Target Kids Winter Apparel:

Our Holiday Fashion Photo Shoot with Target!

Clothing our kids can be expensive. There – I said it! We want the cutest outfits with the cutest styles to make them the cutest on the block! Being able to afford a stylish wardrobe for our son has never been a problem since we shop Target Kids apparel for all clothing and shoes our little guy needs. Target has always been our go-to store and I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t think about running to our local store for a shopping spree! Their apparel is always top quality and fashionable, so I wouldn’t be lying if I said that nearly all of my sons clothes were from Target!

My son was invited to model and test out some outfits from the Target Kids winter collection – and boy did we have fun! Since we were due in Manhattan early in the morning (okay, not that early, but it was for my son), I had to wake him up. He was a little grump, but his attitude quickly changed once I told him what we were doing and how we were getting there (little guy LOVES trains, so the NYC subway system is basically his equivalent of a roller coaster). 

 Once we arrived at the studio, I took a walk around with my son and checked out the set and all of the great outfits hanging inside of the dressing room. Everything was ready for us and my son didn’t waste any time. He was there to have fun, try on some great winter apparel from Target, and document his experience in pictures. He did a lot of exploring, but mostly found interest in the great table of toys that were setup for us to enjoy while on set!

Target has always delivered such variety in each of their seasonal collections, so I was glad to see lots and lots of bright, bold, and stylish pieces! Their clothing is definitely a lot of fun and I have never had a problem mixing, matching, and creating unique outfits from clothing we’ve purchased at Target.

Dressing our kids for holiday parties doesn’t have to be stressful! Shop the racks of Target with me and you’ll feel a lot of relief in your wallet, but also when your kids are comfortable and happy! My son is only 3-years-old, but he sure can voice his opinion about uncomfortable sweaters and jeans! Look for pieces that you and your child can mix and match so that you feel comfortable when your child wants to dress himself.

Pick out a holiday outfit that he can wear post-Christmas! There’s nothing that drives me crazier than buying an outfit that my son will only be able to wear to Christmas dinner. I’d prefer purchasing an outfit that remains festive and holiday themed, but able to wear any other day during the winter.

We all love buying Santa sweaters, but think about your budget and how much use your child will get from it! Since my son is growing at a rapid pace, I know that he will only be able to wear a holiday sweater one time this year since he will upgrade from 3T to 4T by December 2013! You’ll find that both of the outfits picked out by the Target stylists during this photo shoot work perfectly for holiday parties — and any other day, too! 

The set was filled with fun and festive holiday props!

I was definitely nervous about how my little man would react when it came time to sit down and have Targets’ stylists work with him on hair and getting dressed, but he was a pleasure! Someone definitely enjoyed all of the attention (as if he doesn’t get enough at home!), but I really loved watching him shine and smile as he was pampered by the (fantastic) stylists on set!

Of course he needed to have a toy while he had his hair done. Typical little boy!  

Once we were done getting his hair styled – it was time to get dressed!

My son had to take his toy along with him while he got styled for the photo shoot, which he gladly explained to the Target stylist with a serious tone. 

How sharp does he look in this adorable button down with cargo pants?!

I love the idea of adding on a tie to help compliment the outfit!

It’s a simple and easy idea, but really changed the entire look in seconds. 

The Target stylist tossed an adorable navy blue and white striped sweater over the button down shirt and he was ready to go!

… but of course there was just one last step: shoes!

Once my son was dressed and lookin’ good, we headed out of the the dressing room and on to the photo shoot set. Although my son seemed a little confused and nervous at first, I saw his attitude change within seconds! His face went from "I don’t know what you expect me to do" and straight into "I am going to let you take my picture, but don’t think for one second that I won’t have fun doing it!".

 Where did this kid learn to pose and bat those eyes so well for the camera?

Clearly his mom has taken a few thousand pictures too many!

He wasted NO time when it came to playing with the props! He still talks about them and tells me how much fun he had playing with the trees made of balls and the "chain rope toy". The photographers did an excellent job warming him up to the camera and helping him feel comfortable on set, which I was very grateful for and appreciated!

He had so much fun running around the set, playing with the props, and laughing with the wonderful photographers, Target stylists, and everyone else! The best part of all was seeing how comfortable he was in this adorable outfit. Of course I was concerned over how he would be dressed up and trying to pose, but Target has always been such a comfortable fit! He was able to run, jump, and dance around since he was so comfortable in his new Target outfit!

Hey! Is that Rudolph?! 

…It’s time for a wardrobe change!

We headed back into the dressing room half way through the photo shoot and swapped his striped sweater for this adorable red vest with brown sweater. I fell in love with this look, but I would later find out that my son loved it even MORE than I did!

He’s been talking about his "favorite red vest" nearly every day since the shoot! I would later find out that the red vest is Genuine Kids from OshKosh and available from Target for only $17.00! 

We started out taking pictures with these very cute oversized boxes, which were wrapped in holiday colors and ribbons. 

 Once again, I was able to watch my son pose and play at the same time. He was VERY comfortable in both of his Target outfits for this photo shoot. 

As the photographers shot off their shutters, we were all entertained as my son started shouting and singing, "Happy Birthday!" and "Peek-a-boo!". Someone was having a lot of fun and there was plenty of excitement in the air! He was having a great time and made sure everyone knew! 

His smile and poses were killing me! I was a very proud mama and loved seeing him so happy! 

He worked so well with the entire crew! Everyone made him feel very comfortable on set and it was great to see him interact and feel great for his moment in the spotlight. He left feeling like a star and talked all about his photo shoot to everyone he came in contact with over the next few days. 

Whew… a job well done! 

Now we have to decide which outfit he should wear for our Christmas Eve dinner party this year!

I was thrilled when our final photos came in from the photo shoot! My son looks fantastic in all of the pictures and I am very thankful and appreciative for the experience, especially since we have two amazing outfits from Target and a great collection of professional photos showcasing our son in his proudest moment!

We have to make at least one more trip to Target this month to finish our holiday shopping, so you better believe I will be checking out the racks in boys apparel for my son! Since I am expecting in just 5-weeks, I will also head on over to the infant section to pickup a few outfits for my little girl! I can’t wait to start picking out girls clothing from Target. I am happy to know that I can always depend on their collections for excellent, fashionable, and top quality pieces for both of my children!

A big thanks to Target for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.