Boys clothes at Next - dark and uninspiring?

[bacon]

Why is it that Next have to concentrate on black and navy for young children's clothes? Rails of pretty and colourful girls clothes but the boys selection yuk? I couldnt find one nice t-shirt even the odd one was short sleeved (winter?) have the designers at Next not been inspired to design a colourful bright collection which doesn't have silly slogans, skull & crossbow or tacky transfers. What shocked me was toddlers t-shirts with rolling stone logos, navarna, or some lyrics from songs, whats the idea here then designers? Some of their stuff is bordering on chav. primark have had some sweet stuff, M&S is hit and miss and the odd item from the supermarket but I am struggling to find colourful sweet and funky t-shirts for my two.

[totallynaive]

Gap are also terrible offenders. I just couldn't get my ds anything last year from that chain because it was all skulls, motorbikes, adult themes - wholly inappropriate for a toddler. It would be so easy to do a range in primary colours with nice, simple pictures of tigers or pots of jam or buses on like boden do at three times the price (with no silly words or slogans) (sigh!). Instead design for boys on the high street is the army, hell's angels, death, things with giant numbers and slogans on. The only alternative is the worst kind of brand advertising (e.g. everything disney at asda). I despair.

[AuntPepita]

H&m. Cheaper and better quality. I am never impressed with their quality.

[PotteringAlong]

Sainsburys have got some cool long sleeved t-shirts at the moment. Or do you have a H&M near you?

[totallynaive]

P.S. Is no chain at all interested in hitching onto the success of boden and maybe making some stuff for children that - er- looks good?

[EBDTeacher]

I am so with you there totally. I HATE the cowboy slogans and skull&crossbones type clothing for little boys.

It's really sad that you seem to have to go quite a long way up the price range to buy clothes that are not either mini versions of something a teenager might go to a house party in or sponsored by Walt.

I have bought/ begged for a few bloody expensive long sleaved tshirts from barnyard kids and a couple of pairs of cords from Boden for DS and I'm just going to mix and match all winter! He doesn't have many items of clothing but they make quite a few different outfits IYSWIM.

[Sirzy]

I have never had any trouble getting a variety of brightly coloured boys clothes from next.

[WillowB]

Yep Sainsburys have some lovely age appropriate clothes with dinosaurs, animals on etc. reasonably priced too.

[lolalotta]

m.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Clearance/Boys-1H-14yrs-Tops-T-shirts.html
Boden has some lovely boys t-shirts, expensive but they do 20% off promotions pretty regularly which brings them more in line with other stores, plus the quality is beautiful!!!

[lolalotta]

Sorry, my link went a bit wrong then and went to clearance stuff, try this: m.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Boys-1H-14yrs-Tops-T-shirts.html

[Weezie85]

I have a DD and was not impressed when I went into Next the other day. Not a fan of the mustard weird colour. A lot of it seemed a bit dark for my tastes as well.

[shoesontheglasslamp]

Totally agree. It's hard to find appropriate themed clothes for boys - although why they have to be 'themed' I really don't understand..!

Another vote for Sainsburys, I've found some lovely stuff there, and I love Boden, but it has to be just a few key pieces, bought during a promotion, and not in a size I need immediately - 6 weeks delay for new season trousers that were in the yet another catalogue that came in the post yesterday??

[Gingersnap88]

I buy the kids lots of mini boden stuff on eBay. As the quality is so good, most of it is still in excellent condition, sometimes new.

I really have trouble buying clothes for DD on the high street, I find that most things are highly unsuitable. Either princess pink or far too adult like. I end up buying her lots of "boys" clothes: brightly coloured trousers / cords / chinos from next, chunky jumpers / cardigans from gap.. I also like H&M.

I thought the Aztec style range in Next was nice, lots of blues / greens / burnt orange? Agree with you on the slogans and skulls though, yuck.

[lovechoc]

I don't shop in Next, feel it's too over rated. and pricey. I shop for boys clothes in John Lewis and some of the supermarkets.

[CharlieBoo]

Agreed, not a huge fan of next for my 7 year old ds, I do however like it for dd. I love h and m for ds, so bright and reasonably priced, great quality too.

[Figgygal]

I don't think I've ever bought anything from next for me 9mi DS lives in their stuff I love their boy clothes but yes boys clothes in most retailers is so incomparably unexciting compared to girls clothes.

[AuntPepita]

H&M:

trousers Lime green

hoodie Red

jogging bottoms Orange

Jumper Yellow stripe

T shirts Multi

Not a slogan or logo in sight

[EBDTeacher]

I love that yellow stripe jumper AuntPepita and may well be heading to H&M to buy one tomorrow.

I counter you this monstrosity though...

[EBDTeacher]

And look at the alternate colourway of the same jumper. Agghhhh!

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

Tesco actually have some decent cord toddler trousers, and nice plain bright blue/orange/striped long sleeved t-shirts this season.

Usually their boys stuff is covered in slogans and transfers and stuff, but this season's stuff looks lovely.

And I can vouch for how hard wearing the cords are - DS3 has been crawling around the park in them repeatedly and they still look fine, he has the navy which were the first ones in.

The cords also have a stretchy waistband, making them a lot less restrictive for toddlers.

I have my eye on the grey pair and a long sleeved plain orange t-shirt, with a grey sweatshirt that has orange strips along the bottom...

Will check out Sainsbury's too.

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

I think wherever you shop, you just have to pick out the few bits you like for boys.

Oh, and WTF is with skinny fucking jeans for a toddler? My fairly fashion conscious 10yo DS1 won't wear them as he says he can't run around in them, so why why why make them for toddlers?!

[bacon]

Funnily enough I was at as big Sainsburys yesterday and saw a couple of nice t-shirts for my 3 year old. I bought one which was brown striped but had a dinosor applique on it - he loves it.

I do buy used Boden on e-bay and have some lovely stuff from there. I see Frugi do similar to Boden but around £20 mark is too pricey.

I did buy a few lovely t-shirts from primark in the summer but not sure if they have ditched colour for the winter.

DS1 is 7 and also want to buy him sweet clothing.

Agree why has no highstreet chain copied the Boden style? M&S are also shocking where are their designers and buyers 'cos I want a word!

[EBDTeacher]

I bought a £7 pair of brown cords for DS in Sainsbury's today and TBH I'm not pleased with the quality or the fit although the fit may be due to 2.1yo DS being the height of a 4yo but the shape of a toddler.

[notjustamummythankyou]

I'm a big fan of sainsburys for t shirts - pack of 3 for £9, designs are ok and they wash well. Can't go wrong for wearing to nursery where they get covered in paint / mud / flour. Best of the supermarkets, imo.

Not so keen on their girls clothes though. Dd is only 7mo, but finding it hard to get anything that's not either pink or petite pornstar. Boots seems to be a winner so far. Next is just bloody awful.

Sigh. Does it have to be so hard?!

[EBDTeacher]

Throughout DS's babyhood I was a real fan of John Lewis as a compromise between price and lack of Walt.

However, as he's now a 3-4 on the bottom and 4-5 on top he's into their 'boyswear' and it's pretty much ALL hideous.

[ceebeegeebies]

I have 2 boys and have found the best places for boys clothes are Sainsburys (particularly for hoodies, jackets, coats) and H&M. H&M, in particular, sell t-shirts that wash very well, any logos/pictures don't wear off with washing as other brands do, and the designs are slightly different - plus very reasonably priced (however, if you order them online, delivery is shit!)