I would like some ideas on what type of clothing lasts long enough for small children around that age to actually outgrow them, rather than tear them up or looking shabby fast. 

Maybe it's just me but when I was young clothing was durable enough to be passed down from my older sister to me, and then on to my younger sister. Is it simply that fabrics aren't made as strongly as they used to be? It's not as if I buy cheap stuff all the time. Price doesn't seem to equate to quality as much as it used to.

Denim is a favorite and dungarees especially were great when he was small because you could adjust the straps as he grew to prolong their shelf life. Now that those aren't currently in fashion and only toddlers really can still get away with them, what else is there that can stand up to the rough and tumble of a boisterous kid and repeated washes? I hate that I don't get my money's worth.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!