Cheap baby formal clothes?

[GracieCat0_1]

DS will be 20 mo on our May Caribbean cruise. Anyone seen any cheap(under $10) dressy clothes for the MDR besides ebay? Probably 18-24m size. I saw some little dress shirts at Kohl's and they were close to $20. Too much for one use! I'll try yard sales in the spring. I don't buy dress clothes because he gets so dirty and doesn't normally need them. I have a few polos and can probably find cheap khakis. I was thinking some button-downs because it gets cold in the MDR but haven't seen any except Kohls. I was hoping some other frugal parents out there knew where the deals are!

 

Also, no one will look at his shoes, right??? He has nice leather shoes, but they aren't really "dressy". :)

 

Thanks!

[SusieV]

I bought my son a full tuxedo on eBay, as well as baby dress shoes.

 

Actually, it's 18 month size- I'll sell it to you if you're interested. Comes with a bow tie, dress shirt, pants, and jacket. The shoes are size 5.

 

My son won't be going to any formal occasions before he outgrows it so I was just going to pack it away. Email me if you want.

 

Otherwise, definitely check eBay and Craigslist for used stuff. I got some lovely clothes that were perfect for the MDR very cheaply.

[newbiecruiser09]

Polos and khakis (check Target for some) in the MDR should be fine. I wouldn't worry about the shoes-everyone will be checking out his adorable face and won't even look at the shoes! :) Also check to see if there are any consignment shops or sales in your area-we have had good luck with formal type clothes at such. You could also talk with folks at your church/temple/place or worship if you have one. They may know someone who has some formal wear to sell or where to find some.

[cb at sea]

For babies and toddlers, you do NOT need "formal" clothes! They look silly dressed like adults....they are babies!

[Onessa]

Consignment is the way to go, but if you want 'new' check TJ Maxx/Marshalls and/or Bulington Coat Factory Baby Depot. If you have nearby outlet malls, some of the stuff at Carters or Oshkosh B'Gosh (now the same thing) is really nice.

 

Unless you are looking forward to dressing him up, just about any nice clean outfit will be appropriate. Have fun!

[RoadTripFanatic]

Children's resale clothes shops are a great place to look! If you celebrate Easter I would just use his Easter outfit on the cruise. Easter is at the end of April this year. :) That way you get two uses out of it. :) No one is going to care about his shoes.

[mrs.mobster]

If you can wait till Easter stuff is on sale, that would work nicely. Target, Macy's, Kohls etc all have decent stuff and if its past holiday sale time, youll find great deals. You can also check TJMaxx, Marshalls etc. Old Navy too. Or even loot at local resale places maybe? I think the shoes sound fine. So long as they are not sandals, and not sneakers I think youre good to go. I think most little boys casual leather shoes tend to be able to lean more to the dressy side anyhow ;)

[5waldos]

For babies and toddlers, you do NOT need "formal" clothes! They look silly dressed like adults....they are babies!

 

Thank you. I completely agree. A tuxedo and diapers somehow just don't work.

[B_Mc]

I vote for Carter's/Osh Kosh. DS will be wearing khakis and a polo shirt and that is formal for him!

[Julienatul]

I got my son's tux on ebay as well $14 shipped total !!! I bought the shoes at a consignment shop for $3. The tux was so great I bought another the following year when he outgrew it.

[Chicky2181]

DS will be 20 mo on our May Caribbean cruise. Anyone seen any cheap(under $10) dressy clothes for the MDR besides ebay? Probably 18-24m size. I saw some little dress shirts at Kohl's and they were close to $20. Too much for one use! I'll try yard sales in the spring. I don't buy dress clothes because he gets so dirty and doesn't normally need them. I have a few polos and can probably find cheap khakis. I was thinking some button-downs because it gets cold in the MDR but haven't seen any except Kohls. I was hoping some other frugal parents out there knew where the deals are!

 

Also, no one will look at his shoes, right??? He has nice leather shoes, but they aren't really "dressy". :)

 

Thanks!

 

Check if you have any local consignment shops. I buy almost all of my daughters clothes at one by me. She has a closet full of Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and many other expensive lines. Mostly everything I have purchased still has tags on it and it is all usually under $10. I have even sold back many items and made money!!!! I have also bought several cute frilly party/holiday dresses for under $5.

 

btw...I recently saw a cute tuxedo ones at Macys. Not exactly "formal" but funny.

[onthelake]

When my DS was that age, I checked the resale shops and Dillards - the sales are great. While not necessary, it makes the best family photos with the little one 'stylin'.

