Tea and Beans

I had no idea I would shop for clothes on Facebook, but here we are. I belong to two childrens' clothing groups in order to source two of our newest favourite brands: Tea Collection and Peekaboo Beans.

The former is a San Fran-based clothing line that draws inspiration from different countries each year; their clothing is distributed through boutique shops and certain large department stores that I rarely frequent, and are much easier to buy south of the border than in Canuckland. 

The latter is the reverse; PBB is a Western Canadian children's clothing line that specializes in ethically-sourced and manufactured, tag-free, cotton clothing that is play-friendly and able to grow with your littles. Their collection, which changes style and colour palettes seasonally, is sold through direct sales consultants like my friend Laura (http://www.peekaboobeans.com/LauraWebb)

Both of these clothing lines are fairly pricey when purchased new, at least in comparison to the cheap stuff you can score at Joe Fresh or Old Navy or even the Gymborees of the world. However, they do have some great resale value, plus they don't fall apart easily (unlike our costly Gap winter coat, that snagged and tore inside the hood after just two washes). In fact, fanatical moms who love these brands will sometimes pay more for the used, vintage pieces! No lie, I've seen cotton dresses start auctioning at 3-digit prices.

That said, there are also some wonderful and generous mamas out there who price their used Tea and Beans at affordable price points for cheapo mommies like me. This supports the whole idea of not filling our landfills with clothing that was stitched on the backs of sweat-factory slaves, and it also allows me to avoid thrifting in dingy stores that make me itch (sorry Sharon, but you know it's true)! 

I've recently begun buying from both brands for Little L (either on sale or used), and she *loves* her fancy Tea dresses and her comfy PBB shirts (especially the long-sleeved ones with thumb holes). Since I'm still new to this crazy world (and it is kind of like joining cults with their own lingo and established best practices), we only have a few pieces for now. I have also resold the ones that Little L has already outgrown, so it's not like they stay in our closets for too long. My end game is to replace a lot of her Old Navy and Joe Fresh (but not the Walmart stuff, because those are always gifted from my mom and not something I've purchased) with fewer, but better quality, pieces. I'm finding that like her dad, she prefers only a certain style and selection from her closet anyway.

And I will keep scouring FB for the best deals (usually purge sales), since apparently this is the new way to source kid clothes! 

What are your favourite children's clothing brands? What extremes do you go to in order to source your kids' wardrobe?