Teen boys expensive taste in clothes!

84 replies

SixSeven67 · 24/01/2026 09:54

Help!
my 13(nearly 14) year old son is in his ‘I’ll only wear expensive black tracksuit’ era and it’s bankrupting me!
I feel so guilty that he’s hardly got any clothes at my house, whereas at his dads, he’s got lots. I’m not working at the moment, on UC with 2 other DC at home. The other 2 are younger, therefore much easier to buy clothes for.
I was looking online for tracksuits for him and ONE montirex tracksuit is £90. NINETY POUNDS!
I got him one for Xmas but, after him saying he loved it and took the labels off, decided he didn’t like it after all! And anyway, he’s managed to leave that at his dads house.
I do use vinted, but even that isn’t as cheap as I’d like. I want to rig him out with about 3 nice tracksuits, but it’s going to cripple me financially.
any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

OP posts:

Jellycatspyjamas · 24/01/2026 10:48

If you can’t afford it you can’t afford it. It really is that simple. Besides which £90 for a 12 year is ridiculous. It sounds like you’re not in a position to give him a clothing allowance or pay him for work around the house, so he’ll need to wear what he has, it won’t harm him.

hahagogomomo · 24/01/2026 10:47

He gets what you can afford end of, or he brings stuff from his dads. You need to nip it in the bud. As long as he has generic clean clothes that fit him that’s good enough. He gets money for Christmas and birthdays for anything else

Octavia64 · 24/01/2026 10:44

Honestly at the age I’d be going with a clothes allowance and encouraging him to earn some money - babysitting, washing cars or similar.

ChaToilLeam · 24/01/2026 10:43

Your job as a parent is to make sure he is clothed: he doesn't need designer brands. He's a teenager! And why are all his clothes at his dad's? He can bring them back.

Give him a clothes allowance, and he can get a job or do chores to earn money if he is set on the designer stuff, it will be a good life lesson. Perhaps he will appreciate his nice things then.

TheJoyousHiker · 24/01/2026 10:43

Why would you buy your DS a £90 tracksuit when you’re not working and have no income? Next he’ll be wanting a Canadian Goose or Moncler jacket which cost a lot more than £90 - what will you do them. Buy him what you can afford and he’ll either wear it or not.

chipsandpeas · 24/01/2026 10:39

give him a budget and point to vinted

SunnySideDeepDown · 24/01/2026 10:34

He took the labels off then decided he didn’t like it?

Tough luck. He brings it home and wears it.

At times my parents didn’t have the cash for fancy clothes, I made do with new look etc. Your son can have designer brands when he’s working.

I mean this kindly, but your job is to teach him financial responsibility - it sounds like you’re hard up, you need to teach him that working hard and saving is the only way to buy fancy things. Debt and scrabbling around for designer clothes when you’re struggling to pay bills is poor financial management.

TheNightingalesStarling · 24/01/2026 10:31

A monthly clothes allowance of what you afford? He can decide whether that's one expensive tracksuit or more cheaper but adequate ones.

Cheeseandonioncrispswithmytea · 24/01/2026 10:28

But what you can afford.

If they want crazy labels - they get a job or save up birthday money / Christmas money for it.

teaching them that we all have to live to our means is an essential life lesson.

No one NEEDS designer labels. This is about WANT not need and again it’s a very good life skill to help them learn the difference.

don’t feel guilty - and don’t bankrupt yourself buying things that you can’t afford.

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