Parents ask us for durable kids' clothing. Durability is rarely the real problem. Most children outgrow a garment long before they destroy it, so the useful question is which pieces are worth buying well and which are not.
Buy well: outerwear and ethnic sets
Anything worn to a function, and anything a younger sibling will inherit, is worth spending on. A well cut kurta set photographs better, sits better, and passes down. Buy a size up and have the counter take in the sleeve and hem, which is a small job and reversible as the child grows.
Buy cheaply and often: everyday tops and bottoms
Daily wear is consumed at a rate no fabric quality fixes. Cotton, easy to wash, replaceable. Do not buy six of a size that has three months left in it.
Fabric in a Kerala classroom
Cotton and cotton blends, always. Polyester heavy fabrics look neat in the shop and are miserable by eleven in the morning. If a garment does not breathe, the child will take it off, and then you have paid for nothing.
The sizing trick
Measure a garment your child currently wears and likes, then buy to that measurement plus a little. Kids' size labels vary more between brands than adult ones do, and age labels are close to meaningless past about six years old.
Two practical habits
- Write the child's name inside the collar. It costs nothing and school lost property is a black hole.
- Keep the bill. Alterations at our counter are simpler when we can see what was bought and when.
Bring the child in if you can. Ten minutes at the counter is worth an hour of guessing from photographs, and our staff will tell you honestly when something is not worth buying yet.