How much do you spend on your DCs clothes a year?

[5050not]

Just had to do some online shopping for DDs (2yo) winter wardrobe as she’s outgrown her last year stuff obviously. As always I have a serious bout of anxiety over how much I’ve spent (200, but that includes winter coat, rain coat and rain overall things) and wonder if it’s excessive. Probably do it 3 times a year (Early spring, summer and then winter) with some small bits in between.

I however probably spend less than £200 a year on clothes and shoes for myself (praise Depop)

Not much at all but we get a fair few hand me downs.

School uniform is usually around £40 each, shoes £25 each.

I've just done a shop for some bits for their birthday and Christmas (35 per kid per event). Just pjs few tops, fleece etc.

At some point in the summer we realise they need a fresh pair of sandals and some shorts. So maybe another 35 each then.

Usually 3/4 times a year he needs a full wardrobe change

What six-year-old needs a new full wardrobe four times a year? Is this a human you’ve got or Japanese Knotweed?

Less than £200 per child per year. Lots of second hand and hand me downs

About £1k. No hand me downs and I don't sell the old stuff - it goes to my niece. Usually buy from H&M, Zara, Fat Face and Monsoon. It's getting more expensive now she's getting older though. She's tall and skinny so I have to buy certain types of things that fit both her waist and length.

Ken do you have one dc? That's an incredibly generous clothing budget, I'd love that

Maybe £500 between both of them?
DS1 - £150 on school uniform, another £60 on coat and wellies, then shoes (usually 2 for summer, 2 for winter), clothes I just stock up in the supermarket.

DS2 (a baby) less than £100, he has his brothers hand me downs to wear apart from a handful of things where the seasons and sizes didn't match up well. (DS1 was a long skinny Spring baby, and DS2 is a chubby Winter baby)

Dc are 5 and 7 and we tend to do a big shop a couple of times a year, maybe £300 in total for both for casual clothes. Obviously dd2 gets a lot of hand-me-downs from dd1. Now they're both at school clothes last a lot better, a good proportion of DD1's toddler clothes did not survive for dd2!

DD1 started junior school this year and I had to get logo cardigans at £12 each rather than Sainsburys ones for £4 which was a bit upsetting.

A woman I knew posted on FB selling baby clothes when her baby turned 6 months. I was shocked at how much stuff she was selling new or worn once. It was so wasteful. Then next time I saw her she was complaining about never having any money.

I have no idea how much I spend on my kids clothes, but I try to shop carefully and not buy too much stuff they don’t actually need.

Apparently 764 pounds per year is average. I don’t spend that much!!

I don't keep track. I just buy as we want or need. Like I was online shopping for myself, saw a t-shirt she would like so bought that too, I don't even remember what it cost from 3 days ago.

I must admit I’ve always wondered if most people just buy a little every month or do a big shop as seasons change. I will do a big shop soon. I’ll pull whatever warmer clothes we have left from last year out of the cupboard, see what fits and is still wearable and fill in the gaps with new stuff where necessary.

@ShesMadeATwatOfMePam if everyone stopped buying new, they're wouldn't be a 2nd hand market

There

My children wear jogging bottoms/leggings and t shirts out of school - there really aren’t good quality second hand versions of those once you get out of baby sizes!

A year I probably spend £40-50 each on supermarket uniforms, £100 each on footwear (they have one pair of shoes and one pair of wellies/sandals at any given time), £20 coat (outlet store end of season sales are great!), £20 waterproof mac and then a few multipacks of socks, pants, pjs jogging bottoms/leggings, t shirts and a couple of fleeces or hoodies from supermarkets, H&M or amazon. Maybe a total per child of about £350-£400 a year. My wardrobe is actually very similar in type although I don’t have to buy as often as I don’t grow - I don’t choose to “value myself” by what I wear nor do I want to pass that idea on to my children. I could easily afford to spend more but don’t see the point if everyone is warm, comfortable and happy.

@Triangularbubble oh I didn’t mean to imply that we should show children that a person’s value comes from their clothes, not at all. What I believe is really unhealthy is a mother refusing to spend money on herself while buying nice new things for the children, when it’s a kind of martyr mum situation i.e. I really want that coat and mine is worn out but I couldn’t possibly spend that on myself. I think it’s really good to model self love to our children and showing them that I’ve decided to treat myself to something nice because I think I’m worth it is one small way of doing that. It seems like some women spend a fortune on their children’s clothes but recoil at the idea of buying themselves things that aren’t second hand or charity shop. Fair enough if that’s a conscious ethical decision but for some women there seems to be this underlying vibe of considering themselves not worth treats or that it’s something to feel guilty about once you have kids which I think is a massive shame. A bit of a derail from the OP though, sorry!

