patch), $34 | 11. empathy t-shirt, $22 | 12. pocket tank, $16 | 13. hip sunglasses, $20 | 14. Sesame Street socks (her favorite), $24 | 15. cotton shorts, $10 | 16. silver jellies, $20 | 17. 2-pc track suit, $38 | 18. 2-pc cotton sweats, $18

(A Little Bit) Dressy

How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

19. plaid shirt dress, $15 | 20. chambray dress, $42 | 21. rainbow cardigan, $31 (sale) | 22. rainbow chambray dress, $58 | 23. easter tights, $24 | 24. quilted jacket, $20 | 25. 2-pack black leggings, $10 | 26. cotton sundress, $30 | 27. polka dot jumpsuit, $32 | 28. glitter Docs, $60

For Sleep

How we choose, shop and keep our toddler's clothing under control | via Yellow Brick Home

29. zip romper, $14 | 30. long sleeve pj top, $14 | 31. yellow cotton set, $15 | 32. stripe set, $50 | 33. soft slippers, $10 | 34. pj pant, $12 | 35. monster slippers, $11 | 36. floral sleeper, $42

Where do you shop for your kids’ clothes?

We love a recommendation, so feel free to use the comment section as a place to share and spread the good word about the brands you love!

PS: This is Lucy’s schedule at 21 months, her craft room and the rocking chair we made over.

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  • Ruth3.10.20 - 5:26 AM

    You’ve put in your post my philosophy for my kids’ wardrobes! Basic pants, funny tops and few dresses. Not on purpose, I always buy like this because it is soooo practical :)ReplyCancel

  • Marilee Sulewski3.10.20 - 6:25 AM

    Such cute things!  When my girls were small (ages 10 and 5 now), I would purchase simple short sleeve cotton/jersey dresses with a variety of plain leggings that could mix and match.  The dresses usually lasted a couple of years as the girls grew taller, the dresses became tunic length and the leggings were easily replaced depending on their size.  I particularly liked the ones from Tea Clothing.  Beautiful colors and patterns, great for playtime and washed really well.  We received a few as hand me downs and added to the collection as they were passed on to other friends!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.10.20 - 8:05 AM

      That’s a cute idea! I’m amazed that Lucy has worn some of the same sweaters for the last 2 years, they just fit her differently but it’s all still adorable.ReplyCancel

  • lak3.10.20 - 8:20 AM

    I was so impressed when you wrote you think very hard (words to that effect) before bringing something into your home.  Like Lucy’s closet, you have a purpose and plan.  I love that and have started using that for my own home.  Instead of “stuff” owing me, I have a use and purpose for things, and room to breathe.ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.10.20 - 9:26 AM

      Room to breathe is so important.❤️ReplyCancel

  • Debra3.10.20 - 8:39 AM

    Waaaay back when my daughter (now 29) was about Lucy’s age, I found the most amazing denim jacket at GAP.  It was beautifully embroidered with birds, bees, butterflies, and flowers, along with some beading.  It was crazy expensive and I bought it several sizes too big and she wore it with the sleeves rolled for probably 4 years and then it got handed down to a niece and then unfortunately lost.  While I would normally not pay for something like that for a little one, I do find myself looking for something similar for my granddaughter.ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.10.20 - 9:25 AM

      I love that! We get denim coats at thrift shops and add patches that Lucy chooses. ☺️ReplyCancel

  • Steph M.3.10.20 - 10:38 AM

    My favorite brand is June & January. I love mixing their dresses with patterned leggings, and then the dresses just become tunics as she grows. I’ve become a big fan of the Kidzen app bc I can still buy gently used since I don’t have much time to visit stores to shop. We’ve also become very honest with our parents that any clothes receive most likely just get passed on or donated if they don’t fill a need, and so the amount we’ve received has become much less which I’m very happy about!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.10.20 - 10:54 AM

      Ooh, checking out the Kidzen app!ReplyCancel

    • Ashley3.10.20 - 9:20 PM

      Seconding J&J! My son is 2 and it’s just so good. We’ve saved everything he’s worn and are just reusing it for baby 2- it’s all so gender neutral and comfy ReplyCancel

  • Krystal3.10.20 - 10:48 AM

    Ha, I have always wanted to do this sort of intentional clothing curation for myself and have never actually managed it successfully. Your kiddo is better dressed than I probably ever will be lol. Still, am I saving this post for later perusal for my childless self? Yes, yes I am. :)ReplyCancel

  • Rachel S3.10.20 - 11:35 AM

    So far (my daughter is 6 months old) I’ve purchased only second-hand.  We’ve of course received baby clothes as gifts from pricier brands but I’ve only bought used things for my girl.  And I resist the urge to buy anything additional unless we truly have a need.  I’m doing laundry enough that she doesn’t need one million things, so I totally appreciate the “modest wardrobe” concept.  I think my favorite brand so far is Hanna Anderson, the fabric and construction is amazing.  I like to purchase on Poshmark, it’s also easy to resell things once she’s grown out of them.  I also shop for myself on there!ReplyCancel

  • Shauna Mooney3.10.20 - 11:35 AM

    Finding cute boy clothes or neutral newborn/infant stuff has proven to be a struggle. Not to mention “0-3 months” actually means “No, they definitely won’t fit into this during month 1” haha…the apps Kidizen and Mercari have been a lifesaver. It’s thrifting I can do from home, and the sellers have been so nice- some of them sent extra stuff in the same style, or reached out to me when they found extras at the bottom of a drawer. Thanks for sharing Lucy’s wardrobe!ReplyCancel

  • meredith3.11.20 - 8:44 AM

    We love a combination of primary, h&m (especially their conscious line!) and hanna andersson. and target’s cloud island jammies. could not agree more about a thoughtful and intentional collection of clothing, even for littles. ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.11.20 - 11:09 AM

      Isn’t Hanna Andersson the cutest?! Love them.ReplyCancel

  • Staci Farris3.13.20 - 2:15 PM

    I love this approach! I feel like I spend so much of my time managing stuff and clothes I’m I’m less than excited about over having pieces that blend effortlessly.ReplyCancel

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