Yes, you read that right. I have 7 children and it has been years since I did that awful task of switching out the out-of-season clothes for the in-season (and no, I don't live in Florida. We have all four seasons here). I have learned to simplify my children's wardrobes to be appropriate all year round. Not only does this eliminate the need for that terrible chore, it makes laundry so much easier, frees up storage space, and just makes life feel so much simpler.
Here are the types of clothing I buy for my children.
The boys:
T-shirts. Simple short-sleeve t-shirts can be worn all year round, day and night.
Polo shirts. Short sleeve polo shirts do well all year too. Do we really need long sleeves if we're going to be donning a pull-over, jacket, or coat anyway? Nah.
Jeans. Yes, long jeans do get hot in the summer, but truthfully my children have never complained. Some people don't even wear shorts as a modesty standard and they live. If they get holes, cut-off jeans make great summer play clothes (and those are usually ready for the trash by winter anyway, so no need to put them in storage when temperatures drop. There will probably be plenty more by next year.
Soft shorts. Like basketball shorts. These are great with t-shirts in the summer and make perfect sleeping clothes all year long. My children don't even have pajamas. My boys sleep in t-shirts and soft shorts.
The girls:
Dresses. I don't buy dresses that are intended only for fall or winter. I try to buy simple cotton dress that do well all year round. In the summer, the dress alone is enough. In the winter, soft legging pants underneath look super cute. If the dress is sleeveless, a simple t-shirt underneath is adorable.
Legging pants. Perfect under dresses when the weather is chilly and also great to sleep in with t-shirts all year.
T-shirts. Most of my girls' t-shirts are plain, solid colors to wear under dresses, but they do have a few they wear for sleeping or play clothes.
Nightgowns. I do have nightgowns for my girls. I just think they're adorable so I can't resist.
That is it! They also wear regular tennis shoes all year round, as well as sandals in the summer. And of course, when it's cold, they have fleece pull-overs and if it's really cold, a bigger coat to go on top of that. They have one pull-over and coat apiece, so we keep that very simple as well.
It is such a relief not to have to deal with summer and winter clothes. Everything is already out and at the ready, no matter what the temperature. I'm not a fan of long sleeves or sweaters anyway, so it is not a great sacrifice for us. This works for me and makes life so much easier! The Great Clothes Switch? I don't have time for that!
