How much do you spend on your teenage boys clothes?

tsstss7

busiscoming2 wrote: »

As the title suggests, do you have a price limit when it comes to your sons clothing and footwear. I ask as my ds2 who is 14 thinks I am tight because I won't spend £60 on a pair of trainers and almost £30 on a pair of jogging bottoms!

Is it just me?

Hi
I have a teenage son and in recent years have had to drastically alter my mindset when it comes to his clothes as previously anything more than a tenner was a considered purchase.

I tried giving him a monthly allowance but he would spend it on something stupid (like a bag) and then I'd get critised by the ex 'cause he didn't have the clothes he needed (I hasten to add that his allowance was only for over and aboves so was minimal, I bought schoolclothes and underwear and the odd reduced item so expected him to buy t-shirts etc).

I now will buy the more expensive makes as it's pointless buying lots of primark only for it to stay unused - so I buy lots less and he has to have his clothes washed more often. this is seeming to work out for us better but he does literally have no more than 3 of any one item of clothing and most of them he gets with his own money at xmas as I still find it hard to part with cash.

POPPYOSCAR

naughtyjo wrote: »

Wow I think I am too soft on my lads
My eldest who is 16 has just got new trainers which cost £85 but he is a size 12 foot
I have no problem spending £30 to £40 on tracksuit bottoms for him as he goes to the gym a lot so get plenty of wear out of them. I give my son my credit card every 4months and he goes shopping. He normally spends £100 to £150 so over the year its not loads but he decides what he wants with that cash not me. He has spent £80 or £120 on a single t shirt
My youngest lad has several pairs of timberlands and trainers at £40 to £60 a pair as well as many designer clothes because he likes to look good.
I will not under any circs let my kids dress in clothes from Primark and many other retailers and neither would I. I feel they are unethical traders and use child labour as well as paying cr.. wages to their suppliers and workers. Its disgraceful and for what a bag of cheap cr.. clothing.
My kids value and look after their clothing because they appreciate how many days I work to provide them the spends.

You don't have to shop in Primark to get clothes cheaply. Lots of stores sell designer very cheaply in the sales and outlet stores.

busiscoming2

the_cat wrote: »

Does it follow then, that it being better for her made it worse for you (ie more expensive) Did it lead to the drip, drip of 'I wants' and more money going out than you felt reasonable and than you were paying out with an allowance?

No strangely enough it didn't cost me more, I think it was just easier for her to have things when she needed them rather than have the temptation to spend it because she had it.

Something must have gone right as she is a very responsible 24yo now, although she spends, she only spends what she can afford.

busiscoming2

naughtyjo wrote: »

Wow I think I am too soft on my lads
My eldest who is 16 has just got new trainers which cost £85 but he is a size 12 foot
I have no problem spending £30 to £40 on tracksuit bottoms for him as he goes to the gym a lot so get plenty of wear out of them. I give my son my credit card every 4months and he goes shopping. He normally spends £100 to £150 so over the year its not loads but he decides what he wants with that cash not me. He has spent £80 or £120 on a single t shirt
My youngest lad has several pairs of timberlands and trainers at £40 to £60 a pair as well as many designer clothes because he likes to look good.
I will not under any circs let my kids dress in clothes from Primark and many other retailers and neither would I. I feel they are unethical traders and use child labour as well as paying cr.. wages to their suppliers and workers. Its disgraceful and for what a bag of cheap cr.. clothing.
My kids value and look after their clothing because they appreciate how many days I work to provide them the spends.

Regarding the ethical side of it, I am sure there was a programme on a while ago where items were being made in the same factory for both the likes of Primark and Next.

I also don't think you look better because you pay more, it depends on how the outfit is put together and how well you look after your clothes.

