Finding the Right Fit

As anyone who has a child that is at the bottom of the weight chart knows, it is very difficult finding clothing to fit our petite children. While I want Ava to grow and am excited when I see that her clothes are getting too small, I approach shopping for the next size up with dread. I know from experience, that finding the right fit is not an easy task. The pressure is increased because my little miss Ava seems already to be aware of her size, and objects to keeping on clothing that is "too big". If I put on a sweater or shirt and the neckline hangs off her shoulder or a pair of pants that tend to slide down she is quick to throw a fit. It breaks my heart when this occurs and so I do what I can to find clothing that really does fit her well.

This means that I cannot simply go online or to a store and purchase a certain size. After all, the size she is in is dependent on the brand, cut, and type of attire. For example, her winter coat is 18-24 months, but her Tinkerbell Halloween costume had to be 12 months. From my shopping experiences, I have noticed a some trends in how certain brands and styles of clothing tend to run. I thought I would share these observations with you in case you find yourself facing the same situation with your little one.  

When shopping for Ava, these are the things that I keep in mind...Baby Gap has adjustable waist jeans in 18-24 months so this is where we purchase her pants. Before she hit 18-24 months, finding pants was almost impossible as they would all fall down. Her finally hitting this size has been such a big help. I have found that Baby Gap's regular cut fits the best. The skinny jeans just emphasize her small size and the baggy jeans are way too baggy. For tops and dresses I tend to stick with Old Navy. Their tops seem to be cut nice and narrow for my petite girl, although many of them when they shrink seem to get shorter so this is something I am careful about. I like their dressier jackets as well. Their dresses fit pretty well but I have to be careful about the neckline. If it is a scoop or boat neck, then it will fall off her shoulders. For pajamas my favorite shopping spot is Children's Place. Their footy pajamas tend to be narrow and fit her very well. Although, recently I bought some from Walmart and they fit pretty well too. Another place I like to shop is JC Penney. They have great sales and I like the brands. The only thing is that it sometimes takes me a couple of tries to find the right size. I have noticed that Arizona and Okie Dokie brands, which are sold there, tend to run small. In the Okie Dokie, I actually bought Ava a little 2T thermal shirt and it fit her! 

All of us at a fair this fall. Ava is wearing her Okie Dokie 2T top from JC Penney along with her Baby Gap adjustable waist jeans.

In general, I have found that with Carter's I have to purchase a size smaller than what Ava is wearing in most brands. For example, at Children's Place I have been purchasing 24 months and Old Navy 18-24 but with Carter's the 18 month are still a bit big on her. My favorite Carter's items to buy are onesies. They are long and narrow and fit Ava perfectly. She is currently wearing Carter's 12 month onesies. Children's PlaceChildren's PlaceAs long as I take my time and be open to exchanging items, I can find some cute items.

Ava in a sweater from JC Penney, Sketchers sneakers from there as well, Baby Gap 18-24 month jeans, and an adorable hat from Old Navy.

Shoes are difficult to purchase as well because Ava's feet ar long and narrow. For sneakers I have found that Sketchers and Nikes tend to fit her the best. For dress shoes, it really is a gamble. I have to have her try on shoe upon shoe until we find one that is narrow enough and that the strap is tight enough. I have not found a particular store that has ones that fit, it seems to vary from season to season. 

For now, Ava's closet is fully stocked, but I am hoping that with the changes we have made in her medications and formulas that she starts to gain some weight and get taller causing her to bump up a clothing size! Luckily, each time I begin my search for the perfect fit it gets easier and easier because of the knowledge I gained in the past on where to find the narrower cut clothing. I hope that my sharing this information with you makes your shopping trips easier as well.

Here are links to the stores I mentioned above:
Old Navy
Baby Gap
JC Penney
Children's Place