could you please help my son to dress well?

[areyoureadytobestrong]

My lovely 16 year old has the curse of being the boy that all the girls' mothers want to be their daughter's boyfriend. He is the nice boy!

I know he wants to try to get a girlfriend.

My husband and I both dress badly. So my son does too. This is the first time he has become interested in clothes.

He is skinny, about 5 ft 8/9, with long legs and slim shoulders. He has had poor posture but is working to correct it. Everyone likes him.

He said he'd like some help with his wardrobe for 6th form ("smart-casual")

I wondered where well-dressed 16 year old boys shop? It doesn't need to be designer or anything. And if anyone has tips on how he can keep his clothes looking good and suiting him (are there good sites for teenage males trying to learn this stuff?).

Thank you oh well dressed ones! or mothers of well dressed ones!

Is it something where he has friends he thinks achieve a look he likes? If so, could they go window shopping together a few times to help him find his own style but within the same stores? Or what about famous people - cut up some magazines/ download some pics of people wearing stuff he likes? If he has any trusted close female friends, would one of them enjoy giving him a quiet makeover?

I am out of touch with where the cool kids shop (used to be superdry, hollister, a&f...doubtless not any more!)

I don't think he has either of those flathead. Hejust goes out on the moor on his bike with his friends..... I can't imagine then shopping and he wouldn't know famous people except youtubers and politicians.....

River island topman is where my 16 year old would get smart clothes from.

Tkmaxx or high street for slim fit shirts.
Dark blue jeans, slim fit chinos.
Immaculately clean trainers or boots.
Send him to a hairdresser not a barbers and say he wants to look "nice boy who's also quite cool on a date".
Posh coat - tkmaxx is your friend here. The polar opposite to anything to what he wears to go in his bike on t'moors
New socks. Navy or jazzy.
Naice skin product (moisuriser if skin is good, cleanser if struggling with teen acne).

Second the PP saying check out Instagram or wherever.

Congrats on bringing up such a lovely young man

I learned that it’s far easier not to try and dress “cool”. It is one of those things where by definition if you do it consciously it becomes the opposite.

Personally i hate this new trend for smart casual and business for 6th form. 6th form and uni is where you experiment and express yourself through appearance. Mine was lots of black, band and slogan tees...

If he’s into cycling i’d say his “cool” would be surfer/skater/bmx style, rip curl, billabong, animal etc. But that may not do for college? He could check them out though and see if there’s anything suitable.

My dc shop at hollister, jack wills etc but only pick up the odd tee. Most of it is a bit “try hard”. They pick up stuff from lots of places as and when they see it. Online is always good too.

great answers! love mumsnet. i will show him a redacted version of this.

H&M is good for basics. Chinos and slim fit tees? Dark jeans. Boots for college if it's smart casual. Are there any bloggers or anything he likes that he can follow on Instagram - see what they're wearing and eBay copies.

If he's into biking - Fox t-shirts are nice and good quality.

Bless him - it must be hard fashion wise for a 16 year old boy.

We too get a few T shirts from Hollister. H&M for hoodies (they have nice plain ones, no logos to advertise how cool or otherwise they are, and a better range of colours than most places). Decathlon for sporty/outdoor stuff. I’ve got a few T shirts online as well, eg one with a melting Rubik’s Cube (like Sheldon’s In The Big Bang Theory). Primark for plain tees. I’m not sure any of it is cool though!

My sixth former has to wear a suit so we got him one of the £99 ones from M&S. It’s slim fit, with slim fit shirts from M&S also. Ties from M&S and Primark.

My now 17 year old son had the same dilemma last year.

He’s now, apparently, one of the best dressed at 6th form.

I suggested Primark jeans as they are cheap and cheerful and no one will really know.
Decent pair Converse.

Then he chops and changes with T-shirt’s and shirts and jumpers and hoodies in the winter.
Black denim jacket in summer
Lined blue denim jacket in winter

He does look great.

H&M
New Look
Burtons
Primark

All great shops.

Thank you!

Off the topic but I like the smart dress code for sixthformers! They can wear what they want out of school and weekends. Dressing smartly shows respect for your studies and your fellow peers and teachers. It shows you have made an effort but then Im very old fashioned!

A good pair of trainers are a must. Black vans if for wearing to school.

Slim cut trousers (black) and a school bag from the likes of topman or river island.

Black vans....not like white vans then...

www.asos.com/men/workwear/cat/?cid=18423

Trouser, shirt and shoe inspiration

I'm a terrible shopper and would literally pick out whole outfits from mannequins or models outfits in cataloguea........can't go wrong with jeans, retro t-shirts and vans / converse tho.

Aha!

Off the topic but I like the smart dress code for sixthformers! They can wear what they want out of school and weekends. Dressing smartly shows respect for your studies and your fellow peers and teachers. It shows you have made an effort but then Im very old fashioned!

Old fashioned is 6th formers and uni students joining the student union, protesting and challenging the status quo.. it’s a new idea where you present formally and show “respect”. Unless you mean the era when women weren’t allowed an education and only those from eton etc went?

At my uni sitting quietly and being spoon fed would not have gone down well. You were expected to question, discuss ideas, be different, think outside the box. I had one friend whose tutor wouldn’t write him an academic reference because she thought he couldn’t think for himself enough.

Like the black vans....think I will go online and buy a pair..☺️

My 17 year old brother is very cool and handsome ! (No bias he really is!) He just goes for timeless classic looks. my brother swears by Levi's - they cost more but he wears them to death and they look really good and T-shirt's from Asos. Fit is important. He needs it slim right fit... not baggy and ill fitting. Cool trainers are a must.

My brothers suit was made a suit shop where we live as he has broad shoulders it was custom made so I'm sorry no help there.

Hollister, super dry, H&M, Asos - all good. Just get a good fit.

My son primarily shops at ASOS and Boohoo. I think that he always looks groomed because he irons everything and has his hair cut every 4 weeks at the barber. He spends about 10 minutes styling it too. His style has been skinny black jeans, belt plus slim-fit t-shirt or polo for a while now. His shoes are expensive but the rest of his wardrobe is predominantly budget places.

@Micah I think that's 2 different issues. You can debate and engage but still wear smart clothes.

I meant old fashioned in the sense that I like how people dressed their best in the 1940's and 1950's- no lowriding trousers etc!

yeah, more answers!

Suits for 6th form are hideous. I teach in one of the top comprehensives in the Uk. Our 6th form where what they want within reason. Not wearing suits seems to have no impact on the outstanding grades they get. I like seeing the dress style of the students. Especially the individual ones.

In terms of your son, avoid:
Hiking boot type trainers
Fleeces
Unstyled straight jeans
Dad type clothes/shops

I would aim for Levi jeans, or cheaper. Slim rather than skinny or straight.

Converse or trainers. But not immaculately clean, they need a lived in look

Shirts/ t shirts/ hoodies.

Make sure he has a proper styled haircut. I think this is the thing that will make the biggest difference.