Huge growth spurts

[Anna Banana]

I just finished going through DD's closet with her. The pile of outgrown clothes is MASSIVE. And we just did this last spring in preparation for summer...so she's outgrown this stuff just over the past 3 months! :eek:

She's not a heavy kid...very lean, actually. But she's at that awkward stage where she's just at the end of kids clothing(size 14/16 in girls) and just about to go into Junior's sizes. Aack! I am NOT taking her shopping until right before school starts because I am afraid she'll grow again.

Is anyone else's child right at the end of kids clothes, going into teen clothes? I have no idea where to take her. What, do we start with Junior's size 1? I can remember being this age so vividly, but somehow now that my DD is at this point, I am feeling so lost!

[Melanie]

I remember the years when Pierce would grow like that. Expensive years! The bad thing now is that the junior clothes are largely not stuff you'd want Katie wearing. Probably if you stick with the Gap and Lands End, you'll be safe, but you'll have to take out a loan.

[SusanH]

I don't think I ever wore the really small junior sizes. Somehow, I think I went straight from girl sizes to about a 3 or 5 or possibly even 7. Gosh, that was a long time ago. I do remember a really difficult period around age 12 where absolutely nothing seemed to fit me properly. I think your best bet will be to wait until close to the new school year, buy only what she needs at any given time (don't try and buy ahead of time) and have her try on a lot of different things. Some of the looser, more flowy styles might work better for someone who is in-between sizes.

[ILmomtobe]

I don't think I ever wore the really small junior sizes. Somehow, I think I went straight from girl sizes to about a 3 or 5 or possibly even 7. Gosh, that was a long time ago. I do remember a really difficult period around age 12 where absolutely nothing seemed to fit me properly. I think your best bet will be to wait until close to the new school year, buy only what she needs at any given time (don't try and buy ahead of time) and have her try on a lot of different things. Some of the looser, more flowy styles might work better for someone who is in-between sizes.

I don't think I spent any time in the low juniors, either, and I was skinny back then. But they were shaped differently back then. I do remember my mom suggesting I got into the women's department to find some jeans that would fit right, but then when I came out of the dressing room, the jeans were hugging my new curves and some guy walking by was looking at my butt (unbeknownst to me). My mom just shrieked at me to get back in that dressing room and take. those. off. n.o.w.

[1Dawn]

Only buy clothes when necessary at this stage. If you aren't against it thrift stores are great. Go to the Jr sizes. I have found the bigger kid sizes are wider??? My kids were more lean and moving to the adult sizes was a better fit. It really depends on how far along in the puberty thing she is. Jeff is 13 tomorrow and still wears boys clothes, he can wear a men's small t-shirt however. Just buy what fits but only buy what you need. No need at this point to stock up, they move in and out of sizes faster than you can rip the tags off!

I was a total twig and wore Jr clothes for a long time.

[Patti]

Kiki grew out of size 14 for most things and they said that junior size 3 was comparable. Sometimes she'll take a 2 but usually a junior 3. ;) Just like ladies' clothing it totally depends on the manufacturer. :doh: I make sure Kiki has the basics but I don't go overboard and I make sure shirts are long enough to avoid her suddenly having a closet full of midrift bearing tops. :o

[Anna Banana]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. No, I am not opposed to thrift stores at all. In fact, I buy most of my son's clothes there because...well, he's a boy, and if you have a boy you know what I mean. :lol:

I'll take her to the thrift shops, and Sears for some modest Land's End stuff...but not until right before school starts!

[hedra]

Gabe isn't at the end of the teen sizes, but rather just between or on the edge of two sizes. And it's time to order school uniforms! ACK!

I grew four inches one summer (six that year)... so I feel for both you and her!