“Kids” and “stylish” rarely make it into the same sentence. In real life, anyways. Sure, all those ads, catalogues, giant in-store posters, and North West would make it seem like your kids should look as pulled together as the rest of the world’s off-duty models. Reality, however, is a little different. There are many, many sticks in parents’ wheels when it comes to getting their kids to look polished, including, but not limited, to:

a) Most kids don’t care.

b) You don’t necessarily have time in the morning to take a shower, never mind make sure your child’s jeans are not on backwards. (It happens.)

c) Even if your bundle of joy looks good when you all leave the house, it’s pretty much guaranteed that your clever ensemble will be stained/ ripped/untucked a few minutes later.

Rubberized leggings, Zara, $15.90; Palladium Kids baggy Leather S (Little Kid), Zappos, $95,  Knit Sweater, $24.95, Scarf, Mini Boden, $22.40, Girl’s Puffer Parka, Crewcuts, $155, Glitter Backpack, Crewcuts, $98.

Rules for Keeping Fashionable Kids

With those indelible facts in mind, there are a few rules of wisdom when it comes to dressing the little ones. The following is tried and true, acquired through years of rigorous testing and experience:

1. Look for great deals. Sales, Marshall’s, and holidays are your friends.
2. Solid, neutral colors are good for little people, too. Too many colors or prints, and you’ll be scratching you head trying to match pieces together.
3. Only buy clothing featuring licensed characters if your child is truly a fan. (Would you wear a Justin Bieber T-shirt if you were a fan of Pearl Jam?)
4. Invest in only one or two pairs of quality footwear. Too many shoes will turn your closets, mudroom, or beautifully curated entry into a stinky footwear parking garage. (Okay, this happens no matter what.)
5. As you know (for sure if you are a parent), rules are meant to be broken. So feel free to unread all the above rules. Because kids are kids, and they should be thinking about math or candy, not shoes. There will be plenty of time for that. 

Black Roll Neck T-shirt, Zara, $7.90; Checked trousers, Zara, $35; Timberland Kids lace-up boot, Alex and Alexa,  $116; Padded Jacket, Mini Boden, $62.40, Fjallraven Classic Kanken Backpack, Crewcuts, $75.