The best places to shop for kids' clothes by age range

• Kids grow so quickly that buying them nice clothing often seems like an irrational way to spend money, until you see how cute and charming your children look.
• When shopping, consider every factor at play, including the season, school dress codes, a likely growth spurt, and, of course, their own sense of style.
• Well-made kids' clothing won't wear out as quickly and can be handed down later.
• The best places for quality children's clothes are Tea Collection, Gap, J.Crew, and Nordstrom.
• The best places for affordable children's clothes are at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and JCPenney.

New parents will quickly discover that buying clothes for kids is a fraught affair: On one hand, you want them to look nice, but on the other, kids often outgrow their clothes within a single season, which means you'll have to spend more money to buy new clothes, while the old ones pile up.

So, how do you strike a balance? My solution is to split the wardrobe into two categories, with the dividing factor being the price. My kids each have a number of high-quality garments suited for holidays, fancy meals out, and other special occasions, coupled with cheap, disposable clothing for art sessions, play dates at the park, or pasta dinners with red sauce. It's no different than how most adults build their wardrobes, frankly.

Splitting between higher-end and budget-friendly retailers allows you to spend wisely, splurging on a few select items while filling in the wardrobe with lower-cost clothes. Of course, there's a tradeoff: High-quality clothing lasts longer than cheaper threads and is unlikely to need replacement before it's outgrown, and vice-versa for lower-quality garb. And, finer garments also make better hand-me-downs, too.

With strategic shopping, your kids can look their best while keeping your budget in the comfort zone. Just plan ahead for the season, the events on the calendar, a school's dress guidelines, your kid's own sense of style, and, of course, any younger siblings or cousins who might extend the lifespan of nicer clothes.

Here are the best places to buy clothes for kids by age range:

• Best baby clothes: Tea Collection
• Best baby clothes on a budget: Walmart
• Best toddler clothes: Gap
• Best toddler clothes on a budget: Target
• Best kids' clothes: J.Crew
• Best kids' clothes on a budget: Amazon
• Best tween clothes: Nordstrom
• Best tween clothes on a budget: JCPenney

Prices and links are current as of 2/18/2020.

The best baby clothes

Tea Collection baby clothes have gorgeous blends of colors and patterns on soft, quality fabric.

The kids' clothier Tea Collection has been around since 2002, which sells charming baby clothes that aren't obnoxiously loud. As for the quality of the fabric, stitching, snaps, and buttons, it's simply top-notch; I can see them having multiple lifespans as they passed on to other kids after my baby daughter outgrows them.

A writer from ThePennywiseMama.com praised Tea Collection's "quality and style," saying the garments she tested were "well-made, durable, and soft" and noting how well they maintained their color, feel, and fit even after multiple washes.

But for quality, expect to pay higher price points — as much as $50 per garment on the high end, so Tea Collection isn't a place for a shopping spree. 

Pros: Excellent quality, subtle styling, socially conscious business model

Cons: Expensive

The best baby clothes on a budget

Walmart offers deals like 12-packs of organic cotton onesies for less than $24.

If you're shopping for baby clothes and want to watch the budget, I recommend a familiar retailer: Walmart. While Walmart might not have a vast selection of high-fashion baby apparel, the company is hard to beat in terms of price.

You can get four-piece mix-and-match outfits for $12, 10 pairs of baby socks for less than $8, or 12 organic cotton onesies for a price that works out to less than $2 each. Walmart's baby clothes aren't special, but for everyday life, the selection is more than fine.

One tip I've learned is to dress my baby in layers. There's no reason why anyone needs to buy expensive base layers, like onesies. Keep those on the cheap side — nobody will see them anyway — while splurging a little for the top layer.

Pros: Affordable enough that they're nearly disposable

Cons: The clothes are not built to last

The best toddler clothes

Gap carries toddler clothing with cute designs that skew a bit trendier, thanks to the prints, patterns, and styles.

Gap's toddler clothes manage to strike a perfect balance between cute and stylish, which is a winning combination. The large selection looks like ones you'd find in the adult section, with the addition of paw-print leggings and penguin-patched jeggings. The toddler clothes here work so well because many of the items can be mixed and matched. 

Gap also makes the online shopping experience easy, grouping toddler clothes by type (think boys' shirts and polos, girls' swim, winter accessories, and so forth), age and size, mix-and-match favorites, and other fun and helpful categories. As for price, the clothes are hardly a bargain, but they're as well made as adult garments. Do look for sales.

Pros: Lots of mix-and-match items, easy online shopping experience, good customer service

Cons: Many items are quite pricey

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