What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

Text and Images by Gabrielle.

For this year’s What to Wear to School posts, I thought I would photograph the kids in pairs — starting with Oscar & Betty.

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On Oscar:
Buffalo Check Shorts, Smiley Face Tee, Chambray Button-down from Polarn O. Pyret. Socks from H&M. Shoes by Vans.

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Betty:
Polka-dot Dress and Polka-dot Leggings from Old Navy. Gingham Scarf by Polarn O. Pyret. Shoes by Vans.

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On Betty:
Shirt Dress is a hand-me-down from Olive, originally from Gymboree. Polka-dot Leggings from Polarn O. Pyret. Cardigan by Z Generation. Shoes by Saltwater Sandals.

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Oscar:
Short Sleeve Ikat Button-up and Dark Wash Jeans by Old Navy (I like the straight-leg cut for making wide cuffs). Striped Hoodie by Polarn O. Pyret.

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On Oscar:
Blue Skinny Jeans by Z Generation. Yellow Polo Shirt by JC Penney. Striped Button-up Hoodie from grocery store brand, Dunnes (picked up on our trip to Ireland).

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Betty:
Pattern on pattern! Liberty of London for Target Shirt (a hand-me-down from Olive). Turquoise Tee from Old Navy. Heart Print Trousers from Dunnes.

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On Oscar:
Blue Khaki Shorts from Target. Orange Polo from Z Generation. Blue Plaid Button-down, a hand-me-down, originally from Gap Kids.

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Betty:
Flower Print Dress, Turquoise Cardigan, and Socks from Polarn O. Pyret. Glitter Slip Ons from Old Navy.

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On Betty:
Anchor Print Top from H&M, Skirt by Irish brand, Dunnes. Wellies are hand-me-downs from Olive, originally from Target.

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Oscar:
Khaki Trousers and Navy Jacket from Z Generation. Grey Striped Hoodie from French grocery store brand CarreforeTurquoise Layering Tee from H&M.

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On Betty:
Red Peter Pan Collar Shirt from DPAM. Denim skirt, a hand me down from Maude & Olive, originally from TJMaxx. Red Cable Knit Socks from Tea Collection. Cardigan from Kiabi.

What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade   |   Design Mom

On Oscar:
Striped Hoodie Sweater from Sergent Major. Batman Tee from Old Navy.

And that’s it for these two! It was fun for me to see these outfits come together. They seem much brighter to me than our Euro wardrobes, but really, they incorporate lots of clothes we picked up before we moved back to The States.

It was also fun to go through the clothes from storage and see what hand-me-downs now fit Betty. In fact, if you’re a fan of the What to Wear to School series, you may even notice some pieces have been recycled through 3 kids now. Hah!

And lastly, you’ll notice the outfits have layers — a hoodie, or cardigan, or jacket. Weather here in Oakland changes fast, but doesn’t get too cold, so the kids pack a light layer in their backpack pretty much every day.

I hope this has been a fun little wardrobe tour. Ralph & Maude will come later this week. And Olive + June after that!

42 thoughts on “What to Wear to 2nd & 3rd Grade”

  1. Very cute! With 6 kids, I wonder if you practice hand-me-downs? How do you decide if the younger kids get to buy new clothes if they do get hand-me-downs? How do you strike a balance between practicality and fairness?

  2. Super cute — kids and outfits. I especially love how practical you are — Target, Old Navy — and mix it with pieces that are more expensive. It totally works and makes sense when you are dressing a big family. My daughter gets hand me downs (nice ones) from a friend of ours who is two years older, and it’s always so much fun to go through the piles and see what will work. It’s like shopping — for free!

  3. My favorite posts of the year! Especially well timed since we’re about to head out to Old Navy for skinny jeans. (They’re my 2nd grader’s favorite in both look and feel but I’ve been reluctant to buy more because the knees always go. ) Blue (especially denim and navy) is a great “basic” color to use in kids’ wardrobes; love all the pops of color you added. That white and blue skirt, is so super cute on Betty. I also really like all of Oscar’s stripped hoodies.

