To think children's clothing should be more durable?

[MrsOverTheRoad]

Or is it just my DD? She's 9 and though she is very active, the rate at which she gets through/destroys clothing is jawdropping.

She can get a new pair of leggings and wear them ONCE before they have holes in the knees.

I can only buy her tops in dark/busy patterns and colours as she will invariably get mud and dust on them which often stains white or paler things.

Now this isn't an issue...I just don't buy pale things...but the KNEES! Oh God the KNEE THING annoys me!

I got her some "boys" combat trousers and they've been the best wearing item she owns so far.

However, she does like leggings! Why are they so shit? Does anyone else have this problem?

[MrsOverTheRoad]

And we're in Oz where the choice is poor...and the terrain rough! :(

[MismatchedCat]

Partly it's probably your DD, but partly the quality of clothing has declined over the years too.

When little, my brother used to wear out the knees of all his trousers ridiculously fast, it drove my mum batty. Finally she just decided to sew on patches and he had to put up with looking like Oliver Twist.

[gabsdot]

I bought my son age 13 2 pairs of Nike tracksuit bottoms for school, (no uniform,). They were €40 each and he put holes in the knees during the first week.

[MrsOverTheRoad]

Cat I thought about patches but you're right...the quality is so poor that it would be pointless...I can see the stitches just coming loose due to the mixed fabric.

Sewing patches to stretchy cotton's not going to work really.

[MrsOverTheRoad]

Oh and she won't wear jeans "they're not comfortable"

[TestingTestingWonTooFree]

Are jeggings an option? They might be more durable.

[MrsOverTheRoad]

Jeggings are so nylon-ie and we live in South Australia...

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Can you put her in shorts instead?

[toomuchtooold]

No advice, just sympathy. You know those multipacks of tops you often get, where two tops are patterned and one is white? I often think of just leaving the white one at the shop, where they can figure out what the bloody hell you can do with a white top for a small kid without it being almost instantly covered in stains.

[Auspiciouspanda]

What brands do you buy from?

[nocake]

I used to have a pair of trousers for riding my motorbike that were lined with Kevlar. Maybe someone needs to make that sort of thing in kids sizes.

[CheshireChat]

Sorry OP, I was just like your daughter.

I don't think any leggings are particularly sturdy as they're only thin, I used to wear some stretchy capris that were a bit thicker than leggings, but not jeans either.

Have a look in the boys aisle? Stupid I know, but maybe you'll find another pair that works?

Mind, the shops around here don't seem to understand that boys can wear leggings as well.

[borntobequiet]

There's a good reason why younger children used to wear shorts/skirts and knee length socks.
How anyone expects not to have things go at the knee is beyond me.

[Notso]

I think leggings in general are not a good choice as trousers, they are thin like tights and I remember going through a pair of those a day when I was in school.

[Twoevils]

The shorts advice is good. My 10yo DD only wears shorts now, even if it is freezing outside (her choice)! She has to wash her legs every day, but it saves on trousers!

[AtlanticWaves]

DS wears vertbaudet trousers from the "indestructible" range. Basically thick trousers with built in knee pads (but not too obvious).

They are really good - takes him months to wear a hole compared to a week with other brands.

[AtlanticWaves]

Actually they're not really thick - just not thin like so many clothes nowadays