[Back-to-Fall wardrobe]

There was a sneaky bit of crispness in the air today which got me all giddy inside in anticipation for the upcoming fall weather. Little A has two week's worth of Kindergarten under his belt (and soaking it all up like a rock star). Things are starting to look a little more livable here in our new place and just in time for the delightful onslaught of fall-to-winter holidays (my kids have already emphatically declared what they are going to be for Halloween. Completely not what I expected - and they don't go together as a theme, so we're trying to see how we can pull it all together. Should be fun!).

But before we get into all the Halloween costume making, we had to suit Little A up with some back-to-school/fall duds. I love to sew as much as I can for the boys but with the move there was not time for this so we had to turn to our trusty shop spots. And we had such a fun time doing so - mixing and matching hi end finds, such as designer looks from Tea, with a clustering of more economical, yet equally fab, staples from places like H&M, Target (my quick go-to source for boys shoes) and more.

So when shopping for kids clothing, there is a lot to consider. Durability (particularly with my boys), comfort (will my kid even wear this super adorable yet somewhat constrictive jacket?) the price tag (what do I want to spend when they grow out of these things so fast?) and finally the fun one - style (which, depending on the age and disposition of the child, they will weigh in on from time to time).

For me, I happen to know that Little O will be wearing these items again in just a few short years which definitely influences my shopping choices. What I try to do is purchase a few really high quality items that will last for the long haul, and be carried on down to Little O in a not so "I'm so worn out its a dead give a way that I'm a hand-me-down" sort of way, and then mix them with an assortment of more affordable staples and kid-appealing graphic items.


For example I felt like a splurge on this stunning kimono robe sweater from Tea was well worth it. Not only for the quality of the piece, but also because of it's versatility (it's almost like a jacket really) and for the fact that it will stay in good shape for Little O (and if we ever have a little girl I will totally hand it on down to her as it's a neutral enough and if taken care of, should last that long). We then paired it with a couple of more affordable pieces from H&M kids, such are these super fun and vibrant red pants and simple striped long sleeve T. As for shoes, I typically find myself at Target as I seem to need them like, yesterday. I'm always rushing my Littles out the door only to find that NONE of their shoes fit anymore! Seriously, how is this possible? So off to Target we go. And thanks to their line up of our favorite All Stars, we always seem to find something to please...and just in the nick of time.

in the above pic:
-striped T from H&M kids
-red pants, H&M kids
-kids black cons, Target


Now another thing I like to stock up on are an assortment of interesting and kid appealing graphic tees. At times I think I'd love to dress my little darlings as fine little French gents, with not a graphic in site. But let's face it, with Sponge Bob and Super Mario Bro's out on the loose you're going to have to find some pretty cool duds to combat the onslaught of licensed characters running around (especially if your child is in public school). This tiger Tee from Tea does just the trick. It's super cool and invites a myriad of inquiries from both your kids friends and their parents. (And if you hurry you can nab one on sale for for only $12.50. Score!). Don't worry, I'm not that controlling of a parent. When it comes to pajamas and underwear, there are no limits. Recently their aunt gifted them a new set of Sponge Bob pajamas when we arrived to our new home, and it was like Christmas for them. The boys LOVE getting ready for bed because of this. So totally a win win, right?.


One item that I wanted to be sure to acquire in our shopping extravaganza was a shirt for Little A's school photos and I think I found just the thing in this Chapultepec Polo from Tea. This shade of blue is a winner for Little A and I like the somewhat sophisticated yet still casual look of it. We also went for some fun denim harem pants from Zara Kids to keep things playful. Little A is still getting used to them but I just can't help but die from cuteness when I see him in these. They might fall in the "not so sure my kid will wear these all that often, but I just had to have them anyway" category which is something all of us moms need to indulge in from time to time, right?


And what fall wardrobe would be complete without a great scarf? We got this H&M plaid scarf for Little A some time back and luckily he loves it and will wear it as the weather cools (which blows me away as he has a myriad of tactile and textile particularities). I also managed to stock up on a slew of items from Forever 21 Kids, such as this pearlized button up denim collared shirt, before they nixed their boy department all together (they apparently are now only carrying kids fashions for girls). And of course, we came back to our tried and true, Target, for these simple slip on canvas shoes.

Whew... So now that back-to-school shopping is out of the way, we can start thinking about those Halloween costumes...maybe...in just a few weeks...or more...now where is that box with my sewing machine at?...