Although fall doesn’t technically start until September 22, I can feel it in the air. There have been some leaves on the ground, a nice little chill here and there, and the days have been feeling a little bit shorter. As much as I love fall, I get a bit overwhelmed this time of year with my kids’ clothes. Our dressers are suddenly stuffed full of short-sleeves and long-sleeves, shorts and pants, and there is a sudden need for hoodies or light jackets. The shoe type also changes drastically, going from flip flops and sandals to tennis shoes and rain boots. Socks? What are those? Ha-ha. School clothes shopping is always a huge task when you’re planning for the last few days of hot weather outfits and the abrupt change into cold, rainy weather gear. Here are a few suggestions for cute, local fall gear for kids. 

Rainy Dayz of Oregon-

Whoa! This company blows my mind. They offer pants, coats, and ponchos. Each category has a set price for all sizes. The pants are available from infant/6-month size all the way up to youth size 10/12 for $15. They offer a large variety of different colors. The coats are $17.50 and are available in sizes “small up to two years” up to “6-8 years” and available in a range of colors. Lastly, the walk-about ponchos are $18.50, available in many colors, and are designed “one size fits all” for ages 1-6 years old. This company was designed by NW residents who want to encourage families to get their kiddos outside, even in the wet and wild weather. There is free shipping on all orders. For more info, here is the link: https://rainydayzoforegon.com/.

Black Wagon Kids Boutique-

I have recommended Black Wagon in a few previous articles. This store consistently has great, varied merchandise. Currently, they have some beautiful rain boots and raincoats for kiddos. Even better, they are partnered with “Afterpay” which allows customers to pay for items in four interest-free payments. For example, one style of kiddo rainboots on the site is $44, so a customer can pay four separate payments of $11 with no interest—a very cool service. If your family still needs school gear: they also still have backpacks, lunch boxes, and hip packs. Here is the link to their website: https://blackwagon.com/.

The Duck Store-

With football season around the corner, The Duck Store would be a great local place to pick up some fall gear for kiddos. There are 3 locations here in Portland: Clackamas Town Center, Downtown Portland, and Washington Square. In the youth section of the website, there are plenty of choices for fall clothing: shirts, pants, hoodies, gloves and scarves, and sleep and loungewear. Sadly, there aren’t currently any outerwear options for youth, but still, a lot to explore in person or online. Here is the link: https://www.uoduckstore.com/.

ShedRain-

This family-owned, Portland-based company has been in business since 1947! There are only two style options for kids’ umbrellas on the website, and one style is completely sold out. The remaining style items are $15 and is called the “Kids’ Character Stick Umbrella.” The choices are a cat, an owl, or a frog. The umbrella has plastic tips at the ends so that kiddos won’t get poked. An interesting and impressive thing about this company is that they offer a lifetime warranty on their products! This is also a company that gives back. Since the pandemic, they have provided over 70,000 facemasks to frontline workers. I didn’t know about them until today, and I definitely plan on spreading the word about them. Although you can grab an umbrella for your kiddo at any old Target or Walmart, this would be a great, local place to support instead. Here is a link to their website: https://shedrain.com/.  

Flipside Hats-

Okay. The following item is another thing that can be purchased for a low cost in a big-chain store, but it would be better to support this local business: Beanies. Fall is a great time to find a good beanie (aka warm, cozy knit hat) that you love. Flipside hats have two options for youth beanies: “youth organic beanie” or “all-season eco slouch beanie.” They are both a little over $30, but they are made from recycled, sustainable materials built to last. Flipside Hats has been around for a little over twenty years and was founded in Portland. They also have other unique and quality items on the website. They also have a store near 44th and SE Belmont. Here is the link to their kid’s collection: https://www.flipsidehats.com/collections/kids.

Columbia Sportswear-

Columbia Sportswear has been around for almost 100 years. Their headquarters are right here in Portland, Oregon. They are currently having a sale on kid’s gear (25% off), and they have a huge range of goodies—a variety of coats, sweaters, shoes, accessories, fleece, headwear, and more. Even though we’re not quite ready for snow gear, they have some items that may be helpful for fall weather. Here is a link to their website: https://www.columbia.com/kids-clothing/.

Next Adventure-

Another Portland-based business, Next Adventure has been around since 1997. They have many kids’ gear: tops, bottoms, jackets, shoes, boots, socks, base layers/underwear, and more. They have two major “brick and mortar” stores: one on Grand Ave. in Downtown Portland and one in Sandy, Oregon. You can also shop online. Although these guys are mostly known for sports/outdoors/adventure gear, there are some standard, regular items that would likely be a great addition to your kiddos’ fall wardrobe. Here is a link to their online store: https://www.nextadventure.net/.

People have their preferred seasons, and mine is fall. I love the shift from hot weather into refreshing cool weather. Being embraced by a fuzzy sweater brings a huge amount of happiness to me. My kids are the same way. They like to splash in a pool but have a hard time in the heat without water nearby. Our little family is excited for some lower temperatures and has our new hoodies on stand-by. Best of luck to you all in finding some cool, new, local fall gear for the upcoming school year.