In Her Words

Shopping for My Daughter

Celebrity babies put the pressure on mortal moms

-Gail Gruber Siegel

Suri in Burberry, Harlow in Splendid and my daughter, Chloe, in $100 True Religion jeans? Blame it on the celebrity weeklies or the adorable pint-sized designer duds from D&G to 3.1 Phillip Lim, but it has literally come down to my spending on me or on my 2-year-old. I can't remember the last time I bought myself a $55 T-shirt, but for my daughter? Well, that Little Marc Jacobs polka-dot top I spotted at Barneys is just irresistible.

Truth be told, Chloe's closet is a far cry from the inside of a Neiman
Marcus children's department. Stacked among an $86 Burberry wrap skirt and an $84 Juicy pink-terry hoodie (which I bought two sizes too large to maximize its use) are the bulk of her wardrobe - comfy staples like a denim mini from the Gap for $10, Old Navy hoodie dresses for $16.50 and ribbed tanks from Target for $5. By stocking up on these great, affordable finds, I can justify the occasional designer splurge, even if she'll outgrow it in one season.

A lot of cool moms I know, also in their 30s and also fashion fans like
me, swear by discount designer stores like Century 21 for Ed Hardy and Junk Food tees (Chloe lives in her Little Miss Chatterbox one) for up to half off, T.J. Maxx for discounted Ralph Lauren polos and even eBay for "gently used" Flowers by Zoe tunics.

My personal favorite for recession-friendly, on-trend pieces that look much more expensive than they are is H&M, where I just found the cutest white henleys with pink flowers in both toddler and grown up sizes. At $13 (toddler sizes) and $14 (for ages 14 and up - which is roomy enough to accommodate my still-not-flat, post-baby belly), I didn't have to choose between buying one for Chloe or one for myself. I got both!

I never thought I'd be happy to see another girl better-dressed than me -- but it's OK; she wears a size 2T!

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