Wondering what you need to build a perfect toddler capsule wardrobe for your preschool boy? Here’s everything your little boy needs.
With the beginning of your preschooler’s first school year approaching, it will be time to prepare a nice little toddler capsule wardrobe for their first schooltime endeavor.
Keeping the changing seasons in mind, what season it will be when they first head to school and the fact that they don’t necessarily need the vastest of wardrobes will make decision-making easier regarding what to buy and what not to buy.
With the changing seasons, bear in mind that it’s unnecessary to buy their entire wardrobe all at once unless you really want to get all that shopping done as quickly as possible.
Summer will still be upon you at the start of the year, so you can first buy what you need for that season, then revisit purchasing additional fall clothing after the school year begins, then winter gear after a month or two, and so on.
These are the items I stocked my little preschool son’s closet with that provided a nice variety without an overabundance of clothing, and I did so season by season.
This post is all about a toddler capsule wardrobe for a boy.
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Foundational Wardrobe Items for a Preschool Boy:
First, let’s talk about the absolute essentials for your little boy’s wardrobe: we’re talking socks and undies.
1. Underwear – 2 packs of them
Depending on where you purchase them from and what pack you decide to purchase, you can get a package that contains 5-7 pairs of underwear.
Whenever possible, I like to purchase the 7-pack (or more if available).
I would recommend getting two packs of underwear for your son. That’ll cover a nice bit of underwear changes and give time for laundry washings in between.
My little boy enjoyed boxer briefs, so I got him one pack of regular briefs and one pack of boxer briefs.
Choose whatever style your little boy fancies or what you know will be most comfortable for him.
Related: Preschool Supply List for Your Preschooler’s First Day of School
Related: Toddler Girl Capsule Wardrobe (for Your Little Girl’s 1st Year of Preschool)
2. Socks – 2 packs of them
When it comes to socks, I like to have white socks and black socks.
Depending on the outfit, one color may look better than the other, especially when wearing shorts, which will expose the socks for everyone else to see.
I also like that black socks look nicer longer since they don’t start to stain and look dingy in the way that white socks do.
Ankle socks are more appropriate for warmer weather and look more flattering when wearing clothes that expose the leg or ankle. And the longer calf-length socks are more suitable for colder weather. I get one of each.
3. Tanks
Tanks will be a useful layer under some other shirts that’ll be worn during cooler months or just may be more appropriate to wear beneath specific shirts.
4. Tees – 10 of them
Starting the school year with ten short sleeve tops is great because it’ll provide enough clothing for your child to wear a different shirt every day for the first two weeks, and then you can start mixing and matching the shirts with other shorts and pants to make multiple outfits.
You can always get more if you prefer, but I found that ten was a nice number to start with, and then I could add more later if I wanted or needed.
The Children’s Place typically has frequent sales on kids’ clothes. It seems like they have a never-ending clearance sale going on.
A variety of graphic tees tend to be on sale for $3.99 each. I preferred going about purchasing my preschooler’s tees from TCP during these sales.
5. Shorts – 5 of them
A minimum of 5 pairs of shorts will work well for starting the school year with those ten tees.
The shorts will have a more discreet appearance making them less noticeable when they’re being worn again.
You can opt for multiple colors that match well with various shirts or add on some denim shorts for more potential outfit creations.
I would stick to basic solid colors when getting only five pairs, such as khaki, dark blue, black, grey, a red or green khaki, or denim.
There are also multicolored varieties to choose from, such as plaids, stripes, or other designs, if you decide to increase your preschooler’s shorts collection beyond just 5.
6. Sneakers – 2-3 pairs
Your preschooler will need shoes to pair with their summer outfits. Sneakers are a great go-to.
They will keep your child’s feet protected from trampling children who may stomp on your little one’s feet and clumsy running during recess that could lead to hurt toes if they were exposed in sandals.
Plus, they ought to get used to wearing sneakers in school because when they get to official grade (if your school system is anything like ours), they will basically DEMAND that your child only wears sneakers to school due to daily recess and weekly gym class. If not, they’ll make your sweet child sit on the sidelines and miss out on all the fun (So. Not. Cool.).
I recommend your most desired combination of white, blue, black, or brown. These colors will provide versatility when it comes to mixing and matching pieces to create multiple outfits. They go with almost everything.
7. Raincoat and rain boots
Your preschooler doesn’t need a jacket for fall or winter yet, but rain could still be a factor.
I know it has been for us every school year. Not majorly, but it still happens.
A raincoat is useful for major showers, and so are the boots, so your little preschooler isn’t arriving at school with soaked clothing and shoes.
Additional Accessory – Umbrella
It’s possible to experience some of those hot, sunny, and shiny summer rains or just the dark, hot, and muggy rains that are entirely too hot for a raincoat with school beginning in the summer.
An umbrella will be ideal for this situation.
Tip – Write your child’s name on their umbrella with a sharpie (use one of the metallic-colored sharpies if it’s a dark-colored umbrella). Loose items like these can go missing easily with little ones.