I personally have had both brilliant items and rubbish ones from the cheaper shops and the more up market ones.

penelopedee_2

DS is only just starting to care about what he wears now, after what seems like years of trackie bottoms and black baggy Tshirts! He's 13 and I can still get away with nice looking but inexpensive jeans. Its tops that are becoming pricey. DH and I were just discussing this last night and we've decided to let him have a clothing budget instead. I will still get school stuff and shoes/trainers but he if wants some over £50 he will definately be topping it up with his own money.

When he preferred trackies, I bought cheap makes under £10 because they wore out and looked tatty so easily. At least jeans have some staying power and look ok as they age. To be fair, he's only just become interested in clothing so I'm hoping with the budget he will learn to look after a few nice bits well rather than loads of tatty cheap clothes.

naughtyjo

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

You don't have to shop in Primark to get clothes cheaply. Lots of stores sell designer very cheaply in the sales and outlet stores.

Thats true but they are always past season stuff and my lad likes what he likes. Also he is a 6ft 3 rugby player and 15 stone so he's not got the easiest physique to dress
I look at it this way. He has an allowance and he can do what he wants with it. I was very similar. I used to save my allowance for months just to buy an item of say Vivienne Westwood or Junior Gautier. Some items I still have 20 years on so they were a good investment

Becles

My boys are 12 and 14. They wear cheap jogging bottoms and t-shirts around the house and for playing out in, as they just get covered in mud, or ripped on branches, or the knees put out when they fall off bikes etc.

I'll pay a bit more for stuff they wear out when they're not playing but not excessive prices.

They pester for things like Henleys t-shirts and Superdry jackets, but I point out they can have one branded item and nothing else or several copy items in Primark etc. They usually go for the copy items

elvis86

naughtyjo wrote: »

Wow I think I am too soft on my lads
My eldest who is 16 has just got new trainers which cost £85 but he is a size 12 foot
I have no problem spending £30 to £40 on tracksuit bottoms for him as he goes to the gym a lot so get plenty of wear out of them. I give my son my credit card every 4months and he goes shopping. He normally spends £100 to £150 so over the year its not loads but he decides what he wants with that cash not me. He has spent £80 or £120 on a single t shirt
My youngest lad has several pairs of timberlands and trainers at £40 to £60 a pair as well as many designer clothes because he likes to look good.
I will not under any circs let my kids dress in clothes from Primark and many other retailers and neither would I. I feel they are unethical traders and use child labour as well as paying cr.. wages to their suppliers and workers. Its disgraceful and for what a bag of cheap cr.. clothing.
My kids value and look after their clothing because they appreciate how many days I work to provide them the spends.

I'm not disagreeing with the rest of your post, but quit playing the ethical card and just admit that you're a bit of a snob, eh? Don't try telling me that you thoroughly research the ethics and manufacturing of every brand your kids buy when they're out with your credit card...:cool:

elvis86

sock-knitter wrote: »

i have 2, 15 year olds, one wears asda jeans and primani shirts, the other will only wear branded trackies, hoodies, coats etc, therefore he has less clothes for the money and the other has a wardrobe full. no point in buying the one who wears branded clothes cheap stuff, as i have learned to my cost if he dosent like something he will not wear it, and its left for the charity shop unworn.
thinking that as they'll be 16 soon, of giving them both a set amount per month for clothes and other entertainment expenses, havent deceided on wat amount yet, any suggestions, i was thinking £100 a month, does that seem enough??

Wow! How can you afford to give them that much?! I had a part-time job from the age of 13 and paid for anything like that myself!

naughtyjo

elvis86 wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with the rest of your post, but quit playing the ethical card and just admit that you're a bit of a snob, eh? Don't try telling me that you thoroughly research the ethics and manufacturing of every brand your kids buy when they're out with your credit card...:cool:

lol if u knew me snob is the last word to describe me (rather flattered)
My kids know what shops they cant use and not to buy any goods from Israel as an example. We only buy ethically traded goods but I agree it is difficult day to day to research everything and I dont pretend I am perfect I am a Trade Unionist and support many groups for human rights etc so I try my best. Many websites these days research brands for you