  4. Cute clothes and cute shoes too!! I wonder if anyone else out there has this issue: sneaker style shoes do not fit my 1st grade daughter’s feet. She has a “high instep.” When she was a baby, I said, “chubby feet,” but apparently this is the actual name for it. We have tried lots of sneakers on her, but the Mary Jane style just fits her best. The slip ons and Vans are so cute! She really wants to wear sneakers. Her school even wants her to wear them for PE, so we found a Mary Jane style athletic shoe instead. Does anyone else have a child with a high instep? Have you been able to find a sneaker shoe that fits their feet? Please share!

    1. @Jennifer: Do you know the brand Tsukihoshi? I don’t know if “high instep” is what my guys have, but they don’t fit into Vans/Converse/slip-ons, so I suspect it may be the same issue. Due to cost, my kids have just one pair of shoes (besides Crocs), but it is worth the money every single time. We first went to a high-end children’s shoe store for the initial purchase/fitting, then I just order them on Amazon or wherever they are cheap. Good luck!

      1. Agree with Amy! Check out Tsukioshi. My son and daughter live in them. They both have wide feet…not sure about a high instep. If you are in the Bay Area, go to Howard’s Shoes and Mr Howard will fit your daughter. Then go to Zappos…they have a ton of different styles/colors of Tsukioshi brand. Good luck!

        1. Not sure how old she is, but New Balance sneakers work well with high instep and wide feet. Not sure how small they make them though.

        2. Please support independent stores by buying their products as well as taking their advice. All four of my girls have had many shoes from Howard’s over the years. One good pair is enough!

    2. My son has similar issues. We had such a frustrating time trying to find shoes for him until we started going to a local shoe store that gives each customer an evaluation (measures the foot, looks at the arch/instep, watches how you walk to look for pronation issues, etc.) and then helps you find shoes to fit your foot. My son has had excellent luck with New Balance athletic shoes, but only specific styles. They have to have a break in the middle of the sole that is flexible and allows for arch support. He can’t wear the stiff, flat-bottomed, slip-on styles. I have feet much like his, and I can’t either. Also, they were able to show us at the shoe store how to lace his shoes to provide even more support. I highly recommend finding a shoe store that offers personalized services. Good luck!

    3. My 3 year does! Right now the only brand we have any luck with is Pediped. They have great sneakers and come with a little insert that you can take out and give your kids more time in each size of shoe.

      1. Thanks for the ideas everybody!! We actually do go to Howards. Howards has always been great about finding shoes that will work. My daughter has basically lived in Pedi-peds (and crocs) since she needed shoes. We do the “one pair” thing too. Till they wear out and then back to Howards for a new pair! Howards tried to find a sneaker that would fit her, but was not able to. I think that since she is wearing a good, supportive shoe with a flexible sole, that is good enough. Especially since she is not running a mile in 1st grade PE class! Her teacher, however, is still concerned. Maybe I need to get a note from Mr. Howard! He’s so great, I bet he would write one! =)
        I will check out the Tsukioshi shoes. I am not familiar with those. Thanks again!

  5. i spotted you at the back to school picnic on saturday and thought to myself, “that sure looks like design mom over there…” lo and behold it was! but you guys were chatting with people every time i looked over, and my daughter wanted to creek walk, so i never got a chance to say hello. i was reminded of it today when i saw your betty (recognizable from here of course) running across the playground so thought i’d say hi here instead. welcome to oakland! and welcome to the school (although we are new there too :))

  6. I love the outfits! We live in Berlin and get lots of handmedowns from our extended family in Ireland which makes the handmedowns super exclusive. My daughter wouldn’t know the difference between old and new. Her favourite pair of shoes is a pair of well worn Angulus (a brand I could never afford to buy new), they look like a chliché of old shoes, like, what Oliver Twist would wear, and she is a real princess girl, but because the shoes have a leather flower on them, they have a special place in her heart.

  7. Super cute post. I love the creative style of your kids!! Yes, definitely brighter than some European style. I love the fun!! I know what you mean about hand me downs…..Having 3 girls – we recycle a lot of clothes – It’s always fun to create new outfits mixing them with a new piece or two. Hope you kids are settling into school routine.

  8. Oh my word — those two are so adorable!! Great outfits! I love seeing your combinations and outfits as my daughter wears a uniform and sometimes we are clueless as to what looks good together! :) Happy Wednesday!

