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Is it just me or are boys clothes so boring!

65 replies

blindgossips · 23/07/2021 09:18

I am sick to death of bloody dinosaurs on everything! I have 2 DS and often find the colours to be a bit drab, lots more black/brown/grey than you get in the girls section or the complete opposite it has to have awful neon colours.
I prefer pastel colours and a more traditional style, even in Sainsburus the girls section has beautiful floral traditional looking dresses and the boys seems to be wall to wall dinosaur!
They're only 3 and 1 so I don't have long before I'm sure they have an opinion on what they want to wear and knowing my luck it'll be dinosaurs Grin

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CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 23/07/2021 10:08

A second vote for Scandi - favourites here are Maxomorra, Duns and Småfolk. DS is 2 and we get loads of compliments on his lovely bright clothes. I know that Scandi brands look expensive at first glance but in my experience they fit for easily twice as long as high street stuff so if works out really good value, plus it’s usually organic cotton with good green credentials. He’s wearing stuff this summer that still fits from last year!

eggontoast2 · 23/07/2021 10:13

I am so glad I have seen this thread. I have two boys, 4 and 14 months and I am sick to death of dinosaurs!!! My 4 year old loves pink so it's torture for him to go into an actual shop and see all the girls clothes. I found a few colourful t-shirts this year in Tu and in Next but the rest is pretty blah. There are a lot of black and brown clothes around as well which are very boring too.

DigitalGhost · 23/07/2021 10:17

@jevoudrais

See I disagree. I have a daughter and it's so hard to find things that aren't pink or don't have disney characters on! I always see lots of lovely boys thing. She got called a beautiful boy last week and she wasn't even wearing something boyish, just not pink.
Same here my daughter hates pink and girly and basically lives in superhero tshirts and dinosaur designs. One of the staff at a museum we went to last week asked me if she was a really cool girl or a boy 😂 people don't dare assume anymore it would seem.

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Anon9990 · 23/07/2021 10:17

I throw tantrums about the severe lack of clothes without Dinosaurs on them daily. So bloody annoying!

CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 23/07/2021 10:19

My 4 year old loves pink so it's torture for him to go into an actual shop and see all the girls clothes

Can he not wear them anyway @eggontoast2 or is it the ridiculous frilly stuff he’s pointing out? It drives me mad when there’s a lovely bright T-shirt that could easily be gender neutral but they’ve added loads of frills to the sleeves to code it as “for girls”

Jailbreak42 · 23/07/2021 10:19

I've honestly never encountered the problems MN has with boys clothes TBH. My kids do like Minecraft, so I do admit that there is quite a lot of that around. But they have loads of bright, colourful plain t-shirts. They do tend to live in t-shurts and joggers, so can't speak for things like shirts or jeans/chinos. There is loads of brightly coloured unisex stuff for younger kids, with animals, colourful stripes or just plain. Next and Morrisons have good ranges and a good selection online.

By contrast, I don't buy girls clothes because I only have boys, but at a glance everything is a sea of pink sequins. That to me is boring as hell. Although I know if I had a girl, they would probably still be in a tshirt and joggers with Minecraft on it.Grin

eggontoast2 · 23/07/2021 10:27

@CoffeeWithMyOxygen

My 4 year old loves pink so it's torture for him to go into an actual shop and see all the girls clothes

Can he not wear them anyway @eggontoast2 or is it the ridiculous frilly stuff he’s pointing out? It drives me mad when there’s a lovely bright T-shirt that could easily be gender neutral but they’ve added loads of frills to the sleeves to code it as “for girls”

It's frilly stuff and dresses. My boy loves a dress, he wears his Elsa dress all the time which raises a few eyebrows with the grandparents but I say if you can't be free and happy at that age then when can you be? I get him as much bright stuff as I can, pink iPad case, pink pens, pencil case etc etc. He doesn't do bad but there is still a huge amount of boring clothes at a reasonable price.
newnortherner111 · 23/07/2021 10:30

Whilst understanding the wish to have some variety, surely the most important thing is that they last and wash well?

Jailbreak42 · 23/07/2021 10:34

@newnortherner111

Whilst understanding the wish to have some variety, surely the most important thing is that they last and wash well?
I have to admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of Morrisons clothes. Usually supermarket clothes don't last my kids long, but I still have t-shirts from last year that still fit my six year old. Their stuff doesn't shrink like other supermarkets stuff does.
blindgossips · 23/07/2021 10:35

I find the scandi brands and Zara too expensive, I'm mostly looking for supermarket prices as I know they'll be outgrown in 6 months, Zara sale is good though I'll give them that. But like I said I prefer a more traditional style and with those brand you seem to have to pay lots. Jojo do some lovely baby items but past 2yrs all the sharks and dinosaurs creep in again

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infinitemadness · 23/07/2021 10:37

See I always found it the other way. I have a boy and a girl - girl really isn't a pink flowery girl at all and I hated the abundance of pink everywhere.

