Buying clothes for kids is not as easy as popping into the closest store, grabbing the cutest things and everyone is happy. Not all the stores sizes are aligned, we don’t always want to take out a bond to pay for a pink shirt and our kids don’t wear certain things.
Having four kids (two of whom have sensory issues) I have been through pretty much most stores on offer in SA. A few have become firm favourites for us.
Cotton On. We all love Cotton On, from the littliest one to the biggest one. There clothes are made of cotton which means they are comfortable and suitable for the most sensitive of us. They have a variety of items from cute to practical and while they do have a few things with well known characters on, there are more items that don’t. They are a little pricey but their clothes last and some cities have factory outlets which have some incredible sales.
PicknPay clothing. I know there have been mixed reactions about this and I have noticed their prices slowly creep up but I can’t complain about their quality and they also do often have “plain” items like plain coloured shirts and leggings. They also have an active range for kids which is great if you have kids who do sports. They are also the best place for kids costumes.
Naartjie. This is my indulgent store. They only go up to ages 10 and their baby stuff is a lot cuter than the toddler stuff but it makes for stunning baby shower gifts because their baby stuff is off the charts cute!!! I also like that they are often actively involved, at store level, in collecting clothes for charity and giving back to the community.
Mr Price. We haven’t had much success with their toddler range but this is a great option for the older kids, especially when your kids start being able to chose from either the kids section or the adult section (happens sooner than you think). They are reasonable and if you look they do actually have age appropriate clothes that don’t have characters on. Their 3-pack shirts and leggings are really great value.
And then a shout out to a few new, local brands who we also love.
Sebastian Baby Wear – we love their clothes, they are pretty and best of all they are designed and made with love.
Schnooky Pie – more handmade awesomeness. I wish I still had a small baby who would wear some of these (we have a review and a giveaway coming up soon)
Love Made Me – If you are looking for a personalised gift for someone special who is having a baby or for our little person, then this is place to have it made!!!
What are some of your favourite places to shop for kids?
I think my list is similar- also love Cotton On and Pick n Pay Clothing. Most of our staples come from good old Ackermans- they seem to have the biggest range of kids stuff and decent quality (other than their shoes). Our splurge shop is Earth Child- especially when they have sales.