  9. So cute! And I love how Oscar hams it up for the camera! :)
    I love recycling my kids clothes on their younger siblings. Seeing the clothes again makes me wistful of days past, but I love seeing a new babe sport the old clothes in a new way, too.
    xo

  10. Ah, yes, my sweet 6 year old has the same dress and leggings from Old Navy. We got them at steal (Dress at $8 and leggings at $5, plus I had a 20 percent off coupon). We bought the dress in the coral and also in the grey. Her choice of shoes were Converse sneakers in pink as her to best pals has them as well.

  11. They are both so gorgeous! My girls wear uniforms, but these posts definitely give me ideas for their “off” days. I’m going to have to check out Dunnes – I love all of the pieces from them!

  12. They look adorable in their outfits. I was looking forward to this post because I have a second grader and I am in need of some ideas. Love layering t-shirts and shirts on Oscar. Well done.

  13. so cute and what great models! i love that they love to look good! my kids now are so anti-fashion it drives me up the wall. another good resource is zara online. free shipping and returns and when there stuff goes on sales, it’s crazy cheap!

  14. I was just thinking about your “What to Wear” posts this week, as I was attempting to photograph my two year old in five different scarves and three different bow ties for my Etsy shop! He doesn’t exactly like to pose for pictures :) Can wait to see how June did!

    1. LOL! I am amaze that my 8 year old nephew wanted and proudly wears bright orange and other skinny jeans! Too funny! As a teacher my “favorite” look is when students put their own identity into their style…perhaps the gleek in me admires the flare, creativity and confidence these students exude. Of course the Abercrombie zombie continues to reign, and I get it! Kids (mostly) want to fit in at the pre-teen/teen ages. My two older nephews are starting to outgrow this and now own their own looks. I’m compelled to say it is harder nowadays, but my son who’s 27 went through this in fifth/sixth grade withthe horrid Jenko jeans and Lugz. I recall my husband and I in the shop with him sort of dumbfounded…seems funny looking back at how we hemmed and hawed. I also remember having to have Levi’s in fifth grade in the late 70’s and Jordache and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in high school. So, it will forever be…

  15. Great post! I love all of these outfits! And I bet these two enjoyed all the special attention during their very own photoshoot! :)

  16. Fantastic outfits and the kids look like they enjoyed themselves! We made one quick trip to the Mall of America for the girls, but then just bought a bunch of T-shirts at Target. My oldest three are into the retro T-shirts (from MY youth), which I think is a hoot: Jurassic Park, Millennium Falcon, Star Trek, etc.

  17. Gabrielle,
    I am curious how you choose clothes–how do you go about it? Do you go through the wardrobes first and decide what is needed? Do you let you kids entirely choose? Do you simply buy pieces for them? How do you balance your style and theirs?

  18. Very nice clothes and kids look adorable. But I`m really surprised that they are allowed to wear such clothes at school. My kids have a special uniform at their school and nothing except white and black can be worn. What about your school?

  19. As always, one of my favorite features! Now that I have a boy and girl of my own (two strawberry blondes), I love these even more – such inspiration!
    And they look so happy and well-loved which is always the best accessory to any outfit!

    Looking forward to the other installments…

  20. Great outfits! It brings back memories of my own back-to-school wardrobe (even the pegged jeans and docksider shoes, ugh).

    My question is what do YOU wear to school? :)

  21. Cute. I, too, have a 2nd and 3rd grader this year (both boys who wear uniforms so no fun there :). I also have bookends to the boys – two girls – one a HS senior – the other a kindergartner… so fashion runs the gamut! Will be an interesting year…..

  22. Gabby,

    Do you ever have trouble with your kids suddenly deciding they don’t like a certain piece of clothing?

    I took my son shopping for 2nd grade and he picked out a great pair of red skinny jeans. We both loved them and he wore them for the first month of school.

    But yesterday he came home from school and reported that he will not be wearing them anymore because the girls at recess said they look like girls pants.

    Have your kids ever had other children make fun of their clothes? How would you handle a situation like this?

    Thanks!

    Ellen

  23. This hooded sweatshirt from Wolsey is satisfyingly thick and weighty, with a zip-opening for effortless access,
    two kangaroo pockets and a drawstring hood to maintain your head protected.

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