It All Depends on the Label... An Unofficial Guide to Sizes and Wear of the Most Frequently Seen Labels in My Children's Closets By Catherine Eames, Triplet Mom Originally printed in June 2003 For those of you new parents who think that children's clothing should run true to size... think again. They no more run true than any article of clothing you might buy for yourself, your spouse or anyone else. As a mother of triplets, an aunt to triplets, an aunt to eight other nieces and nephews and a great-aunt (don't ask... it's a long story) to two grandnephews and a grandniece, I have seen my share of labels on gifts I've purchased and hand-me-downs I've received. I don't make myself out to be an expert, but following is my unofficial guide to what I have come to expect in terms of size and wear from the most popular brands. Target - Its Cherokee brand tends to run larger through the waist and hips than most other brands of pants and shorts. I did not have good luck with their girls pajamas. Other things have been at least middle of the road. Kohl's - We have had great luck with their Sonoma brand of girls turtlenecks and boys shirts - good value, little shrinkage or color fade. Watch for great sales throughout the year. J.C. Penney - We have found reasonably priced, funky-colored and patterned socks for the girls in their Okee-Dokee brand. Another house brand is Arizona Jean Company. We had much better luck with the boys clothes - fleeces, pants, shorts and shirts - than we did with the girls things. Wal-Mart - Their store brands of McKids and Faded Glory are well priced and trendy. However, watch for snaps that pull out and buttonholes that lose their thread. We had several instances of these things in the toddler clothes and returned them to Wal-Mart; returns, as long as you have the original receipt, were not a problem. Children's Place - Trendy seasonal collections at slightly to much higher prices than store brands or Old Navy. We found lots of shrinkage and color fading. Watch for good end- of-the-season prices at their outlets in Kittery, Maine (they also have an outlet section on their website). Gymboree - Some year's collections are better looking and wearing than other years. Generally expensive. I have not had good luck with their clothes. They don't fit long- waisted kids well; maybe they are better with long-legged kids. We had several gifts from Gymboree, most of which I returned rather than get poor wear out of them. Gap - Cute stuff in their seasonal collections. Generally well-made, but fully priced. I found much more shrinkage in their cotton t-shirts, other shirts and socks than I did in Old Navy branded items. If you're looking for long wear, buy at least a size larger. Old Navy - Sister and less expensive brand to the Gap. Day in and day out, I've found great value on the current year's colors and styles. Watch out for fading colors, though (they sometimes "share" their colors with other items in my washer!!). On their fleece jackets, we've not had good luck with sparkles. Levi's - Great for jeans for all sizes of kids. The Kittery, Maine outlet frequently has slim sizes that are difficult to find elsewhere. Hartstrings – High-end clothing for special occasions. Gorgeous and expensive. If Grandma's going to buy one special outfit, this might be the place. They have an outlet in Kittery that has the catalog items (The Wooden Soldier and Leaps and Bounds catalogs frequently carry this brand), at 20-25% less every day. Buy a size larger, though, especially in toddler sizes. Lands End - Great for toddler overalls and pants as they frequently have double knees. Fully priced on most items, but generally long-wearing and color fast. Oshkosh - We have had great luck with their underwear and pajamas. Minimal shrinkage and color-fading. Rugged Bear - Their outerwear - parkas, skipants and snowsuits - are very durable and fully priced. Most kids get at least two seasons and then hand them down. Look for end- of-the-season sales for the following year. Hanna Andersson - If you and your kids like stripes and bold colors, this is the catalog for you. On the pricier side, but generally long-wearing and oversized. My girls have continued to wear the dress and legging combos long after the season ends. With lots of older nieces, we get lots of "Hanna-me-downs" and the girls love them. They also have an outlet in Kittery. Carter's - Lots of shrinkage, but color fast. If the clothes are soaked shortly after the mess, stains were not a problem. Always buy at least a size or two larger, especially in newborn and infant collections. I'll end with My Home Runs - Things I've bought a lot of and they have worn well. They get my highest recommendation. For Specific Items: Onesies/Snap-at-the-Crotch Underwear: J.C. Penney. Far and away, the best value for wear and tear, stain removal, color fastness and cute patterns. Nicely finished at the neck and sleeve. Girls Tights: The McKids brand at Wal-Mart. Not too expensive, good stretch in the crotch and lots of colors and patterns. Jeans: Some people swear by Gap, but we've found the Old Navy brand to last longer for a few dollars less. Other long lasting brands include the Faded Glory brand from Wal- Mart and Levi's, especially the slim fits. Cotton T-shirts and Turtlenecks: Most of ours seemed to get a big spill the first time worn - great stains like pasta sauce and purple grape juice. Anyway, once you acknowledge that you'll lose a few in the first round, our best success has been with the Sonoma brand at Kohl's. They are a good value and, when combined with the store's special sale days, they are almost cheaper by the dozen. Another good value is Old Navy, particularly at the end of the season. I just got long sleeved t-shirts for 99 cents each. Baby and Children's Blankets: Kmart's Martha Stewart brand fleece blankets were the best value we found. After three years of nearly daily washings, they have not faded or pilled. Stains have been easily removed when soaked. P.S. Sears has a program called Kids Advantage and for every $100 you spend, you get at least 10% off your next purchase. Sometimes the savings percentage can be higher. In addition to their own brands, they carry Carter's, Oshkosh, Healthtex and many other popular brands. For families with lots of kids, it is worth looking into. I believe J.C. Penney and Kohl's have similar programs, too. Happy Shopping!!