Clothing size question for when the are past 24 months

So we were buying some fall/winter pj's for Max & Lily who are just about 16 months old and are wearing 18 month clothing for the last 2 months and it got me wondering about clothing sizes after their 2nd birthday. I figured I would ask in this forum because you all probably have more experience with this issue. I know they start going to 2t, 3t, etc., but do their clothing sizes last a whole year?

We have relatives that buy clothes for them like crazy and I always say size up & stick to the season, but what happens next year (2t or 3t for the whole year)? They have always measured in the 25-50 percentile with shorter legs so the 18 month tops fit now, but they wear 12 month pants. It is really hard with sets. Clothing is just so confusing; maybe there should be a college degree in sizing :rotflmbo: . TIA for any in sight or advice.

 

It can really vary so much depending on the manufacturer. Liam is closer to the 75th percentile for weight, etc and he has some 24 months stuff that still fits him in the waist (shorts), but then he has some 2ts that are too short and too tight. I will often buy him up a size in shirts because he has the cutest belly that tends to fill out his shirts. So a lot of his tops are already 3T. His pants/shorts for the most part are 2T, if I have to put a 3T on him, I will buy the adjustable waist band.

My twins tend to run on the smaller side. They are two years older than him and Nolan can wear the same size shorts/bathing suits as Liam, but he is too tall for the pants. I buy him a 4T bottom and 4/5 tops. Meghan is wearing shorts that are a 2T today. She is tiny and most of her 3T clothes fit her.

As they get older, they tend to stay in a size a little bit longer than when they are young. So, if you are buying ahead, you could probably go with 2Ts for most manufacturers or 24 mos. Compare the lengths on the two sizes...if your kids run on the taller side, you may want the toddler sizes as opposed to the infant sizes. And when buying pants...buy the kind with the adjustable waist band (if you are buying larger), most of the stores now have them (The Children's Place, Old Navy, Kohl's, Gymboree, Gap).

I don't know how much help I have been, but it's often hard to determine a season ahead if something will fit your child. (I bought some size 4T shorts for Meghan last year on clearance...they fit her (a little big) now and will probably still fit her next summer).

 

The boys, 2.5 yo, are on the smaller side weight wise and moderate for height. They can easily wear a size 3 shirt but wear a size 2T (and I have some 3Ts in waiting for later this winter) adjustable waist in pants.

I buy them nothing but adjustable waist pants because they are getting taller but still are skinny. I think buying shirts up a size wouldn't be a bad thing...24 month vs. 2T should be about the same size but most of the ones I used to buy, the 24 month was a bit shorter.

So...let's see...yours will be close to the age mine are by next fall/winter so if they are in the 25/50 range, I'd say you're definitely safe with 3T tops for most of the winter/spring of '10/'11 then pants could be anywhere from a 2T to a 3T...get an adjustable waist and then you can roll the pants if they are bit long for a short bit.

Sorry if that was totally unhelpful...I tried, but then realized I might have been more confusing than helpful.

 

My girls are 2 1/2 and can wear between a size 12 month and 3t. Its insane how widely manufacturers vary in their sizing! I go for the length on things and not the weight anymore. Also I'm less concerned if things are big on them if I can get more wear out of them. For pants I have adjustable waists and roll up the bottoms, and for shirts I just roll up the sleeves. For footy PJs I buy big too so their little toes don't get squished. I don't know if any of that is helpful.

 

They do get a lot more wear out of stuff the older they get. This summer, they wore a lot of things from last summer, and their winter stuff will still probably fit too. I get a lot of elastic waist pull-on type of pants as opposed to structured pants, they just don't like them much, and it's hard to find things that fit right. I generally buy the next size up when that season's clothes go on clearance. If it's a little big, it's OK. I am finding that my girls tend to wear shirts one size larger though. They seem to have my long torso/short legs thing.

 

My boys have been in 18-24 months since their first birthday, and they still fit. They are just now moving into 2T's for some things (moreso Jack than Jake). I think that this time next year they will still be wearing 2Ts. However, we have like 9 months of summer weather here so I don't have to worry too much about them not getting wear out of clothes that are bought for them since most are summery. At some point, they will wear each size in the summery clothing. We just buy a few pairs of pants right when the cooler weather hits, so we know the size is right... and my mom usually sends them sweatshirts, which don't have to fit perfectly so if they're a little big it's fine.

It IS confusing - I feel your pain!

 

I'll use my DD for example. She is supper skinny with long legs. She wore 2T from the time she was 2.5 until the last few months (about 3y 9mo) in everything but long pants. Then, she suddenly jumped up to a 4T. During that time, I tried to put her in 3T, but they would just fall off of her even with adjustable waists. But, she really did need them in the length, so she just looked like she was ready for a flood pretty often. Because of this, she pretty much skipped right over 3T.

Until right now, my kids have never actually worn the size that correlates with their age and I have never been able to predict what size they will be in next season, much less next year! So, I never buy ahead and always miss the sales. Instead, I do my shopping at consignment stores or the $3.50 table at Walmart. Sorry I'm not much help, but every time someone has bought an outfit for them for next year they have never been able to wear it because it is too small or too big.

 

Great question! And I am of no help, I just wanted to commiserate with you...

My boys will be 2 next month. Poor Anthony. I can still get him in 6-9 month pants! :woah: I've put Nicholas in size 18mth pants and they just are HUGE on him. They fall right off. But he kinda needs them in the length. The great thing is they got mostly 2T/24mths in clothing last year for their bday-so I have to buy NOTHING for this year. NADA. And, I kinda think I will be able to use clothes from LAST year as well.

I can't stand the sizing. Carter's drives me nuts. Is their size 3mth good from 0-3 or 3-6? Same thing with their 6mth, 9mth, and 12mth. I hate organizing their clothes and am HORRIBLE at it.

FWIW-I would go with the adjustable waist type pants(I love sweat pants and the swishy type pants-brain fart on the name). And go a bit bigger in the shirts.

 

My DD's always wear a size bigger in the top than bottom. Right now they wear 3T pants, and if they are not adjustable waist I usually have to have my MIL take them in. They have to have 3T for length though. They are in mostly 4T tops, although if they are the longer tunic style they can still wear 3T tops.

 

Mine wore 2T or 24 months clothes (especially pants) for at least a year, maybe more. It seemed like they barely grew at all from about 18 months to almost age 3 (though I'm sure they did). When they were about 3.5, the 3T clothes finally started to fit them just right, and now (at almost age 4), they are almost ready for 4T. So in our case they seem to have had a growth spurt after age 3.

But as PP said, it depends a lot on the manufacturer and the style. There is really no good way to know for sure. The good thing is that since they don't grow as fast, if something happens to be too big for one season, it will probably fit them the next time that season rolls around (at least that is the case for us -- there were very few things that they grew out of without ever getting to wear them).