5 Tips for Buying a Little Less

Back to school shopping can be fun. New shoes, fresh school supplies and a few new clothes have always felt like part of getting ready for September.

But I also think it can be easy to get carried away.  If you're like me, perhaps you find back to school even a bit stressful.  It is easy to start filling carts with new outfits without really stopping to think about what our kids already have, what they actually need, or what they're realistically going to wear once the excitement of September wears off.

Over the years, I've been trying to get better about this with my own family. Instead of thinking about creating a whole new back to school wardrobe, I ask my kids to look at what's already in their closets and think about what will work with some of their clothes that still fit. We talk about what they really love wearing, what they're missing and which new pieces they think will become the favourites they reach for over and over again.

I think this helps teach kids about mindful consumption. We don't need to tell them they can't enjoy clothes or choose things they love. We can simply encourage them to think a little more about what they're choosing and how much use they'll get from it.

Here are five things I try to keep in mind.

1. Start with what they already have

Before shopping, go through the closet and drawers.  Make a list:

What still fits?
What did they wear the most last year? 
What barely got worn?
Are there pieces that need a different top or bottom to make them useful again?

Sometimes seeing everything together makes you realize they need far less than you thought.

And don't be too quick to assume something from last year has been outgrown. Try things on first. One of my favourite things about Wheat & Wildflower clothing is seeing kids pull out a sweater from last fall and discover that it still fits.

Wheat & Wildflower clothes are designed to grow for 3 sizes, so the same piece can often stay in their wardrobe through several seasons and, especially with school-aged kids, for several years.

2. Look for the gaps

Once you know what you already have, it becomes much easier to see what you actually need.

Maybe they've got plenty of tops but only two pairs of pants they really like. Maybe they're missing a good sweater for cooler mornings. Maybe last year's tees still fit and will work under a new cardigan or crew neck all winter.

Shop to fill those gaps rather than starting over.

This is also where I like to think about those hard-working pieces in a wardrobe. A comfortable pair of joggers. A sweater that can be layered. A tee that works on its own in September and underneath a sweater in January.

You don't necessarily need a closet overflowering with clothes. You just need clothes that can be worn often.

3. Think about mixing and matching

I love neutral bottoms for this reason. A couple pairs of joggers or pants that coordinate with several favourite tops can create plenty of combinations without needing a huge wardrobe.

This is exactly why Wheat & Wildflower Joggers are one of my favourite back to school staples. Choose a neutral colour and they can be mixed with favourite tees, sweaters and prints already in the closet. The longer cuffs are designed to unfold as kids grow, helping them fit through three sizes instead of being outgrown after one season.

The same goes for layers. Tees and sweaters can be mixed together as our weather changes from warm September afternoons to very cold January mornings.

Instead of thinking about individual outfits, think about how many different ways each piece can be worn.  Create as many combinations as you can for each piece!

4. Choose the pieces they'll reach for again and again

We all have them. The sweater that's always in the laundry, the favourite pair of pants, the shirt they want to wear as soon as it's clean.

Those are the pieces worth looking for.

Ask your kids what they really love. Let them be part of choosing colours and prints. Before buying something, ask:

Do you think you'll wear this a lot?
What do you already own that you'll wear it with?

This is one of the reasons Lounge Sweaters have become such a big part of Wheat & Wildflower. They're comfortable enough for everyday school days, easy to layer, and available in prints kids can choose because they genuinely love them.

And because they're designed to grow for three sizes, that favourite sweater doesn't have to become an outgrown sweater quite so quickly.

A smaller closet filled with favourites can be far more useful than one overflowing with clothes nobody reaches for.

5. Think beyond September

Back to school clothes don't need to be just for back to school.

When I'm shopping with my own kids, I'm trying to think beyond those first few weeks. Will they wear this through fall? Can they layer it in winter? Will it still be useful next spring?

It's also one of the questions I think about when I'm designing clothing for Wheat & Wildflower.

These clothes grow for 3 sizes.

Long cuffs can be folded and unfolded as arms and legs grow, and the relaxed designs allow room for kids to grow without immediately needing the next size.

Instead of a piece fitting for one short season, it's designed to stay in the closet longer and get worn again and again.

Looking for a few back to school staples?

If you've gone through the closets and discovered there really are a few gaps to fill, have a look through the Wheat & Wildflower Lounge Sweaters and Joggers.

They're handmade in Canada and designed specifically for growing kids. Choose a neutral staple that works with what you already own, or let your child pick a print they absolutely love and will be excited to wear over and over again.

You can also explore all of my Clothes That Grow to find tees, tops, bottoms and other pieces designed to fit for three sizes and last through more of childhood.

A few less clothes. Clothes that last longer.

Mindful back to school shopping doesn't have to mean buying nothing new.

It can simply mean slowing down before we buy:

Looking at what we already have.
Choosing a few things we genuinely love.
Mixing new pieces with old favourites.
& thinking about whether something will still be useful beyond the first few weeks of September.

It's something I'm still working on with my own family too.

And it's very much at the heart of why I make the clothes I do: for families who want a few less clothes and clothes that last longer.

Because sometimes, less really can be more.