Proverbs 31:21 "She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet."
(Some things to ponder...)
We spend currently $24 per month (sometimes less), per person for clothing for the entire year. Yes, if you do the math, that equates to $288 per year per person for clothes AND shoes, which equals $1440 for the whole family, for the entire year. This is high in some cases, like with my husband and I. If this is something that seems not "do-able" for your family, think again! I know of some families larger than our family who are able to do $500 a year for clothes. There are many many choices and alternatives to "store bought".
After everyone has gone back to school, at least for this particular mother, I begin scouring end of the season sales for clothes for my kids. The truth of the matter is that it is the best time to find good deals on the season's clothes that we're still in. Plus, with buying clothes a size or two ahead of what my children are wearing currently, I can cover next season as well. We are driven by need instead of by when school starts. If our kids need something, we don't wait until school is going to start to buy clothes. It is just something that does not enter in to our daily discussions.
I also buy clothes off of ebay. I can do this so much easier than driving 2 hours to the nearest mall, try on clothes for hours on end to find only 2 things that fit, then in frustration drive home with dissatisfied young people who are pouting. With ebay, I just make note of everyone's measurements, look only at the brands that we know are good quality, fit well, and choose from that selection. I just bought a pair of cargo pants for my youngest, a pair of jeans for my daughter (with 2 that I'm bidding on), and 3 new t-shirts on clearance for my oldest.
Is this enough clothes for them for the year? No! I buy clothes for them throughout the year. I look for sales, I look for good quality clothes at Good Will, Salvation Army, yard sales and other thrift stores. If I can't find what I'm looking for right away, I pray about it, give it to God and within a short amount of time (on God's time clock, not mine), He supplies our need.
Some things we always buy new: Underwear, socks, bras and white t-shirts. The boys have found this past summer that white t-shirts are great to work out in the hot sun picking berries at our friends' farm. They can be thrown in the laundry on hot with bleach and line dried. Buying these in bulk, I can get 6 shirts off the rack new for $13 or less, depending on whether or not I get a coupon from the hanes website or not. (I'm not an avid couponer, so it isn't a big deal.) We also buy some of our fabric new. There are sales throughout the year at Joann's, but I keep on the look out for even better sales. I buy things in bulk when I hit the jackpot like $1 or $2 a yard. Some times I'll find fabric at yard sales, much like I did with the fleece my daughter and I are now making in to a robe for her.
So, what about "Back to School" shopping? It is non-existent. We buy clothes when they are best for us to buy them, not needing the dictates of back to school shopping, peer pressure, or the latest fashions to tell us what we need to buy and how much we need to spend. I've heard of some families spending over $2,000 on school clothes and a small fraction of that being supplies for 3 children. It is un-necessary for us to do the back to school shopping or buying to impress others.
What do we do then? We are governed by scripture that tells us to be modest, lovely, pure and to dress in gender appropriate clothing.
Deuteronomy 22:5 "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
Now, before you mention about being "all skirts" or anything like that, I will say this--we do both, modestly, as directly by my Mr. G. The general rule of thumb is that if it is tight enough to show all of your parts, then it's too tight. We bought 2 pairs of jeans for my daughter over the summer at a yard sale, but once we got home, she tried them on to only find that they were indeed "too tight." So those jeans will be either placed on ebay or given to Good Will.
According to my husband, who is the head of our home, we will do what necessitates in our work for us to wear. We certainly don't wear work clothes to church, nor do we wear skirts to work in the garden or cut grass. I do know some women who have work skirts and church skirts. I do not, although it wouldn't be too difficult to get to that point.
My point is that we follow the directions of my own husband, and if you're reading this, you should follow the directions of YOUR OWN husband, not mine. (Ephesians 5:22 & Titus 2:4-5)
Ultimately, we are responsible for our own obedience before God, regardless of how we buy clothes. It's all a matter of heart.
Where is YOUR heart?
