Disclaimer: I received a $25 gift card from The Children’s Place as compensation for a spring fashion forecast. All opinions are authentic and my own. AFancyGirlMust partners with brands that share common philosophies and goals for the fancy girls in our lives. 

Every spring, right around April/May, I always run into a situation where I need to get my eldest daughter spring and summer staples (since she doesn’t have hand-me-downs like her sisters), but since her birthday is at the beginning of May, I don’t want to go overboard when I can save some of the shopping for her gifts. It’s always a tug of war in my mind of what to give her for her birthday and what to give her for necessities. Sometimes, I give her the basic things like T’s and jean shorts, and then save the fun prints and patterns for her birthday. The timing of all this worked out perfectly since, thanks to Children’s Place, I had the opportunity to do some pre-birthday shopping to build her spring/summer wardrobe. I received a $25 gift card and was able to use PlaceReward points AND the 5% discount with my Place Card to get some super cute tops and basic white shorts to get us started (If you haven’t guessed, I’m a frequent CP shopper. I live about 15 minutes away from the outlet, so I’m ALWAYS there).

It was hard for me to focus and settle on just a few things at first, so I applied some practical thinking to my decisions and still made big sis super happy with her new clothes. Some of her favorite colors/prints right now are blues, black & white, white, and stripes, which all make for sure some easy staples that all kids need in their wardrobe. She also loves her cardigans, so for this purchase, I wanted to get her some of the loose, flowy swing tanks that she could wear from now through summer. She can also wear them for casual or more dressy occasions, which is another multipurpose plus!

I chose the Floral Print Swing Tank in Milk and the Lace-Trim Striped Swing Tank in Navy since I knew she could wear them with leggings and pants she already owned. And since floral prints and stripes are always on trend, these tops will get a lot of wear when they get passed down to middle sis. For bottoms, she picked out a bunch of different color and patterned shorts, but since I was shopping for staples, I got her a pair of knit-waist white shorts (since it’s one of her favorite colors anyway), so she could get a lot of wear out of them. If you saw on Instagram, she was thrilled to take our “photo shoots” outside in the warmer weather.  Have a look at her new clothes below, and continue on for my shopping tips for keeping focused and on budget for spring shopping.

If you have to update your daughter’s wardrobe for spring (and her size), below are some shopping tips to follow so that you stay focused and on budget, and get the most out of your choices.

1) Ask your daughter for her favorite colors. Why waste money on something she will not wear when you can get many (many, many) days of wear in clothes that she likes (even though you’ll get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again). Thankfully Children’s Place clothing lasts a long time, well into hand-me-down territory.

2) Take a look at the Children’s Place Stylist Picks with your daughter so she can give you an even better idea of what she likes.

3) Pick some pieces that can transition through the seasons. Choose separates that can be layered with leggings and sweaters, and that will keep her cool in the warmer months.

4) Select colors and prints that compliment other items in her wardrobe. Don’t be afraid to mix prints too: as you can see by the floral top above, the 2nd layer has polka dots. If you’re not sure what colors go well together, use this guide on finding harmonious colors.

5) If you have a limited amount to spend, get at least 2 pieces of clothing instead of 1 so you have more opportunity to mix & match outfits.

What are your spring must-haves? What trend are you loving?