Is your kid too tall for children’s jeans all of a sudden? It sneaks up on you for sure! We are just starting to hit that point with my 12-year-old son. For years, he always wore the same size clothing as his age. But at some point, he started moving through the sizes faster than that, and now he’s needing jeans and pants that are in the 14-16 size range. And I think another growth spurt is just around the corner! 😉
My husband and I are both tall, and he’s on the taller end of the growth chart, too, so it won’t be long before our kid is too tall for children’s jeans and pants. What then? I’m a planner and I like to shop sales and buy ahead whenever I can. So I started looking around online, and found that there were actually some retailers that went up to a kid size 20! Whew! We have a few more years (I hope!) until we need to start buying him adult jeans and pants.
Currently, we shop at a few online stores for children’s clothes. Hanna Andersson has been one of our favorites for hand-me-down quality, but they usually only go up to a size 12 for pants. Sometimes you can find 14-16, but usually that is just for tops. We like the boys’ pants and fleece at Carter’s and Eddie Bauer – and both of these stores go up to a children’s size 14. The Children’s Place carries sizes up to size 16, and that’s been a good place for kid ski pants, athletic pants, warm fleece pants, and sherpa hoodies. (Both my boys are crazy for sherpa hoodies!) We buy kid sizes up to 18 at Stitch Fix, Gap, and Old Navy. And Nordstrom, Macy’s, Amazon, and Lands’ End actually go up to a kid size 20!
Oh and in case you are looking for footed pajamas for bigger kids (both my boys still want them!), we have several pairs from Footed Pajamas and like them. After you top out at a kid size XL, you can easily go into adult footed pajamas that are based on height.
So what happens after a kid’s size 20? You enter the brave new world of adult sizing! For joggers and some other types of pants, you just start at an XS size. If your kid is skinny, get pants that have a working drawstring. For jeans, you’re going to need to measure your inseam. Once you know your inseam, shop at Search By Inseam for the exact length you need. Where are we getting our shortest jeans? With ankle length styles being so popular right now, it’s easier than ever to find a shorter inseam for your teen or kid who’s too tall for children’s sizes. You can read our blog post on Short Men’s Jeans or check our buying guide for women’s petite/short inseams.
When your kid is too tall for children’s jeans anymore, don’t panic. Yes, you can grieve that your little one is growing up – that is normal. But after that, you can move on into the adult section, where XS sizes are often on clearance! 😉
Photo by Rogério Martins from Pexels