Subscribe to Our Feed!I had a very difficult time trying to find clothes for my boys on my Semi-Annual Big Shopping Trip earlier this year. As usual, the marketers think that moms of boys don’t notice the huge discrepancy between the boys and girls sections. I did notice, in fact, when the boys’ section in Old Navy was half the size of the girls and was nearly empty. In the end, I did find enough to clothe my boys for the winter and fall. Good thing. I’d hate for someone to call Child Protective Services on me for letting my children go naked simply because companies don’t care about boys clothing. That would be unfortunate.
Today, however, I need to rant about the cost of pajamas. I hate buying pajamas. In fact, in the summer months when it’s hot and I’m too cheap to run the air conditioning, the boys sleep in their underwear and a t-shirt. I find paying upwards of $20.00 for pajamas, clothing that they only sleep in and that the rest of the public simply doesn’t see, to be rather ridiculous. I usually hit up discount stores or big sales (remember when I went out on Black Friday last year?) for deals on pajamas. Less than $10 is an acceptable price for me to pay. In fact, one store I visit specifically for this reason often prices their pajamas for $5.99 and that makes me a very happy Shopping Mama. In fact, I recently bought an extra size of Lightning McQueen pajamas at that price so LittleBrother can have a new pair next year at that same glorious price. (Give me a sale and I’ll buy twice as much.)
As much as I hate spending the big bucks on pajamas, I recently broke my rule. If you’re the mom of a boy, you may have noticed the huge selection of firefighter themed pajamas this year. Almost every store I shop at, either online or in brick-and-mortar version, is sporting a pair. Old Navy ($14.50), Crazy8 ($16.50) and Gap ($22.50), just to name a few, all offer very cute firefighter themed pajamas. But all at prices that I’m, quite honestly, not willing to spend since no one but FireDad and very few select people (grandparents, the babysitter) will ever see. I mean, the Gap pajamas are more expensive than the Easter suit that I bought for BigBrother this year. Unless he’s wearing those things to church, school and everything in between, I think not.
But, you see, one of my close friends went shopping with me on the Semi-Annual Big Shopping Trip. She likes me to spend my money. (As I like her to spend hers!) We were in the Carter’s Outlet and she said, “Have you seen the firefighter pajamas?” She dragged me by my ear (slight exaggeration), pulled one off the rack and I died inside. I couldn’t not buy them. I had to purchase them. There was never any debate. Thankfully, due to my savvy-shopping, I was under budget and, therefore, I could afford to splurge on what are, quite honestly, the coolest firefighter jammies on the planet. I paid $12 a pair but, as you can see below, I couldn’t avoid it. It simply had to be done. The money had to be spent.
See?
As I said, no other option was available but, “Purchase. Immediately.”
I would link you to these wonderful pajamas so that you could purchase them yourselves (you know, since there’s no other option) but Carter’s doesn’t have a large availability online and these were Outlet jammies. I can only urge you to beat feet to the store and pray that they have your child’s size still available. (As a side note, they also have a navy blue and orange firefighter rain jacket in store right now as well. I’m sorry. I also had to purchase that one.)
I write all of this to say: if you are a marketer, researching what to make for boys pajamas, defaulting to fire trucks or firefighter gear will almost guarantee that I, a very choosy Shopping Mom, will buy said pajamas. Whatever the price. That said, please don’t or I’m going to have to start sending my kids to school in pajamas. Is it appropriate to get official pictures taken in pajamas? It is, isn’t it? Lie to me.
_
While my boys now have a mostly full fall-and-winter wardrobe, complete with pajamas that are too expensive for my taste, I am searching for one thing: a solid (non-plaid), red button up shirt in size 4T or big kid’s size 4. BigBrother needs it for Christmas and everyone is all plaid-ed out this year. If you see one, please let me know. Thanks!
17 Responses to “Boys’ Clothing, Overpriced Pajamas & Firefighters”
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We just moved up to the boys’ section from toddlers. The selection is even more dismal and jeans and pants cost twice as much. I’m going to start haunting the Gymboree sales rack.
