Before my daughter joined our family, I never ventured into the girls section when shopping for kids clothes. At the time we had 3 boys, and many people commented on how lucky I was that I could FINALLY shop for “all those adorable girl clothes!” (The issues with that statement are a conversation in and of itself.)
While shopping for my daughter is a different and fun experience, I don’t think it’s fair to sell boys’ fashion short. I’ve had just as much fun putting outfits together for my 4 sons. I actually think it takes more skill and creativity since your choices are limited. In some ways, as it can be more challenging, the sense of reward is even greater.
Let’s take a look at a few key tips creating cute, bold outfits for boys.
Fun Colors and Patterns
This is the biggest rule I follow when shopping for clothes in general, but it’s especially important with boys. I love to look for unique color combinations and patterns that might not necessarily match but are complimentary.
Dressing the Athlete
My 8-year-old is obsessed with Under Armor clothes, which are expensive and in my opinion not the best quality. (I’ve had several of the coveted logos fall off after one wash). So instead of breaking the bank I look for cute, cheap options at Target, Old Navy, and Children’s Place. And if your little athlete needs to look more polished, pairing athletic shorts with a cute plain t-shirt is always an option.
Styling the Superhero
This is something I had to learn immediately since we are a family of sci-fi/comic book geeks. The good news is there are a lot of cute graphic tees to choose from. This is an area where the fun pattern and bold color combo rule really comes into play.
Avoiding the Battle
What if you and your son don’t see eye-to-eye regarding fashion choices? One of the ways I’ve dealt with this struggle is to negotiate. Most of the time I let them wear what they want, but I’ve made it clear that on some days/occasions I’m in charge of their clothes. I’ve also found ways to include them in the decision making with their wardrobe. When we had our family picture taken, my teen insisted on wearing his Doctor Who scarf. I gave on the scarf, as long as I could choose the rest of the outfit.
Bargain Hunting
With 5 kids to dress I’ve become something of an expert on how to save money on clothes. Here are some quick bargain-hunting tips:
-Sign up for your emails from your favorite stores and take advantage of special coupons and savings.
-Hit the sale rack at the right time. I find awesome deals in mid-August and mid-February.
-Since we have a large family I do well with reward programs like Gymboree’s Gymbucks.
-You can always find cute stuff at consignment shops like Itsy Bitsy Boutique
-My 15-month-old has been the beneficiary of adorable hand-me-downs from my nephew.
-I often browse through expensive catalogs for inspiration, and then replicate outfits with similar and less costly options.
Even though I am always on the lookout for a good deal, I do occasionally splurge. My favorite splurge sites are Mini Boden and Hanna Andersson, both of which have cuter boy clothes than girl clothes in my opinion. Since the quality of their items is very high, the cost is usually spread over two seasons of wear.
In the end, with a little creativity dressing a boy can be just as fun and rewarding as dressing girl. What are some of your favorite boy clothing tips? Let us know in the comments below.
BONUS! Check out more cute outfits on Pinterest!
I’ve added more photos, along with descriptions and some prices over on the ICMB Pinterest board. Check it out and follow now. >>
*Family and baby photos by Click by Kate
Love this! I get a lot of compliments on my boys wardrobes, especially when they’re dressed like adorable mini-men. I enjoy accessorizing them too: bow-ties, hats, scarves, suspenders, belts, bandanas. I also have to give a shout out to the Shaun White line at Target. It’s my fav and I’ve found so many cute pieces on clearance! =)
Yes! There are so many cute accessories for boys; sunglasses, ties, socks, fun shoes, etc. I just bought my teen a really cool pair of red topsiders on clearance at Old Navy, and my 8-year-old has an adorable fedora he wears all the time. My favorite place to find accessories is Gymobree, since their pieces all coordinate. I also LOVE styling my boys’ hair. A little bit of gel can make a huge difference!
My number one hated comment is “Girls clothes are so much more fun/adorable than boys”. I beg to differ. Have you seen my son’s nine month pictures? You can’t tell me that a nine month old in a flat cap, vest and tie is not one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen. Thanks for the great tips!
Katie, I thought of you when I wrote this because Henrik always looks so cute. Those pictures are beyond adorable! I love the one where he’s wearing the fedora, lol. 🙂
I completely agree that boy fashion is challenging, but does not have to be boring. I have a two-year-old with a very strong and … unique … fashion sense. In short, he does not believe that neutrals have any place in his wardrobe. Another brand I’ll recommend to you is Polarn O. Pyret. A little pricey (but no worse than your other splurges, I don’t think), but wears so well and has lots of good sales. An absolute staple in our house.
My boys aren’t a fan of neutrals either; especially my 8-year-old. He loves the neon trend! We’ve really had to do some compromising on that front. And I just checked out Polarn O. Pyret. VERY cute! Thanks for the tip!
I love dressing my 4 year old!! It has been super fun since the day he was born.He always gets compliments. I dress him in clothing from both high end premium designers and affordable stores like TCP, Target, OshKosh, Carter, Gymboree,GAP, H&M, and Janie and Jack. I love fun colored pants (red, orange, lime yellow, green,etc) , suspenders, love love bow ties, cardigans, blazers, sports coat,vests, sport caps, hats,aviator sunglasses, french caps, fedoras, bright colored sneakers, and boat shoes. Boys have tons of accessories too!!!!!!! His style and fashion is my passion!!!
I’ve had a lot of fun buying bright colored pants too! Orange, teal, turquoise, red, royal blue, etc. Very fun. 🙂 You can do so much unique coordinating with them. I also love Janie & Jack, such cute stuff.
Great tips! I also love online consignment shops, like FlipSize, ThredUp, and MoxieJean. You can find a ton of cute clothes that would normally be a splurge for a great price. ThredUp also has options for Mom, although liketwice.com is my favorite consignment option for women.
Your family is so cute!
Thanks Kristin! I’ve never heard of online consignment shops. I am definitely going to check those out!
Crazy 8 sales are great and the quality is good too.
If you need more neon 🙂 I found neon sports shorts for my younger one at old navy for 1/3 of the under armor that he wanted 🙂
I love Crazy 8! I’ve actually signed up for the store emails so I know when the sales are. I’ve gotten some really good deals there. I agree that the neon sports stuff at Old Navy is very cute–I just bought some of those for my 8-year-old. 🙂