Episode 137: Clothing the Naked…Seasonal Wardrobe Swaps
What You’ll Learn
How on earth does a mom dress so many kids?! Is there a system to make this process simpler and more affordable?! With Brittany…of course there is! If just the idea of finding and organizing clothing for all YOUR kids gives you heart palpitations, keep listening momma, because we’ve got you!
The digital Seasonally Simple Wardrobe planner works for ALL families with children…it’s the best mix of capsule, minimalist, and practical for REAL kids and walks you through the process with intention…
✨ Gives you 4 simple steps to conquer the clothing overwhelm
✨ Encourages your children to have more independence with their clothing
✨ Reduces the mental and physical load of laundry for your family
✨ Helps you prioritize your family’s clothing needs and stick to them
✨ Saves your valuable time in...choosing...searching...dressing...and laundering
✨ Offers very clear recommendations for building a simple wardrobe
With this download you’ll get a PDF file with tips for getting started, examples to inspire and help you, AND a template link so you can edit and fully customize it in Canva.
The Wardrobe System (02:51)
Right now, Brittany’s family swaps clothes over two times a year…March/April and September/October. She uses a printable as she swaps to keep the process as organized as possible.
The Twice a Year Clothing Swap (04:10)
This MAY be controversial, but the first thing Brittany does is throw away the socks in the sock bin. In the past, she’s used them for crafts, tried other things, and in the end…in order to protect her capacity, she tosses them. She looks at what each kid has for socks, and buys new pairs. During the summer, kids (in Florida) only need 2-3 pairs of socks (because we LIVE in flip-flops here). In the winter, kids here need about 5-7 pairs of socks.
Underwear gets tossed (when it no longer fits). When buying new underwear, 10 pairs…always.
Now for carryover…Brittany had to get REALLY serious about what she was keeping from season to season and kid to kid. She will save ONLY what is for the next season. Everything else gets donated.
God has ALWAYS taken care of Brittany’s family, so she doesn’t feel the need to keep these things for years at a time…rather it’s better to donate and bless another family with it.
She ONLY saves what THIS particular child can fit in and WILL wear in the next season. But there are carryover items that will get kids through the time when weather is very unpredictable.
It’s important to note, yes—some pieces of clothing (like socks) will get tossed—but this entire system is based on minimal waste. We’re not talking about 25 pairs of socks…more like 4 pairs (that aren’t even pairs anymore).
The Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Swap (11:08)
Over the years, Brittany has changed her system quite a bit. Older kids don’t grow as much, so she’s building more intentional capsule wardrobes with core pieces that can go together (and will carry them through many years).
For younger kids who grow MUCH faster, it’s tougher to build capsule wardrobes that last. So, Brittany does 10 outfits, which is more than the typical minimalist wardrobe. She started out with 6 outfits, but it required laundry more often (which is something that doesn’t fit into Brittany’s capacity).
Each child gets 10 outfits, but kids ARE kids and inevitably SOMETHING will get ripped, torn, or stained…so a few of those outfits are saved for backup. Sometimes this is 5 or 6 shorts, with 10 shirts…use good judgement and minimize based on YOUR child.
As things get stained/worn, they DO become play clothes that are mostly worn at home (although if a “play” shirt gets worn at the park it isn’t a huge deal.
Shopping for Clothes (18:10)
Brittany does most of her shopping online. She starts with the oldest child and has them bring ALL the clothes into her room (EVERYTHING), and asks them them to pull out anything that isn’t serving them (styles they don’t like, ripped, stained, etc.). If there are styles the kids don’t like, Brittany will ask good questions, like…”What is it about this you don’t like?” Then she’ll write little notes at the bottom about that particular child’s preferences, so she doesn’t waste money on similar things for the next season.
The Clothing Checklist (20:22)
When Britt prints the clothing checklists, she uses a color for each child, and then staples them together. On each page, she’ll make notes about what already exists in each wardrobe, so she doesn’t buy duplicates.
While Brittany prints them (she enjoys having the hard copy), you CAN use them in digital form and keep them on your phone. She DID lose the hard copy once, so now she DOES keep a photo in her phone just in case.
The Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Swap (22:46)
Each child (starting with the oldest) comes in, puts everything on the bed to see what’s ruined. If it’s possible to repair, fix, or donate, they do, and if not…it gets purged. It’s a great way to learn to let go of the things you don’t love (this is an excellent adulting skill).
After everything has been sorted through, Brittany and the kids look at what’s left. During the winter, the boys have short-sleeved dress shirts (because they wear jackets to church) and they can be carried right on through into spring and summer. She’ll also keep one pair of jeans out for the summer, and pack away any others that are in good shape.
*A word on clothes handed down by family…this is an incredible blessing, but what it means is that Brittany lets the kids look for pieces they can use in their wardrobes and the rest is donated.
Then, they go through clothes, bottoms, underwear, socks, shoes, and accessories. Anything they keep gets written down on the list, and then anything they need will get noted with a star (listing how many they have already).
This is a 1-2 kid process each day. Typically, Brittany looks at her calendar (and before the weather begins to change) she takes one kid a day (also because EVERYTHING should be located and washed first) and goes through this process.
