Changing Over Kids' Closets for Fall

Now that school is back in session, perhaps one of the items on your to-do list is going through the kids’ closets in order to prepare for the upcoming colder weather and those seemingly never ending growth spurts. Just because an item is in the closet doesn’t mean it fits. Here are some steps to make the seasonal closet transition easier for all involved:

• Before you get started, measure your child with a measuring tape (waist, sleeve length and inseam) or measure something they wear regularly. This makes it much easier to do an initial purge without needing your child to try on numerous items.  Then send all children out of the room or, preferably, out of the house. Otherwise you will hear pleas to keep things that should go.
• Bring in your supplies: several plastic bins or large paper bags for sorting, a trash bag, safety pins and hangers. Categories for sorting:  DONATE, SELL, SAVE FOR POSTERITY, MEND/REPAIR, SPRING/SUMMER AND HAND-ME-DOWNS.
• Begin with shoes.  Determining which pairs are too small or, for whatever reason, not in your child’s regular rotation is usually pretty easy. If in doubt, find the shoes they wear most often and hold one up for comparison. Put any flip-flops, sandals, water shoes, Crocs or summer sport shoes that you think might still fit by next spring into the spring/summer bin. Now is the time to dig out and assess any old rain or snow boots to see whether they can be used for the coming season. I don’t usually buy new snow boots until November so I can get closer to the correct size, plus they are usually marked down by then.
• If you have any items that fall into the “to grow into” category, set aside a small portion of the closet (the back or far side) for these items. Make sure the items are realistic for the season/anticipated growth rate of your child. 
• Pull all the remaining clothes that are too small or the wrong season and sort them into the appropriate bins. Keep one or two favorite warm weather outfits in the closet in case there is a stray hot day.
• If there are items that still fit but for some reason go unworn, you can set them aside to discuss with your child. However, I recommend saving your time by putting them straight into the donate, hand-me-down or sell bin.
• Don’t forget swimming suits, socks, underwear, mittens, scarves, hats and accessories. For girls especially, the accessory pile can get unruly. Sort through all the hair bows/elastics/headbands, etc., and get rid of those that are broken, unmatched or no longer useful. If they go with summer items you are keeping for next year or handing down, pin them to the shirt or dress.  Do the same for socks, tights, sunglasses and costume jewelry.
• Sort the items remaining in the closet/dresser in the way that makes the most sense to you.  Hang each shirt type together (short-sleeved, long-sleeved, turtlenecks, cardigans, etc.) Hang coordinating tops and bottoms together. As you sort, make a list of any new items needed in order to complete partial outfits.
• Take your sorted bins out of the room and put them away. Throw out the trash.  Put the donate bin in your car immediately. Mark your calendar for any upcoming consignment sales and designate time to prepare the items for sale.
• Celebrate a job well done and know that you are helping the planet and other families by reusing and recycling your children’s clothing.  

Once the closet is organized, you’ll be better able to assess items your children still need. If you have a boy and a girl, can you still hand down clothes? I’ve found that you can. Here are some ideas that have worked for my son, 7, and daughter, 5:   

• Plain white athletic socks, boys plain dress socks in beige, white, navy, brown and black. 
• Plain T-shirts, long- and short-sleeved and turtlenecks.  Purchase these items from the boys department rather than the girls, as shirts made for girls are more apt to have pleats, lace, frills or bows. Look for plain shirts without a front pocket.  Good colors are white, beige, brown, navy, red, black, orange and green. While your daughter might not wear a boys shirt alone, it can be great for layering either over or under “girly” tops. 
• Jeans and pants. Straight or skinny boys styles work best for both genders.  Avoid cargo or carpenter styles if you have a younger girl sibling. Boys pants are often larger in the waist.  Look for styles with adjustable elastic and buttons in the interior of the waistband. Plain sweatpants (and jackets) (gray, brown, black, navy) easily can be used by both girls and boys. Choose straight-leg or the traditionally cut sweatpants (such as Hanes) with an elastic leg, versus the flared/yoga cut that is popular for girls.  Pair a gray sweatpants and jacket set with a pink, purple or sparkly shirt for a girl and you have extended the life of the sweat suit.
• Fleece sweatshirts and vests in red, navy, green, black or white. Fabric stores have a variety of sew- and glue-on patches if your child wants something more gender-specific. The same goes for jeans. Put butterfly or heart patches on the back of straight cut boys jeans, and your daughter can wear them anew.
• Pajamas. We have gotten multi-gender use out of the fleece shirt and pants pajama sets (such as Carter’s), as well as the shorts and T-shirt sets (such as Gap Kids). Choose these with gender-neutrality in mind. Snowmen, penguins, sea creatures, etc. have worked for both my son and daughter.
• Sportswear and shoes. White tennis shoes with limited accent colors can be handed down. Boys tennis shoes with laces (once your kids can tie shoes) seem to look more unisex than those with Velcro closures. Plain black and white soccer cleats, socks and shin guards can easily be passed down if you have more than one soccer player in your household. Same with black soccer shorts. If you want a longer life from these items, save the pink for accessories like hair bows rather than purchasing a pink baseball bat, soccer ball or soccer shorts.
• Outerwear. We have not had great luck in finding gender-neutral winter coats. Even if your daughter loves the color navy, the cut of children’s coats is fairly gender-specific. Windbreakers and raincoats in primary colors have proven easier to hand down successfully, as have snow boots (black, red or brown boys boots) and snow pants (the kind that are pants only, not the bib overall style).

Laura Miller McEachen is a part-time attorney and full-time mommy. She lives in Overland Park.