Subject: Kids' Fashion

Melissa -

So when it comes to clothing Suz, I am probably more practical than necessary. I just have a hard time spending as much money on her clothes as I do on mine, especially since she needs new clothes every six months or so (I think that will start to slow down, though, now that she's - gasp! - no longer technically a baby). So I get lots of things on clearance at Target and I've even scored some awesome finds at consignment shops and even a few things at garage sales.

Of course, like I do for myself, occasionally I will splurge. Last week was one of those occasions. I had to go to the Gap to return a gift and ended up with a little bit of store credit. Now, this is a little bit of a sidebar, but what has happened with the Gap? Ninety percent of all my clothing used to come from there, but now...? I walk in and feel like I'm in an asylum or old movie (but not in a good way) - there is no color! It's all grays and taupes and creams, which I realize have their place - but that's all they have! And if it is in color, I feel like it's the color of a tennis ball. Is this showing my age? I feel like the Gap was always fashionable, but not necessarily on the cutting-edge of fashion, but now they are...and I definitely am not. Ugh. Anyway. It's sad - I feel like I lost an old friend. Or maybe I just need to graduate to Banana Republic?

Okay - sidebar over.

So after realizing there was nothing for me* in the whole store, I went over to the Suz's side. (This is extremely dangerous - especially for mothers with daughters - because their kids' clothes have remained awesome!) I found this little gem on sale, then on sale again and after using my store credit, I paid about $5. So it wasn't even a legitimate splurge! Score!

I cannot wait until winter when I will pair this with skinny jeans or black leggings and some fun-colored ballet flats. Or maybe some kind of tights? It feels kind of Madeleine to me (the French girl, not the cookie), or maybe toddler version of a Mad Men style. One thing about Suz getting older: she is walking, which I feel like means you can actually see the clothes she is wearing, whereas before she was crawling or laying in a ball so you couldn't really make things out all that well.

*Now I understand why those terribly-dressed women on What Not to Wear say they spend all their money dressing their kids and don't worry so much (or at all) about what they themselves are wearing. I never understood this before - but now I totally get it. Hopefully I won't devolve that far, but I can appreciate how it happens now!