How to dress a child in the fall without redoing their entire wardrobe?

Fall is a bit of a special season when it comes to dressing children. In the morning, it can be really cool, then a few hours later, the sun returns and the temperatures rise. Not to mention the rain which can appear without warning! Result: we don't always know what to put on them and we can quickly have the impression that they need to renew their entire wardrobe.

However, before filling the closets with new clothes, a few adjustments are often enough. By reusing certain pieces from summer, focusing on layering and only completing with what is really missing, it is entirely possible to prepare a practical fall wardrobe without buying everything again.

Start by sorting through the clothes already present

First of all, head to the cupboards!

After the summer vacation, children have sometimes grown more than we imagined. Some pants have become too short, the sleeves of some sweaters rise above the wrists and the little cardigan that still fit perfectly in spring no longer really closes.

The simplest thing is to try on clothes from the previous season before buying anything.

We put aside what has become too small and keep the pieces that can still be worn for a few months.

Once this sorting is complete, the real needs become much more obvious. Maybe you're just missing two pairs of pants, a few long-sleeved tops and a cardigan rather than an entire wardrobe.

It’s also a good way to avoid duplicate purchases and clothes that will ultimately stay at the back of the closet.

Focus on layering to adapt to temperatures

In the fall, parents' best ally is probably the diaper system.

Rather than dressing your child in a big sweater as soon as it gets cold, it is better to layer several relatively light pieces of clothing. A t-shirt or long-sleeved top, a vest or sweatshirt and a small jacket make it easy to adapt the outfit throughout the day.

When temperatures rise, simply remove a layer. And when the cold returns at the end of the day, we can put it back on.

Children's vests are particularly practical at this time, especially for school: they are easily removed and can remain in the schoolbag or on the coat rack until they are needed.

Same thing for sweatshirts and small sweaters, which allow you to continue wearing certain lighter tops for several weeks.

What clothes to bring for fall?

No need for an overflowing wardrobe. A few well-chosen items of clothing can already be used to put together many outfits.

For a practical fall wardrobe, you can include:

• several t-shirts and long-sleeved tops;

• 2 or 3 sweaters, sweatshirts or cardigans;

• some comfortable pants;

• a small jacket or jacket for cool days;

• a waterproof jacket for rainy days;

• a few pairs of slightly warmer socks;

• possibly tights to continue wearing certain dresses or skirts.

The quantities must obviously be adapted to the rhythm of laundry, the age of the child and their daily life. A child who spends his days running around the playground and playing outside will not necessarily have the same needs as a baby or an older child.

The objective is therefore not to follow a list to the letter, but rather to have enough pieces to be able to easily alternate and combine them.

Continue to use summer clothes

Putting away all summer clothes from the first cool days would be a shame. Many can still be used for several weeks or more.

A t-shirt can be worn perfectly under a vest or sweatshirt. A summer dress can continue its life with a cardigan, a pair of tights and closed shoes. Some skirts can also be paired with tights when temperatures start to drop.

Even short-sleeved clothes remain useful under a sweater: they constitute a light first layer and sometimes prevent you from being too hot when the child is inside.

Before storing a piece until the following year, it may therefore be interesting to ask yourself: can I still use it in another way? With children growing up quickly, you might as well make the most of the clothes that fit them!

Complete your wardrobe with second hand

After this little inventory, there will undoubtedly be a few pieces left to add. And to complete a child's wardrobe without buying everything new, second hand is a particularly interesting solution.

Some children's clothing has only been worn for a few months before outgrowing it and can still be used for a long time. Sweaters, cardigans, pants, jackets... it is thus possible to find the few missing pieces without renewing the entire wardrobe.

On Les Jolies Trouvailles, I carefully select the clothes offered for sale. Each piece is checked, washed and ironed before being put online. You can directly search for clothes in your child's size using the store's filters and more easily find the pieces you are missing.

And for winter? No need to buy everything right now

There's no need to buy your entire winter wardrobe as soon as it gets colder. Children grow quickly and their needs may still change between now and December.

For now, layers and a suitable jacket are often enough. When the cold really sets in, it will be time to gradually add coats, warmer sweaters and winter accessories.

A wardrobe that evolves with the child and the seasons

Dressing a child in the fall ultimately does not mean starting from scratch. By sorting through what you already own, extending the life of summer clothes and adding just the few missing pieces, it is possible to get through the season with a practical wardrobe without making multiple purchases.

It's also a way of consuming differently: use more of what you have, buy according to real needs and allow clothes that are still in very good condition to continue their story.

And if you are wondering how many pieces to have in your closets, I invite you to also discover the article How many clothes do you really need to dress a child?