Loved all the boys stuff though.... but then again I like dinosaurs Grin
They're 11 and 8 now so I don't really get a say in their clothing any more! Boy lives in football kits or and girl only likes to dress in black or animal print!

MinnieMountain · 23/07/2021 10:37

Why not both @newnortherner111? And not everyone can afford to buy the more expensive brands that last and wash well.

Snowdrop30 · 23/07/2021 10:40

Oh God, yes. As they head into tweens/teens it gets worse. A sea of navy, grey and camo. Dinosaur prints replaced by gaming references or big sportswear brands. Even my 11 year old DS has spotted how depressing and dull it all is. Fruit of the Loom do nice, affordable unbranded stuff tho.

Ainesskirt · 23/07/2021 10:44

I accidentally discovered that girls clothes are also cut differently. When DS1 was about 7 I bought him a Harry Potter t shirt that I did not realise was from the girls section of the shop. I bought him the size that I thought he needed that also allowed growing room. It was shorter and narrower than any of his other t shirts. I did not realise that 7 year old girls are supposed to be so much smaller than the boys.

KingdomScrolls · 23/07/2021 10:49

Next do some good plain bright t shirts, DS also has a lovely pink t-shirt from there. I do like frugi and have found the sales are decent and resale is good can just do a batch sale on the frugi Preloved FB page and it goes in minutes. I can't abide the murky colours and camo with neon it's awful. I also don't like joggers other than for sports, DS is still young enough for leggings, but what do boys where other than jeans when they are a bit older?

blindgossips · 23/07/2021 10:54

I put my DS in chinos from H&M for spring and autumn and corduroys for winter

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KingdomScrolls · 23/07/2021 10:57

Thanks, I do like H&M clothes they seem to last and wash well. I think we've got another couple of years of lindex bushed cotton lined leggings but good to know other options

BertieBotts · 23/07/2021 11:00

Pastel and traditional might be the problem rather than it being boys' stuff specifically. I think this kind of style is considered more upmarket so may be harder to find in high street stores for reasonable prices. H&M has lots of chinos and mini shirts though. M&S as well.

Personally I love the orange, green, yellow, turquoise kind of boys' pallette so although I'm not a fan of endless grey, navy and brown, the odd grey/brown item doesn't actually detract from the lovely bright wardrobes I end up with. Not a fan of dinosaurs but since my DC have liked trains/cars/motorbikes/diggers, I will happily buy clothing with those on as they reflect their interests.

Changechangychange · 23/07/2021 11:00

Jojo, H&M, John Lewis, Frugi. Lots of secondhand stuff on FB so no need to break the bank.

Changechangychange · 23/07/2021 11:01

Oh, and we have a couple if lovely bright T-shirts from Uniqlo as well.

BertieBotts · 23/07/2021 11:04

I find joggers are the most practical option for little kids anyway. I don't buy sporty looking ones and I find they go really well. My favourite at the moment are some green ones I got from H&M with little smiling groceries on them - brocolli, bread, eggs, milk cartons etc. So cute!

Winceybincey · 23/07/2021 11:24

I have 2 boys and I find supermarket clothes are very drab. Also the baby grows and pyjamas wear out really fast. I don’t buy from them anymore unless I see something nice which is rare. Next and H&M have beautiful clothes for boys. Slightly pricier but better quality/style and with 2 boys with a small gap, I just pass down. Also ebay can be great for pricer clothes second hand that have barely been worn if you don’t mind pre-loved!

Jailbreak42 · 23/07/2021 12:10

@blindgossips

I put my DS in chinos from H&M for spring and autumn and corduroys for winter
This might be where you are struggling TBH. This kind of stuff is generally considered a bit more 'high end' or for special occasions and does tend to be pricier.

My DS have only ever worn chinos for special occasions and haven't owned a pair of cords since they were babies and my mum bought them some. We are very outdoorsy family and joggers and shorts are by far the most comfortable and practical option.

Jailbreak42 · 23/07/2021 12:16

nutmeg.morrisons.com/eshop/product/Nutmeg-Tops-5-Pack-Bright-Pastel-Tshirts.html/1/pid/441620/frmCatID/74610/

nutmeg.morrisons.com/eshop/product/Nutmeg-Tops-3-Pack-Colourful-Stripe-Tshirts.html/1/pid/441839/frmCatID/74610/

These are Morrisons. They also have loads of dinosaur stuff. Unfortunately my kids love dinosaurs, so I quite like it all Grin

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