Many parents with young children find that the issue with buying children’s clothing is that the children can grow out of certain items before they wear them out and so they are left with the dilemma of whether to buy better quality clothing or whether to just buy cheap and cheerful clothing for their offspring. There are a few factors to consider that may influence this shopping decision and these factors are not only financial but may have ethical implications too.
If parents are buying clothes for the eldest child in the family it could be that it is worth spending a little bit more on some items as the clothes can be passed down to younger siblings or other children in the family or of friends. This is especially so for items that may not be washed frequently such as outdoor coats as they will probably be outgrown before they are worn out. It should be taken into consideration though whether siblings are the same gender as some items may not be able to be handed down unless they are unisex. Wellington boots and waterproof rainsuits are also clothing items that could be passed down and regularly are and so it is a good idea to buy superior quality examples which will hopefully last longer. Special occasion clothes that are only worn once or twice for instance for Christmas or for a wedding are unlikely to be worn out so again it may be worth buying better quality in these cases as they will last longer.
Clothes for holidays such as shorts, t shirts and summer dresses are unlikely to be passed down as they will usually need washing frequently and will usually be worn on a regular basis so it may be better to visit a bargain clothes store and kit out your child for a fraction of the cost of shopping in a superior store. Once the clothes start to look tired and faded they can be thrown out. Some people however feel that this is not an ethical way to behave and that buying cheap is wasteful. These people often prefer to buy from a clothes store that uses more sustainably sourced materials for their clothes and are willing to pay more for the clothing because of this. Charity shops often have children’s clothing priced very reasonably and so if you are concerned about reducing the amount of clothing going to waste it is a good opportunity to grab a bargain and save the planet.