toddler clothes

originally uploaded by gently down the stream.

i'm really happy with the way all of my two year-old son's clothes fit in baskets on the changing table.

top left bin holds shirts, one stack of polos and another of tees. as the weather grows cooler i'll be swapping out polos for turtlenecks and long-sleeved for short-sleeved tees. top middle bin holds long pants and jeans in one stack and shorts in the other; these items also will be replaced with their cold weather counterparts as the season progresses. top right bin has sweaters and socks.

almost all of my son's clothing is freely mix and matchable, which helps on the days he wants to choose his own outfit. it also means that i can simply pull from the top of the piles when i need to dress him in a hurry.

bottom left bin holds loose sweatpants and soft, plain tee-shirts. i keep these comfortable, inexpensive pieces stocked for mornings or days we don't go out--it saves wear and tear on his "good" clothes, but he's not reduced to wearing pajamas all day. bottom middle bin holds his pajamas, in rolls that keep tops and bottoms together and allow my son to see all of his options without having to rummage around. bottom right bin holds diapers. we've saved a lot of money since he began sleeping through the night by using the larger (and more absorbent and expensive) diapers only at night, and using the smaller (and less expensive) ones during the day when he'll likely be changed before the diaper becomes full anyway. the stack in the back holds the nighttime dipes.

this simple basket system ensures that i don't overbuy in any category because frankly, if it won't fit in the bin, i won't buy it. if he had a lot of drawers, or we used the closet, i would probably buy more than he really needs. his closet does contain clothes, however: one suit for special occasions, a bin on the floor to hold clothing he has outgrown, and a shelf holding clothing that doesn't yet fit him. i no longer buy in advance as much as i did before he turned two, but i still won't hesitate to buy an item in several sizes if it's a particularly suitable item at a good price. when he was 18 months, for example, i came across the perfect little fisherman's sweater in a classic style at a reasonable price, so i bought it in his current 18 mo. size, plus 2T and 3T. it's nice to know that we can rely on that staple for a few more seasons.