Do you have a child who hates to shop? Or maybe your kid is fussy and can’t find anything he or she likes in the stores. Are you just too swamped to make it to the mall with the kids in tow?
A new trend of kids’ online styling services makes it easier for busy families to get kids clothes they like at a budget parents can afford. Most of these services offer a discount for keeping the entire box, so factor that into your planning.
Stitch Fix – This Bay Area-based clothing site has branched out into styling for kids. The subscription service works similarly to the adult version. Kids pick their style profile (with parents help), and stylists put together a box of eight to 12 items. Average price range for each piece of clothing  is $10-35, and shipping and returns are free.  You can sign up for regular fixes or just schedule when you want them. There’s a $20 styling fee per Fix, which will be applied toward anything purchased. Be aware that there can be a lag time of up to three weeks between placing an order, having it styled and delivered. .
Kidbox — This is the first social-mission-based kid’s style box and is a neat way to teach your children about giving back. Each box contains six or seven items, and shipping and returns are free.  Five times a year, you’ll receive a box and a new clothing item will be donated to a child in need. The company has a goal to deliver new clothes to more than one million children who would not be able to afford it. .
Fabkids – This San Francisco service works a little differently from the above companies, as there are in-house designers and no “surprises” in the boxes.  Fabkids allows children to pick their monthly outfit, rather than having it done for them. The company also has a Kid’s Board of Directors, who meet once per quarter to find out what kids love to wear and what they don’t. You can “shop or skip” by the fifth of the month to avoid a $29.95 charge.
Kidpik – Kidpik is a girls-only service that includes three mix-and-match outfits delivered to your doorstep. Boxes average $95, (if you choose to keep everything and receive the 30 percent discount). If your girl doesn’t love everything in her box, she can choose to donate any item or items to a girl in need, and that will allow you to keep the discount on the other items in the box. .
Rockets of Awesome – It has its own brand of apparel in-house under the Rockets of Awesome label. Additionally, the company enables customers to preview their assortment before it ships.  Kids and parents can see a preview (or “Peek”) of what stylists recommend for their box before it leaves the warehouse, which is very helpful if you have an extremely style-conscious child. Each box comes with eight items that total $150 if all items are kept. There’s a $5 styling fee that’s applied to purchases.
Amy Ettinger is the online/social media editor at Bay Area Parent.