Because clothes aren’t made like they used to be, AND different brands fit different children…differently. Britt buys a TON from Old Navy because years ago their family got an Old Navy card (which they’ve never paid a cent of interest on) and the rewards cover the majority of the clothing costs ($100 of $150-ish per child). She also shops Target, H & M, Wrangler (depending on the child and his/her needs).
For her girls, Brittany has great luck at Old Navy with…
Shorts
Leggings
Jeans
Some T-shirts
Although these can vary by season. It’s also worth mentioning, it’s hard to buy different outfits for similar sized kids at the same store (Britt’s kids enjoy being unique and don’t appreciate having the same outfits as their siblings…and if there ARE two of the same shirts in different sizes…those are usually the first things to get lost).
If there are things the kids see while they’re out and about that they’d like, Brittany will buy it if it’s a NEED. Wants are different, and the kids are encouraged to practice adulting skills and purchase things they’d like (but don’t actually NEED).
*A note about WHAT clothes are purchased…in her family, Brittany strives to hold the boundary of modesty. The kids haven’t pushed the envelope here, but are encouraged to use good judgement and respect their bodies when dressing.
As for Brittany and Brandon, they don’t join in the seasonal wardrobe swap fun…yet. But someday they hope to. Just as Britt does with her older kids (who are largely done growing) they have more of an established capsule, and if necessary will replace a piece here and there as the budget allows.
Pajamas…Brittany DOES maintain one pair per child, because the kids do spend the night at family or friends’ houses occasionally. The smaller kids will end up with more than one pair sometimes (because of the nature of pajamas and hand-me-downs). Our family doesn’t do sleepovers (not at our house, and not at anyone else’s house), so we don’t have a need for pajamas (although we purchase them at Christmas…most years).
Growing Kids (36:21)
So…kids are CONSTANTLY growing out of clothes! So, it’s possible that you may not make it to the next season (especially with teenage boys)! You don’t need to make them wear shoes or clothes that don’t fit (this is ESPECIALLY apparent in the winter with pants).
Brittany will buy an abbreviated wardrobe, usually 5 outfits in the new size, to get them through. For some reason, this realization ALWAYS comes when there’s NO time to get new clothes!
Kids trying on new clothes is also challenging, so getting everything done at once is a bonus.
*Pro-tips for trying on clothing with teenage boys…be clear with instructions. You must say, “Put these pants on and come out and show me while they’re on your body,” if you would like to see them on. ALSO, it is likely they won’t like anything…Brittany encourages good questions here (so you can have some success in finding clothing)…”What don’t you like about them?” “Is it the fit?” “The cut?” “The style?”
Brittany also wanted to add that she doesn’t shop at non-seasonal swapping times because she knows herself (unless it’s a phenomenal deal)…she’ll put the bag down, she’ll move on, she’ll take care of other things, and she’ll forget about what she bought.
If you’re in need of a mid-season upgrade, try shopping consignment! You can test out which clothes and styles fit your child at a much lower price. You may find a company you didn’t even know about that fits your child very well!
It is worth noting, I have NEVER liked consignment shopping (or any type of shopping for that matter), but the location of the store can make a difference. Look for consignment stores in neighborhoods that are more posh (and you may find better items). I highly recommend the Salvation Army in Lake Geneva, WI and Brittany has had a great experience in Utah.
The Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Planning Tool (45:00)
The checklists in the Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Planning tool can work any way you want! Sometimes Brittany will use the tops sections for tops/rompers/dresses/shirts & skirts (outfits fully). Sometimes she’ll use the tops section for outfits, sometimes she’ll include shorts (for boys), and sometimes she’ll include church clothes.
There’s a section for sleep and undergarments, and a section for summer fun…this includes a backpack or pool bag, a towel, and two swimsuits (a necessity in Florida).
Also included is a section for shoes AND carryover (this is where you list the items that will help you transition into a new season). The carryover section is also usually a list of the clothes that are helpful for transition, but will be donated when they’re no longer used.
Brittany grew up with a great importance placed on being honorable to the items that you have, so it CAN be hard to let go of the clothes (especially if they’re still in good shape). But she’s seen the beauty that comes with blessing other families with those items, and experienced the peace of having LESS.
There are still some carryover pieces the kids keep if they absolutely LOVE them, but it does spur a good conversation about things and their importance. This is especially necessary when there are lots of kids.
The biggest thing to remember is God is good, so as the family says goodbye to different things, they do receive other gifts.
Having clothes that serve the family and are readily available has been a lifesaver for Brittany’s family.
The Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Planner has a checklist for boys and a checklist for girls, and a how-to for the steps Britt uses for her wardrobe swapping. The MOST important thing is to do what works for YOUR family. Take the information in this podcast and make it your own! Test it out, add your own little spin, and do what works best for YOU!
How do YOU do wardrobes? We’d like to know! If you want The Seasonally Simple Wardrobe Planning tool, it’s available for you now!
And finally, sweet momma, please remember…
You are doing beautiful work!
