The Budget Bambino

What: Classic preppy looks never go out of style. What we Say: Not from the Hamptons, Nantucket or Montauk? No matter. Kids can dress a la East Coast (think blazers, polos, polka-dots, and mix-n-match bright colors) with a little help from Gap and J.Crew. GapKids has some great prepster classics, from shirts, to pants, to dresses. Check out the navy Polka-dot Pintuck Dress for girls ($29.50), which is perfect for an afternoon at the beach to a friend’s birthday party. …

The Deal: babyGap’s shorts, shirts, shoes, pajamas and more are on sale right now. What We Say: We love GAP’s funny prints and grown-up styles on infants, toddlers and children. Imagine a little boy dressed in a madras top like his father or a girl in mermaid pajamas. Make the dream a reality. Check out our picks: Make sure your little boy isn’t afraid of lobsters before you dress him in lobster trunks. He doesn’t like to eat them yet, …

Naomi Watts makes being pregnant look soooo easy in this breezy summer maternity look—if only we could all be that cool and collected. Well, you can at least look the part, and without spending a fortune either. What? Don’t believe it? Well, here’s proof—we’ve found these pieces to pull it all together, for less (and we even gave you two necklace options, because we loved both). No thanks are necessary—this is our idea of fun.: Tank Dress with Bow, on …

What: A bad hair day’s worst enemy . . . the headband. What We Say: Sometimes girls’ hair can get a little out of hand and nothing smoothes snarls like a pretty headband. These ones are not only sure to keep even the unruliest hair nice and sleek, they are a little bit of dress-up for everyday wear. ~ Fun and preppy, Lands’ End has Girls’ Headbands that come in pairs ($10.50 at Land’s End). Each two-pack includes one twill headband …

What: For teens and tweens headed back to school, there is one important word when it comes to style – preppy. The Lowdown: This is not your mother’s preppy! Instead we’re seeing some old classics with a new twist. As those in the know over at Elle Girl tell us, “Forget about the popped up collars, cardigans draped around the neck, ribbon belts and pearl necklaces.” Instead think plaid skirts, blazers in fun colors and fabrics, preppy pastels paired with black, …

The Deal: Back to school deals, including fall styles and uniforms, at Gap.com The Lowdown: Back to School can be hard on the wallet, even if your kids wear uniforms to school. Gap has got you covered with great deals on uniform separates, as well as a host of other back to school styles sure to please everyone’s fashion palette. On the uniform side, we’ve got our eye on this bargain—get this Pique Polo, 2 for just $12.50. Shop: Gap.com …

What: Go wild…wild kingdom! What we say: Kids are animal lovers, and here are some fun t-shirts for them to show their pride for Mother Nature & Co. in style. The perfect compliment to those Animal Crackers you made! http://www.thebudgetbambino.com/archive/animal-crackers-diy/ We love this orange Boys long-sleeve T from JCrew’s Crew Cuts line, which not only features a silhouetted bear, but an animal-friendly message too! Gap Kids has Graphic Ts of kids’ favorite cartoon furry friends, from Snoopy to Hello Kitty ($14-20) …

What: Stripes—zebras shouldn’t have all the fun . . . What we say: Girls have polka dots this season as a go-to pattern, so it is only fitting that boys have stripes as their trendy clothing design. After seeing a photo of Gwyneth Paltrow’s son Moses sporting a cool striped sweater, we thought that stripes are a fun, fashionable style for this season on everything from outerwear to accessories. This Piece-Striped sweatshirt from Old Navy ($14.99) is reminiscent of the diagonal …