Did you know that the average American throws away approximately 81 lb of clothes a year? If that wasn’t shocking enough, around 85% of the textiles are burned or thrown into landfills.
With children rough on clothes and continually growing, the need to purchase more clothing regularly is understandable. However, parents can choose to be more intentional in how they buy clothing for their children. Here are five smart tips to help you save money and practice sustainability when you dress your children
Create a Kid’s Capsule Wardrobe
If you’ve never heard of a capsule wardrobe, the concept is to design a collection of essential articles of clothing. You then enhance the essentials with seasonal pieces like coats and appropriate footwear.
Depending on the age of the child, they’ll need a certain amount of everyday clothing:
- Newborns: Ten Outfits
- 6-18 Months: Eight Outfits
- 18-24 Months: Six Outfits
- 2-4 Years Old: Six Outfits
- 5-7 Years Old: Five Outfits
- 8-12 Years Old: Five Outfits
The ease of the capsule wardrobe for kids and parents is how interchangeable everything is. Kids can easily dress themselves because it all mixes and matches. Additionally, there is no question of “what will I wear?” because there are only so many pieces in which to dress. This is another benefit of the capsule wardrobe and a significant selling point when it comes to sustainability.
Take Inventory
Go into your child’s closet and review the contents. Chances are, you’ll already have most of the essentials in your child’s wardrobe ready to use. Declutter the rest of the clothing and make piles of garments that could be resold, recycled or held onto for younger children. You might also consider keeping a few worn pairs of shirts and pants for outside or messy play.
Consider a Color Family
When considering your child’s new wardrobe, planning it around a color scheme might be wise. A neutral color scheme including white, black, gray and navy for bottoms helps mix and match clothing sets.
Depending on their age, let your child have some input on determining the color scheme of their clothes. Neutral bottoms don’t mean the style can’t be more interesting for clothing tops. Ask your child for their opinion on color and cut when you go shopping.
Clothing With Tops and Bottoms
When buying new clothing for your child’s wardrobe, make a rule
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