As fall approaches, it will be wise to have jeans, pants, and long sleeves on hand. Seasonals like a fall jacket will be necessary as well.
8. Long sleeves – 10 of them
Long sleeves will be more weather-appropriate in the fall, and 10 of them can be incorporated into your son’s wardrobe and put into the rotation where, again, there’s a full two-week supply of shirts that you can match with other pants or shorts to create multiple outfits.
9. Jeans – 5-10 of them
At least five pairs of jeans would be enough to keep in constant rotation for your child’s wardrobe. You just need to wash them at the end of each school week.
But, personally, I preferred having ten pairs of jeans.
Ten pairs would get us through 2 full school weeks before his laundry had to be done. And washing the jeans once every two weeks instead of every single week helped them stay looking newer longer (due to less fading from the wash).
Jeans are great because they go with everything, so basically, any shirt you acquire for your child can pair with jeans. My favorite style is bootcut!
NOTE: You will not need a belt for your child’s jeans (unless they’re a super tiny person).
Many children’s jeans (and definitely the jeans at The Children’s Place) come with an inner “drawstring.”
It’s not like the typical drawstring you may be thinking of that just ties into a knot on the outside of the waistband.
You can pull and tighten it from inside the jeans on both the left and right sides with this type.
Once you’ve pulled the left side to the desired tightness you want, there is a button you can interlink it to, and then you can repeat the same procedure on the right side.
It’s a neat feature for little ones, and as they get bigger, you can gradually loosen those “drawstrings” as needed.
10. Pants – 5 of them
To create more variety and versatility in your preschool boy’s wardrobe, I recommend adding five pairs of basic pants to his wardrobe.
They can be matched with more shirts and create more different-looking outfits.
Just pick your colors according to what will pair well with the shirts you plan to purchase or have already purchased so you can create one cute outfit after the other.
NOTE: You will not need a belt for your child’s pants (unless they’re a super tiny person)
Many children’s pants (and definitely the pants at The Children’s Place) come with an inner “drawstring.”
It’s not like the typical drawstring you may be thinking of that just ties into a knot on the outside of the waistband.
You can pull and tighten it from inside the pants on both the left and right sides with this type.
Once you’ve pulled the left side to the desired tightness you want, there is a button you can interlink it to, and then you can repeat the same procedure on the right side.
It’s a neat feature for little ones, and as they get bigger, you can gradually loosen those “drawstrings” as needed.
11. Boots – 2 pairs
A basic boot that will be both stylish and durable for fall weather is ideal.
A black boot and some type of brown boot are great options.
I say “some type of brown” since there’s an array of brown shades from which to choose.
Opt for a shade that will match the best with the majority of your son’s outfits.
Black and brown are always good options for matching the bulk of your outfit choices.
12. Fall Jacket
As the temperatures begin to drop in the fall, you will definitely want a fall jacket for your little one.
A jacket that’s mildly weighted (of course, not as heavy as a winter coat) with a hood to cover that little head and those little ears on days that may be a bit chillier or windier than expected will be perfect.
Additional Accessory – Windbreaker
A windbreaker may suffice at first, and if nothing else, it will be useful as spring approaches.
You will need to have some heavier shirts and seasonal additions such as coats and boots at the start of winter.
13. Sweaters – 10 of them
Since the weather is even colder during winter, you’ll want more heavily woven articles of clothing to keep your munchkin nice and warm.
These can be mixed and matched with the jeans and pants you already have for fall.
14. Winter Coat
Before the weather gets too cold and the temperatures drop too low, make sure your little boy is equipped with a durable, heavy winter coat with a hood to keep him nice and warm on his travels to and from school.
Tip – I like to buy coats a size up to allow room for growth. I didn’t want my little one to fit it perfectly at the beginning of the season and have it outgrown before it was over.
Additional Accessories – Hat and Gloves
Keep those precious little fingers, head, and ears covered and protected from wind chill with a nice hat and glove set to provide them with extra warmth during the cold winter months.
Mittens are actually better since your preschooler’s fingers are tiny and will fit more comfortably in mittens than the individual finger slots of gloves.
15. Snow Boots
During the winter months, you will want to be prepared to dress your little munchkin for snowstorms, and having a pair of snow boots for these occasions is an absolute must.
The cute, stylish fall boots will not provide the insulation your little boy needs to keep his little tootsies warm.
We don’t want him arriving at school with sore, frosty toes.
16. Extras
You may want to get your little one some additional pieces, such as a bubble vest or button-down shirt with a nice pair of dress shoes for picture day or just because.
I sent my preschooler in both styles for pictures—the button-down in preschool and the bubble vest in kindergarten.
With these articles of clothing, you can be sure to mix and match multiple outfits for your preschool boy, be prepared for various weather conditions, and gradually build upon these items as each new season approaches.
This post was all about a toddler capsule wardrobe for a boy.
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