to hate the ridiculous fashion cycle that means I can't find summer clothes in August!

[1stWorldProblems]

So DD1 has had a growth spurt & grown out of her bikini. I've looked in town & online and have a choice of about 3. Lots of winter coats, long-sleeved t-shirts & school uniform but hardly any summer stuff left in her size anywhere. It's only the 1st week of August!!

I can understand retailers stocking summer stuff early as we all like to buy into the dream of a long, hot summer but I just don't think people get excited / rush to early buy winter gear in 20 degree heat?

Why can't they leave the summer sales til mid-August at the earliest so we can buy weather appropriate clothing? Adultst could (but shouldn't have to) pre-buy stuff but who can predict the growth spurts of kids? Ebay is looking like my only hope this years

[ijustwannadance]

I know it's hated but sports direct have swimwear all year round.

I worked in retail for years. Having to put out bikinis and beachwear in January whilst still having winter coats out. It's crap going shopping now and seeing rails of dark green/orange/purple clothes and knitwear.

[angrydwarf]

Totally with you on this. I tried to buy a new kaftan sort of thing last week and all that was left was random scrappy bits and pieces on the sale rails. I had to ask in some stores as couldn't find any swimwear at all, just to be told that all the summer stock had gone. It was still July!

On the plus side I got bargain hats and flip flops.

[perhapstomorrow]

I had exactly this problem today. I was in bournemouth (a seaside town) and struggled for 2 hours to find suitable swimsuits for my 2 dd's. Ridiculous!

[YouMakeMyDreams]

It is so frustrating. Struggled to get ds2 shoes a couple of weeks ago. He has wide feet so takes a bit of searching at the best of times. But everywhere had loads of schoo shoes and no sandals or anything. I know people are buying school shoes but they are buying summer shoes too.
It's ridiculous. I know shops plan so far in advance but they don't need to be putting out the winter stuff in August. By the time I am thinking about winter stuff all the spring clothes will be in the shops.

[bumblefeline]

YANBU happens every year, we normally go abroad the last week of August and I have to buy most of our clothes before July as the winter coats start coming out! It's ridiculous.

[WineCheeseSleep]

YANBU. This has always perplexed me, do people really buy all their clothes a season ahead? I've had this loads with DS, if we hit a heatwave late summer and I wanted some shorts for him they'd all be gone!

[Kpo58]

Maybe this is the reason clothes shops are struggling with sales. They don't sell the correct clothes for the current weather.

[ijustwannadance]

All it would take is to just shift the retail seasons by 2 months. March to August= summer stock, Sept to Feb= winter stock. Not Jan to June/July to Dec.
I don't want to buy a winter coat whilst wearing a strappy summer dress and sandals! I buy clothes when I need them not 3 months in advance.

[VashtaNerada]

YANBU!!! Drives me mad that I can't buy shorts in August or a coat in December. So bloody stupid.

[1stWorldProblems]

Surely the retailers can't be selling many winter clothes now? Summer's only just arrived this year. I'm sure the "seasons" have moved even more out of whack in recent years as the Xmas sales now seem to start before Xmas and I remember going summer sale shopping in my school holidays when I was young!

I agree with kpo58 - perhaps they'd make better profits if they held their nerve & kept out the correct clothes for the time of year - they'd only need to leave it til the end of August.

[BikeGeek]

YANBU I resorted to buying some work tops in second hand shops in March/April this year as everything in the shops at that time seemed to be sleeveless.

[MrsMook]

My ankle boots were getting worn out in March, but they were out of stock in the shops. It was bloody wintery until June so I had to keep wearing scruffy ones until it warmed up enough for summer shoes.

I've been caught out with the DCs clothes before. I'm not randomly buying stuff that they may never use because their growth doesn't match what they may need next season.

It is ridiculous especially as many people will want summer clothes for late summer and autumn holidays.

The shops certainly miss out from me on it.

[2rebecca]

Agree, I hate it. Autumn clothes should start being stocked in September with some summer clothes sold all year round for people taking winter holidays. I buy my clothes based on what the weather actually is not what it will be in a couple of months. I wish a few shops would break with this and sell season appropriate clothes.

[BarbaraofSeville]

It's ridiculous. I noticed in the paper earlier an advert for John Lewis 'autumn/winter' illustrated by coats and jumpers. All the 'back to school' stuff was in the shops before the end of the school year.

We have our main summer holiday in September and I remember a couple of years ago DP having a strop in a shop because there were no vests only jumpers and winter coats in mid August.

My theory is that the shops think that we are all chomping at the bit to buy a new winter coat and will literally buy the first one we see so they all want to be the first to get the winter coats in, because if they aren't, they won't sell any at all because we will have all bought one already.

It won't be long before the Christmassy crap is in the shops either - I'm sure that Quality Street and Mince Pies start to appear in August.

Anyway, seasons are so far out now that if they keep getting earlier, it won't be long before they are back round to the right time of year again.