All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Happy Father’s Day! Read all of our dad stories here.
This story is from Manual, GQ’s flagship newsletter offering useful advice on style, health, and more, four days a week. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
When you’re a dad, you wear a lot of different hats: chef, diaper changer, role model from whom your child learns important values that will directly impact their long-term well-being and happiness, and, most importantly of all, stylist.
Dressing a tiny, swaggy tyrant isn’t easy. My two-year-old son is a big believer in inertia: If he’s home, he wants to stay home; if he’s already wearing his dinosaur-printed pajamas, he wants to keep them on. But as Tom Ford taught us, that isn’t acceptable. The trick is to treat my child like the friend who’s still hanging onto his skinny jeans: Once you get him into some real clothes, he’ll be grateful that you fought so hard for change.
I take the task of styling my son very seriously. For me, there was a real transference of power when my son was born. While I can tinker for ages putting together the perfect shirt-and-pants combination for him, I hardly give myself the same care anymore. Once the kid is dressed, the diaper bag is ready, and the car is loaded, I hardly have time to put together a decent outfit for myself. Sometimes, I’m lucky to change out of the shirt I slept in. There’s a sappy metaphor in there somewhere.
All the over-the-top obsessive behavior I once dedicated to my own clothes I now bring to my son’s wardrobe. I once bought a shirt several sizes too big for him, and then brought it to a tailor to see if they could adjust it enough for him to wear it. (They tried and failed.) There’s a sweater sitting in his closet that he won’t fit into for at least a decade, but I bought it anyway because I felt he needed it.
I do believe there is real value in dressing my son well. Kids, at their core, are constantly seeking attention and validation. If being the best-dressed person in the room means he might get a little more of either, I want to do my part in making that possible. Or maybe that’s just the way I justify all the effort I put into getting a two-year-old dressed every day.
In any case, if you’re interested in upping your child’s personal style game, here are 12 of the best places to buy cool clothes for kids—a few of my own personal favorites, along with a handful of suggestions from super-stylish dads.
My Picks
The closest thing I’ve found to a (good) streetwear brand for kids. Milk Teeth makes cool sunglasses, provocative logo flips (Milk Teeth in the Chrome Hearts font!), and even tiny smocks so your child can get a fit off while simultaneously spilling pasta sauce all over themself. Whenever my son wears his Milk Teeth gear, adults often tell us they wish it came in adult sizes.
The shop also got a co-sign from Jeremy Kirkland, the host of the Blamo! podcast. “I’ve become quite fond of the brand Milk Teeth out of LA,” he said. “The clothes are super colorful, lots of fun, and last but not least, easy to clean.”
I never imagined one of the greatest joys of fatherhood would be putting my child into a pair of trousers…and then I met the Slacker Pant. I’m allergic to dressing my two-year-old like a little grown-up—sorry to all the kids in sport coats—but somehow these gray pleated flannels look more like something a skater would wear than a finance bro’s work uniform. Koko Moko probably makes the best pants for kids on this list—even their toddler denim rules.
Want to dress your child like a Brooklyn barista who writes something like “🍭 🎀 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉 🎀 🍭” in their bio? Look no further. Mugwort Mugwort makes the clothes you wish you could find while thrifting for your kids.
I like almost all of Mini Rodini’s clothes, but the brand’s specialty is its allover critter-pattern sets. Where else is your child going to learn at such a young age that ball is life? Or find a sweatsuit dedicated to the majestic Orca? Nowhere but Mini Rodini. Any parent will tell you that the matching set is your friend—it makes getting your kid dressed, a task I often overcomplicate, ridiculously easy.
Hisham “Ham” El-Waylly
Chef and co-owner, Strange Delight; New York Times Cooking contributor
Dad to a nine-month-old
“We dress our daughter almost exclusively in Hannah Anderson. She’s a one-brand girl!”
(Hanna Andersson is also a hit with Kirkland. “I’ll also get a bit nuts on Hanna Andersson sales for the kids, because for some reason matching pajamas still slaps,” he said.)
“I often tell people that Maisonette is the Mr Porter of kids' clothing. The website is super sleek and the selection is vast while leaning to the pricier side. If you want your child to have jackets, knits, and suiting nicer than most things in your closet, shop here.”
Joshua Kissi
Director and photographer
Dad to a three-year-old and seven-month-old
“Throwing Tiny Fits is an excellent boutique! Supporting small businesses, especially those with a personal touch and a dedicated owner, makes shopping even more rewarding. It’s great that you get to appreciate the passion behind the designs and the focus on children’s trends.”
“A great place to buy a gift for your stylish expecting friend. Primary’s rainbow of basics will fit into anyone’s closet—they have tees and zip-up hoodies in every color imaginable. The brand is essentially American Apparel for kids—without all the problematic stuff.”
Jeremy Kirkland
Host, Blamo! and Mr Porter podcasts
Dad to a six-year-old and two-year-old
“Buying kids clothes is an absolute joy and pain—because you realize most kids don’t care about what they’re wearing. As a parent, you want to walk that fine line: instilling your child to take pride in their appearance without creating a vain little dingus. Every day is a journey.
“I use Kidizen to find a lot of pre-owned stuff for the kids—they have brands like Patagonia and Mini Boden.”
“Somehow, Online Ceramics’s trippy, acid-infused tees make even more sense on kids. Who knew? A teddy bear telling you to look in the mirror when searching for the person who can change your life equals a big hit at day care.”
“Graphics that are cute enough for children and cool enough for adult taste (there’s a reason Bobo Chose makes matching clothes for big kids). Bobo Choses will make your kid the envy of all the girlies who center their personalities around late-summer tomatoes, the artsy set, and your friend who’s not above a good logo tee.”
Davide Baroncini
Founder, Ghaia Cashmere
Dad to a three-year-old
“I love styling [my daughter] Carmela more than I enjoy dressing myself. Whenever I travel to Italy, I like to buy her clothes from little markets we find around on Sunday mornings. I love to buy vintage for her. And when she watches soccer with daddy, she wears her AC Milan jersey, of course.”
“The brand [we shop for the most] must be Polo. I like the idea that Carmela and Carlo (who will arrive mid-July) will share some staple pieces.”
“My wife likes to dress Carmela like a doll, so when I dress her, I really like to break that vibe with more casual stuff. Bonpoint also has the same cool vibe.”
Kevin Carney
Founder, Mohawk General Store
Dad to a six-year-old
“We mostly buy vintage on eBay. Try to keep things simple. Currently bidding on a ’70s vintage school microscope, a badminton set from Japan, and art for their rooms.”