The 11 best places to shop for kids clothes in 2021 (2024)

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The best baby clothes

Janie and Jack baby clothes make every day a special occasion with their fun prints and high-quality fabrics.

Janie and Jack's clothing run true to size, which makes online ordering easy and fast. The brand offers a large selection for infants and a variety of pieces, including bodysuits, sweaters, dresses, and swimsuits, as well as accessories like shoes, hats, socks, and bows.

The colors and fabric look new even after repeated washing, though we do recommend line-drying the garments because cotton can shrink in machine dryers. My daughter lived in her Janie and Jack swimsuits this past summer, and the material did not droop or fade in the sun.

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The best baby clothes on a budget

Carter's offers a large selection of affordable baby clothes that hold up well after repeated washes.

For everyday staples, Carter's is a reliable brand with value packs and simple styles that are great for babies who may cycle through several outfits in a day. There are cute bodysuits and sleep sets, as well as hoodies, jackets, shoes, and other accessories. Carter's runs frequent sales, but even pieces that are full priced are budget friendly.

I have a variety of Carter's pieces that have been handed down from at least two other parents, and the garments are still in good shape. The cotton does shrink a bit after a while and some pieces run big, but there have been no noticeable tears or holes.

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The best toddler clothes

Tea Collection offers everyday and special occasion toddler clothing in unique prints and patterns on soft fabrics.

Tea Collection pieces are some of my favorites for their distinctive prints and patterns. The quality of the fabrics, buttons, and seams on the garments is on par with adult clothing, and the designs are practical, modern, and inspired by global styles. With the exceptional quality comes a higher price tag, however.

Though items are machine washable, using a delicate cycle and skipping the dryer will help them retain their shape and color. The brand also donates 10% of their profits to charitable organizations like the Global Fund for Children and the Homeless Prenatal Program in their home city of San Francisco, California.

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The best toddler clothes on budget

Old Navy is a budget-friendly one-stop shop to outfit your toddler and the whole family.

The quality of Old Navy clothing exceeds expectations when considering the brand's ultra-low prices. The patterns are fun and cheery, and the versatile pieces have great value. For example, toddler pajamas come in fun prints for just $10. Its vast inventory includes basic sweats and tees, jackets, blouses, button-downs, dresses, jeans, pants, shorts, and swimwear as well as accessories like socks and shoes.

I've found that their sleepwear runs small, but other pieces are true to size. While the clothing won't hold up as well as our top pick for toddlers, Old Navy runs frequent sales, so stocking up for the entire family is budget friendly.

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The best kids clothes

Maison Me is Maisonette's in-house label with classic everyday designs that hold up to wear and tear.

Maison Me garments are made to last with pieces constructed from thick and sturdy fabrics that won't wear out. The classic designs include traditional polos, plaid dresses, lots of striped pieces, and adorable florals.One of my favorite pieces that I tested with my toddler was a pink two-piece track suit that was ideal for play.I also found the leggings and drawstring pants were comfy and well-made.

The brand recommends machine-washing its clothing on cold and tumble-drying on low for optimal care. In my experience, this preserves both the quality and size of the garment.

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The best kids clothes on a budget

H&M has a diverse selection of organic clothes, all at bargain prices.

H&M's environmental consciousness, budget-friendly prices, and diverse selection make it a great option for rapidly growing kids. The colorful prints, fun details, and prices are hard to resist. I started shopping there when my daughter was a baby, and as she grew, I continued to buy their affordable eco-friendly clothes.

H&M offers kids clothes up to age 10 and a more sophisticated line for ages 8 to 14. They also sell accessories like tights, hats, shoes, and hair clips. If your child is Frozen-obsessed like mine, you'll also love H&M's partnerships with Disney, among others. The offerings are well-made, true to size, and wash easily.

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The best adaptive kids clothes

Appaman's Adaptive line caters to kids who have challenges with dressing, thanks to thoughtful and unique design features.

Appaman's Adaptive line features accessible versions of its most popular clothing to empower kids to dress themselves. An ideal line not only considers accessibility but also style choices that are on par with nonadaptive lines, according to Debbie Stone, founder and executive director at Pop.Earth, a nonprofit committed to providing wellness options for people with autism and developmental disorders.

