To expect a giant M&S to stock proper 9yo boy pants and not Poncey Pants?

[PrimulaVeris]

Spent the morning in the huge out-of-town M&S From Hell to stock up on the family underwear requirements.

My 9yo ds is bursting out of his pants.

I want proper boy pants (ie briefs), decent material, in 5-packs. But oh no, this barn-like M&S stops doing those at age 6yrs. Instead, a 9 yo has a choice of a bewildering range of boxers and shorts - Autograph designer pants, willy-slit pants, high-waist pants, thermal pants, long pants. Pants with material so thick they fill half a washing machine drum. Pants that can only be brought singly or in pairs. Pants that cost £££ more. Pants with waistbands with slogans. And inexplicably for the male of the species, pants that are WHITE.

Ffs am I the only parent to want Real Pants?

[MaryAnnSingleton]

no you aren't - I despair too - it's not much to ask ,is it ?

[PrimulaVeris]

I came back pant-less.

I've looked at M&S online and it's no better. Autograph designer pants ???!!!

God, Jeremy Paxman had it right with his comment

[MaryAnnSingleton]

vests too - try buying any for a child over 10 - gah !

[MaryAnnSingleton]

boys I mean - girls seem over catered for imo

[georgiemum]

I couldn't get thermal vests/long johns for a 4 year old in the bloody Oxford Street store. And I couldn't get a pair of boys gloves in the High St Ken store today.

[PrimulaVeris]

Oh don't get me on girls - have a 13yo dd and went under express instructions to get the Tatty Teddy short stye ones - most are fine but there's loads of unncessary lace and the "Slagz" style type. Just not appropriate at that age

I really put the 'prim' into 'primula'' there

[foxinsocks]

ds likes those shorts type ones - the ones in jersey cotton (don't know what they are called). In fact, he told me most of his friends wear those ones rather than the Y-front style ones so maybe it's just people's buying patterns?

I went to John Lewis at Christmas time to get some underwear for ds and dd (for their stocking ) and they had no underwear at all if you happened to be 7 and a boy. Was extraordinary.

[robinpud]

john blardy lewis have just had toorder grey ankle socks for me for an 8 year old boy. Mind you they have no staff as well as no stock...

[PrimulaVeris]

It makes you wonder what the store buyers are thinking? I tried Next and that was just the same.

I did wonder if other boys that age all wear these shorts, though, and I'm just being frumpy. If I'm still seething this afternoon I could try it as a schoolgate chat opener I suppose ....

Georgiemum - boys gloves are a nightmare for me too! In the end only place I could get any were Millets (fleecey type though)

[MarmadukeScarlet]

I have to disagree with MAS here (and agree with PV)

In a huge local M&S there was only one pack of vests in my DD's size (11yrs) that wasn't a crop top/slagz style number.

As for the pants, apparently when girls get to that age they no longer wear briefs only bikinis, shorts or skimpy pants. She likes big pants as they are comfy and don't go up her bottom!

I ended up with 2 packs of bikinis - the more expensive ones have way less fabric than the bargain ones, so dont come up far enough so she has to constanly pull them up so she will not wear them - I cannot understand how the same cut/style could be so different?

PV, out of interest where do you get decent ones? I was even considering Johnnie's £22 for 5 pack the other day as was desperate!

[PrimulaVeris]

£22 for a 5-pack!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEK!! No wonder Johnnie keeps sending me spam inviting me to click on his special offers ....

Well I've always relied on M&S as official purveyors of Prim Underwear to the Prim household. There's a BHS I may try, though their fabric is a bit on the thin side I think.

I don't know what to do now tbh. A real crisis is looming and if I dont get something sorted we're all going to go commando at this rate.

[foxinsocks]

oooh Primula.

I ended up getting ds and dd gloves at Milletts as I couldn't find any other ones.

I tell you where is quite good for underwear and that's (shhhhh) Primark. I only go there if I've given up trying everywhere else. But their stuff is normally 100% cotton and even the girls knickers are not tarty in shape iyswim.

I like M&S's material more though.

I've also found John Lewis to be a bit low on this sort of stock (underwear, tights).

[PrimulaVeris]

pssst Foxy ... I've never been to Primark!!! mainly because there isn't one near me - may be worth a trip to Primark Oxford St d'you think?

[MarmadukeScarlet]

So what we need is a retailer who thinks young girls should be attired in non-sexulaised undies which will wash well, not shrink/twist/bobble, with vests long enough to tuck in.

Well, until a few years ago that was M&S wasn't it?

I'm tempted (for DD) to try a small sized adult pant, like a size 4/6 Sloggi if they exist or do thin women only wear small pants?

[georgiemum]

Wasn't a MNtter asking a few weeks ago about ideas for a website?

Definately - good underwear for children!

[DDraigoch33]

''And inexplicably for the male of the species, pants that are WHITE.''

Lmao!!!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

I love the term 'slagz' style !!