Why is it so hard to find a warm dress for dgd in February?

I trawl round the thrift shops for fabric.

Granny23 I have done that too . I have picked up some lovely fabric that way. I'm currently on the lookout for a soft denim item to cut up for a pinafore dress - appliqué motifs will come from my large stash of fabric .

UniQlo do ( or did when I got one for my GD) a nice plain blue long sleeved dropped waist dress for little girls made out of sweat shirt fabric.

Also a good idea is to buy in the sales for a year ahead. I bought some greatly reduced Joules items in the winter sale and I shall produce the "correct size" for DGD in October 2016 when the weather starts to turn. She won't know it's last year's fashion for a fraction of the price.

Try TKMax if you have one near you. Rails and rails of stuff in there.

Was there this morning and noticed they had a lot of dresses of dresses of all descriptions.

Regarding the fashion world's notions of 'in season', and 'out of season', which bear no relation to real life seasons, they also of course continue to hang clothes on stick sized models so that normal sized women have no real idea what the clothes will look like on them. Imo, we do not deserve the fashion industry!

SL48 Re your comment about car seats not folding, I don't know if you've come across a new product coming soon called Mifold. You can google it and even order it for when it comes on sale in April or May I believe. It's a little seat which packs up and the child can carry it with them so they can go in any car, including a taxi. Magic, eh?

Thanks, Granny23. I did not think to look in Edinburgh Woollen Mill and I have one near by! I was resigned to making one myself.
As for car seats, many a time I stood with rain trickling down my collar as I tried to fasten GC in. The straps always twisted and the buckle was too fiddly to fasten. Now they are 4 I can use the normal seat belt with the car seat and it is so much easier.
The first time I took DGD out in her push chair, I had to phone my DS to come and get me as I had put the brake on and could not work out how to release it. As for folding, I never did master that art.

* Silverlinings* that made me remember the time DH and myself couldn't fold the super swish buggy up and actually had to go and find a pram shop in the mall we were in so they could show us how to put it down LOL

DH said if they couldn't help we'd just put a seat down and put the buggy in as it was !!

I like a plain old 'umbrella' stroller type , easy to get up and get down but oh so not trendy enough for my DD2 !!

I feel your pain on car seats, we actually bought a new one for DG3 because we simply couldn't struggle on with the one we had and our criteria for buying had 'easy to get in/out and tighten as number one for us .

Indinana I trawl round the thrift shops for fabric. A woman's woollen skirt will easily make a girl's pinafore dress or, alternatively a very smart cushion cover. Men's shirts will yield a summer dress with buttons down the front - use your imagination.

well done maggiejane, that was a bargain. i checked all the clearance rails theoddbird and found nothing. children do grow sporadically and its silly to buy suitable clothing for the seasons so far in advance, but it appears this has been going on for so long it will not change. i had thought about the skirt/top solution but skirts tend to slip under the 'tum' leaving gaps and do not look as nice, but i will search on - its lucky i dont mind shopping now and again.
finally have to admit to being excited when i saw my thread, if thats it its called, on the front of gransnet site. fame at last.... ha. i also mentioned the car seat/pushchair problems which we find so awkward. no reponse ab out that so perhaps its only us?

Jayh I found tartan pinafores for my DGDs in Edinburgh Woollen Mill - worn with a pretty blouse for Christmas and a polo neck jumper for everday.

A good place to find clothes for adults and children once they are considered 'out of season' is on John Lewis's and Debenhams websites under the clearance or offers tabs. I buy all my own clothes this way and save a fortune. I bought a Planet dress from the John Lewis website this week for £20 reduced from £119!

I work in retail. All we have in our warehouse are Spring and Summer clothes. Anything Winter is on our clearance rails. The new seasons clothes have been coming in since November.

It has always been difficult to find winter clothing by February as stock was sold off in the traditional January sales. Maybe harks back to the times when people only basically shopped twice a year - for summer or winter clothing. Tops and skirts with tights would be good and could be coordinated to look like adress if need be.

It's worth looking at pumpkin patch.co.uk. They did have a few shops but not sure of locations. However, Ive always used online and had no problems. They have nice styles and are reasonably priced. They still have some long sleeve dresses in their sale, but sizes available may be limited

I am trying to find a pinafore for my skinny 4 year old DGD. Skirts just slip down over her hips. I can only find grey school ones but am looking for a colourful one, tartan or corduroy. Any ideas?

Many years ago, when eldest son was 15 months old, it was a freezing February day, and I was trying to find a warm helmet for him to wear, but was told in all the shops that it was the wrong time of year for winter clothes!

Mini Boden have some long-sleeved dresses in sweatshirt fabric though they don't come cheap.

Many houses and schools are very warmly heated nowadays so layers make sense.

How about a jumper (T-shirt underneath) and a skirt as an alternative? Plus tights or leggings.

It doesn't even help if you want to make their clothes as suitable warm fabric seems to be no longer available anywhere. All the fabric shops have disappeared from the high street, as have the fabric departments in department stores.
I have searched online and the most popular fabric available is 100% cotton fabric for patchwork and quilting. Although I have used this for dresses, that is not what it's designed for and it's certainly no good as winter wear. If you search really hard you might find a limited supply of needlecord, but that's about it.

In each and every shop I went into today I made a point of saying to the assistants that those who are involved in deciding when summer starts that it is most definitely not in December. Yes I do agree that finding suitable children's clothes isn't easy, mostly they are similar styles to teenagers/adults. Feel that's a bit sad. Lillie thanks, I will check out petit bateau, but sounds a bit over my budget.....

I totally agree . I also have a problem with styling under 8s as 21 year olds. What's wrong with pretty things not made out of Lycra? And tops that don't stop halfway up their tummies?

I want my DGD to look like a little girl

You're right, Monica. My two GDs, aged 9, think nothing of going out in sleeveless tops and bare legs in weather that to my mind warrants thermal underwear and several layers of woollies...

Warm children's clotes do not seem to exist these days. DGD just seems to wear layers of cotton and the occasional sweater. They also do not seem to feel the cold.

I agree silverlining, it is very difficult to find a pretty warm dress for little girls in the shops. They're either too summery or too fussy and partyish. Monsoon has some nice clothes, but I ended up buying a pretty long sleeve floral dress from petit bateau. It was made of a fleecy jersey type fabric.