Garments have Velcro closures, magnetic zippers, and internal pant loops for dressing one-handed. Velcro ankle cuffs allow for prosthetics, orthotics, and other medical devices. The selection is somewhat lacking, with 42 pieces at time of publication, but the garments wash and wear exceptionally well. Though on the pricier side, the quality is unparalleled.

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The best adaptive kids clothes on a budget

Target's Cat & Jack line includes clothing with abdominal access, snap closures for easy dressing, no tags, flat seams, and thumbholes to keep sleeves in place.

A major retailer like Target can broaden the range and accessibility of adaptive clothes. "At Pop.Earth, a charity for autism and special needs, I hear from numerous parents how important it is that clothing lines pivot to include these people," said Stone. Cat & Jack is a favorite of the parents I polled, and while its adaptive offerings are somewhat limited, the prices are unbeatable.

Cat & Jack makes leggings, pants, polos, tees, dresses, swimwear, jackets, and more. Like Carter's, the clothing wear and wash well despite their lower price point. Garments also come with a one-year return policy with receipt if you're not satisfied.

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The best tween clothes

Nordstrom has a wide variety of tween clothing from popular brands and one of the best return policies.

Nordstrom is one of my favorite places to shop as an adult, and the options for tweens are just as impressive. There are well-known brands like Ugg, Hannah Banana, and Steve Madden, and a variety of other lesser-known brands that are equally cool among the tween set. Prices run the gamut, and offerings include everything from Nike and Adidas sweatshirts to sparkly, formal dresses. If you're looking for a deal, there are great sales around the holidays as well as during its annual July sale.

Quality depends on the brand you buy, but I've found that pretty much everything I've purchased at Nordstrom withstands wear and tear. The product pages include recommended care instructions if you want to know before you buy. Nordstrom also offers free shipping and returns as well as local curbside pickup.

Nordstrom's Anniversary sale also happens to be going on right now until August 8, so you can shop the picks below or check out more of the best dealswe've found.

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The best tween clothes on a budget

Kohl's has tons of affordable brand-name clothing, and Kohl's cash can get you even more savings.

Kohl's is a go-to for tweens, thanks to its reasonable prices on brand-name items, including clothing from Levi's and Under Armour. You can shop by price on the website, with thousands of offerings from $6 to $20. You can also sort by age range, occasion, and size, including extended size options.

Many pieces have printed designs or phrases, but there are basics as well. Some of the lower-cost clothing may be a bit thin and flimsy. Though they won't last multiple seasons, they are great for messy art classes or sports practice.

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The best teen clothes

American Eagle Outfitters has an excellent selection and range of size options, and its rewards program is budget-friendly.

American Eagle's basics and on-trend styles make it our top pick for teen clothing. It also beats out the competition in terms of affordability, thanks to its rewards program and sales that often include savings of 25%. Between AEO and Aerie labels, the selection is vast. Denim styles include the brand's bestselling high-waisted jeggings and straight fit jeans. You'll also find tees, sweatshirts, blouses, dresses, joggers, comfy loungewear, swimwear, and accessories like socks and shoes.

American Eagle has a rewards program, which offers cash rewards, members-only sales, a birthday coupon, free shipping, and returns. Garment construction can sometimes be irregular — crooked seams or an uneven hem on a dress, for example. However, the jeans last for years and get more comfortable after multiple washes.

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What else we like

While the following stores and brands didn't quite make the cut, if you haven't found what you're looking for among our top picks, consider the following.

Gap Teen:Through its new eco-friendly initiative,NXT Gen Gap, Gap offers quality basics with an ethical backstory. However, its inventory and deals fall short of our teen pick, American Eagle Outfitters.

Mori: Mori makes excellent sleepwear for babies and toddlers, but it doesn't have much of a selection for everyday clothing.

All The Babies: This organic, vegan line is mostly limited to cozy sweatshirts and cotton bodysuits. It runs a program that donates used garments to families in need.

T.J. Maxx: We love T.J. Maxx for great deals on name-brand clothing, but it doesn't offer a large variety of sizes online. Shopping in-store also takes time and is hit or miss.

J.Crew: J.Crew has high-quality, well tailored pieces for the whole family. While its children's clothing lasts a long time, the garments are quite expensive.