[Perfect Stranger]

Baby girls don't wear formal gowns. A baby boy doesn't need a suit/tuxedo!

[CruisinIsMyThang]

I think that khaki pants or black pants would be fine. If you really want a tuxedo, which is super cute for family pictures, check out eBay. I found this link on eBay for a very well priced tuxedo: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-WEDDING-FORMAL-INFANT-BABY-BOYS-BLACK-TUXEDO-3M-24M-/320643222877?pt=Boys_Wedding_Attire&var=&hash=item76bfce4a78 That one is less than $20 for the whole outfit. Hope that helps!

[SummerW]

I got a linen sailor suit on ebay for around $16 shipped.

 

My preference is also to put babies in baby formalwear, instead of small versions of adult formalwear, but that's just how I roll.

 

My son will be 6 months old when we go on our cruise in a few weeks. We won't need shoes, but I may do some socks that look like boat shoes or something. Maybe the blue loafer in this set.

 

I'm hoping this 12 month sized suit will fit in 3 weeks. I may need to get him one that's 18 months as a backup. :eek:

[kassimer1]

check out around where you live for a baby clothes resale place. we have a few near where i live and most of the dressier stuff was only worn once. Also since you are going right after easter you may ne able to get easter dress clothes on sale cheap

[jkeinva]

We just got back from a cruise with our 22 month old - for dinner, he mainly worn khaki pants and polo shirts. I had him in his sneakers - no one seemed to mind. No one really saw his shoes because he was mainly seated at the table and the table cloth hides the shoes. If you plan on getting tons of photos taken during your trip (those get expensive), then you might want to get a cheap pair of dress shoes from Payless Shoe Source.

 

Polos - I got a bunch at the end of summer from Children's Place for great price.

Khakis - mainly had him in the Jumping Beans brand from Kohl's or pants from Children's Place. Kohl's has good sales on the Jumping Beans stuff every couple of weeks.

 

If you want more formal stuff, I'd say Burlington Coat Factory's Baby Depot section. I got my son a little white tux for his Baptism there. It was significantly cheaper than Babies R Us and other shops.

[SummerW]

Speaking of sailor suits...

 

Zulily has Good Lad Sailor suits on sale right now for $25.99. Regular price is $44. They also have some cute outfits.

 

They just put up some Kushies Baby outfits, also, in red/white/blue colors that have a nautical element to them and would be perfect for a cruise.

 

I found a $5 off $50 coupon at retailmenot.com... it's GA1078. That defrays most of shipping.

 

happy shopping!

 

:)

[AJI2596]

I bought DS's Captain Suit from eBay and the girls their sailor suits from eBay. But one yr I bought my son suits and got them at the Thrift Store. We go to a chain called Once Upon a Child.

 

I love kids in a tux and formal dress!! Just the way we used to cruise when I was young. Casual is too popular now. Bring back formal:). Plus it looks great in photos.

[AJI2596]

Baby girls don't wear formal gowns. A baby boy doesn't need a suit/tuxedo!

 

They don't but on formal night and for photos it is perfect!!!:)

[Colorado Kat]

Take advantage of the photographers all over on formal nights. Some backgrounds you have to wait for, but for many other backgrounds there is no wait.

 

If the child is in a good mood, give it a shot. You don't need to purchase anything unless you like how the shots come out. You can pose as many times as his mood stays happy!

[tracidanielle]

:) For my son and my god daughter fancy clothes for a low price can be found at walmart. Especially during this time with Easter coming soon. check online or instore. The quality is not outstanding but really not bad and it is verry affordable. Kids will be out of them as soon a month after you buy it anyway....If you want something a little higher quality and maybe more trendy go to "The Childrens Place"

[GracieCat0_1]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! I didn't think about Easter clothes. They will probably be great! I got a clearance Christmas outfit at Target that will be just FINE for the price! Stores already have their spring and summer lines out. I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to find pants later. When I was pregnant I got him a supercute white polo outfit embroidered with alligators from Gymbo. There is no way I'm going to let him wear that while eating! ;) New mommy excitement (and ignorance!) This weekend he managed to smash a prune into an outfit that he had on for 2 minutes!

[cruisinbanddirectors]

Last year I got some awesome deals on dressier clothes (even a linen suit) on post-Easter clearance sales. That plus his Easter outfit plus polos and khakis for the rest of the nights worked great.

 

Babies/toddlers don't NEED to dress up, but if you're like me, it is nice to get pictures with them dressed up...and they are just double cute!