Thanks for the interesting info on this thread about the impacts of fast fashion. I’m aware of it to an extent but hearing some stats really shocks me afresh. We get almost all our kids clothes as hand me downs from their cousins so we’re very lucky and rarely have to buy more than one or two things in each size. I really should think harder about the bits and pieces that I do buy new though as I must admit I never explore the background of the brands. Budget is my main consideration and I do struggle with the idea of £25+ items from Boden etc for small and fast growing children. That’s actually another reason why I can justify spending more on myself, I’m not growing anymore and it’ll last more than five minutes!!

I don’t buy fast fashion for any of them or for myself. I do understand how wasteful it is, having worked with the clothing industry directly in past.
Fortunately, we have a huge retail park nearby and a number of great charity shops. ALL of DCs’ jeans at the moment are second-hand and looks fabulous. They don’t care about what they wear, look clean and tidy and I will be careful never to let them think of fashion as something they must do at any cost.

if everyone stopped buying new, they're wouldn't be a 2nd hand market

I’m incredibly grateful to the people who manage to keep their kids clothes in good enough condition to resell them, mine seems to spill stuff on her clothes instantly, but it doesn’t hurt so much when they’re eBay bargains!

Two DC, 9 & 11.
I buy ad-hoc throughout the year apart from the after Christmas sales when I spend around £150 in total. Most expensive are coats and shoes but the rest is H&M, supermarkets, second hand and JL sales.

School uniform on the other hand came to around £300 for eldest this year.

Mine only seem to get through a pair of school shoes once a year luckily. I don't go overboard with extra shoes, it's smart winter boots, trainers and flip flops only, else I get driven nuts with them not being put away!

I probably spend about £300 a year on ds, sometimes dh will also buy ds something on a whim but I mostly get ds his clothes and shoes. I try and buy as much as I can a year in advance and in the sales. I'm also a big fan of getting clothes on ebay for ds. I shop around as much as I can and try and get the best quality I can.

Unlike most on here, I pick up bits every now and then as I see them, usually from the charity shop.
But during lockdown, I did have to buy dd1 some new summer clothes.

In the last 6-8 months, I have spent on dd1 (13) about £100 on shoes, £20 on coats, about £70 on underwear and pyjamas, about £70 on everyday clothes, and £25 on school stuff.
But this time last year, I spent hundreds on new school uniform.

Dd2 mainly wears hand me downs from dd1, and this year has had about £50 on shoes, about £15 on school uniform, about £15 on everyday clothes.

A lot, probably more than I spend on my own clothes but as you say, they grow quickly and need things quite often for the new season.

DS is 2 and I just buy throughout the year, I get a few different outfits when he goes into the next size but I never spend more then £30 per shop. All his clothes are from Asda mainly, few bits from primark/matalan! His winter coat from last year was a Christmas gift and still fits in for this year unless he has a massive growth spurt!

About 2k per year per child. I have no idea really. I often do a haul of sale items and then a haul of 'new in' items. Often find myself browsing and ordering at least 1 item every week on top of that too. I keep my favourites to pass down and the rest goes to charity.

Yes i do have young children. I buy second hand where possible, or i get given stuff. Id say 90% of what they wear is second hand and anything that is fit to be passed on gets passed on, or given to the charity shop for rags if it's too stained or worn because they make money from it and it gets recycled. The only thing i will always buy new is underwear.

@ShesMadeATwatOfMePam

Yes i do have young children. I buy second hand where possible, or i get given stuff. Id say 90% of what they wear is second hand and anything that is fit to be passed on gets passed on, or given to the charity shop for rags if it's too stained or worn because they make money from it and it gets recycled. The only thing i will always buy new is underwear.

Most we know have boys, dd would refuse the clothes and I don't blame her, especially at 10 The charity shops here are shit. Small overpriced selection AND church affiliated which I won't support I had only 2nd hand as a kid, I was bullied for it. NO WAY will I subject dd to that possibility. Its an element I can control, so I will.

So new it is. 2nd hand don't suit our wants or needs.