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Ally; I was noticing some of that the other day. As BB is right on the cusp of size change from one section to the other, I was searching for his red shirt in the bigger boys section. Not pleased with the choices there. I foresee many more rants in our future!
[...] mention the Christmas pajamas because I found a fabulous deal (though it’s still more than I like to pay for pajamas at $13.99) at JC Penney. Button up pajamas have a soft spot in my heart. They look like little old [...]
Amen, sister! Paying too much for jammies just kills me. Thankfully, my youngest son and daughter wear hand-me-down jammies from my oldest son & daughter, but buying pjs for those two is a pricey adventure! Love the firefighter jams!!
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Erika; I cheat sometimes in buying jammies. Obviously, LB has a lot of jammies as he gets all of BB’s jammies. Right? Which means I still have to get BB jammies. Except that when everyone asks me what the boys need when it comes to birthday/Christmas, I say, “JAMMIES!” Then I don’t have to worry about the overpriced nonsense of it all. I cheat!
Too cute! I would have had to splurge, too. I wish there was a Carters’ store nearby! Because it is usually warm enough here (and both girls have internal thermostats set to HIGH), I can usually get away with buying leggings and cheap sweatshirts for a combined priced of $7-10 at Target. That is going to change if they keep growing. I hate that there is such a price difference between toddler and big kid departments.
Katie in MA´s last blog ..A little perspective is always good.
I feel your pain on the pajamas, even though the girls do have a much larger selection. This may be too late, but our Costco store had sleeper pajamas this weekend – Carter’s – for $7.48. At that price, we buy! They did have two different patterns for boys, although not as cute as the five for girls, but at least they are more affordable!
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
If only we had a Costco. Oh, middle of nowhere life.
I second the Costco advice….we get all our Carter brand pj’s there….they have the sleepers up to 5T and the top/pants up to size 7. I believe the sleepers are 6.49 and the top/pants are 8.99.
And also, wait til BB is in full boys sizes….the clothes are AWEFUL!!!!!!
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m aware that they’re horrible. He’s a cusp-size right now.
I am right there with you!! Jonathan slept in just a diaper in the summer. I lucked out and totally scored in jammies at a fall/winter consignment sale, but of course, no luck in clothing. Which is fine, I guess if I’m paying $3 for jammies I can pay sale prices at Old Navy & Children’s Place vs. consignment sale prices.
Oh, and if anyone is searching for those pj’s Kohl’s has them on their site. Though not at outlet prices!
I’ve also been on the hunt for Christmas Eve jammies and a shirt for Jonathan for Christmas pictures. When are clothing designers going to wake up and help us out in the boy department?
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Christmas Eve jammies were solved for me today: http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com/2009/10/19/i-ordered-christmas-pajamas-today/ JC Penney had Carter’s jammies, button up, on sale for $13.99. Again, more than I want to be paying but, dang, they’re cute. As you can read in that post, which has the link to the ones we bought, they also have pink ones. That said, I’m sure your daughter is too big for 5T but I’d check and see if they have them in a bigger size as well.
I have been so lucky with hand-me down clothes for my boys, but as they get older (and presumably rougher on the clothes) I am beginning to see the well dry up. Pain and wailing as I am starting to feel the pain of shopping (paying!) for their clothes!
BUT… I saw a red, button up shirt at the big red store that has everything yesterday. If you dare brave the doors…
I saw the Carter’s pj’s yesterday.
I am very sad that my little firefighter is wearing a size 7.
By chance, did you see the Carter’s firefighter raincoat? They did have that in a 7
.
I saw those PJ’s too! We passed them up at the time, but now I wish we had gotten them! They are super cute!
mandy´s last blog ..Long over due Christmas update!
They look so cute in their fireman pajamas!
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I agree with you and the price of pj’s. Luckly we live near several different outlet centers even there they aren’t cheap. I did see a red shirt at Gymboree on line.