School Clothes

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This morning I went clothes shopping for Olie. A quick trip down a flight of stairs and I was in my favorite shop: Lizzie's Secondhand Treasures. As the firstborn child, Lizzie enjoys all the accoutrements including brand new designer clothes. And, since she is averse to most activities that require getting dirty, her clothes are in pristine hand-me-down condition. It's like having my own private Nordstrom.

I know the purchase of designer clothing is in direct contradiction to my frugal lifestyle but designer clothes really are an investment. Consider this: I purchased a dress for Lizzie from Nordstrom for $89 + tax. Lizzie wore the dress for two years before passing it on to Olie. Olie will also be able to wear the dress for two years. Total cost: $22.25/yr. Since Lizzie only wore it two - maybe three - times, it is still in excellent condition.

I probably could have purchased a dress from Target for $20 but it would have worn out in less than a year and definitely would not have passed my secondhand test (clean, good fit and current styling).

As Lizzie grows out of clothes, I simply store them in a large Rubbermaid tub until Olie has a need for them. Then, I go shopping. This morning's shopping trip netted Olie:

• 7 pairs of jeans


• 3 pairs of corduroys


• 3 pairs of overalls


• 2 skirts


• 2 dresses (including this one)*


• 2 cardigans


• 2 pullovers


• 24 shirts (assorted long/short/turtleneck)

Olie is ready for the upcoming school year. And, no one but us knows that her clothes are hand-me-downs. Unfortunately, Olie has no one to whom she can pass along clothes; Madhubby had a fit when Bubba became attached to a baby stroller. Just a hunch, but he might have a problem with him wearing a dress. Of course, I think he'd look really cute in purple.