Do all teenage boys dress the same in your area

[pastypirate]

Firstly this is not a personal dig at any child. I only have dds. Also there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the clothes I describe as in they are neither offensive nor inappropriate.

I live in the south west in a city. All the teenage boys I see out and about dress the same. They wear matching tracksuits mainly in only black, navy, dark grey or v occasionally sort of beige. They wear black puffa coats usually north face. They wear air force ones mostly or v similar looking trainers.

I haven't seen a teenage boy deviate from this in a few years now. No jeans, no colours unless it's a football strip, no dms or even converse.

They all have v similar haircuts too shirt on the sides and longer on the top with a kind of side floppy fringe.

There are some themes with the girls - baggy 90's clothes but it's nothing like as uniform as the boys.

I know fitting in with trends is a teen thing - I was one but can't help feeling the 2020's is more conformist than ever.

A friends ds who is about 17 told us he occasionally wears a t shirt to school with anime stuff he likes on it. He is told by his peers this is really 'out there' for style. He feels weird about it.

My nephews came down from the midlands at half term. They are also dressed like this. They are year 6,8 and 12.

Is this a down here thing or is rest of uk like this?

Yep, DS is one of them, like he's just stepped out of JD Sports.

Only ever on mn do I hear of teen boys wearing chinos...my ds wouldn't wear them if you paid him and I've never seen kids round here wearing them

It's true! I don't actually mind it though.

I have joggers I wear on weekends and when I get home from work. I've noticed a lot of school mums wearing them on the school run too! Usually with a neutral coloured puffa coat, gold hoop earrings and new balance trainers.

Teenagers aren't the only ones with a uniform 😁

I don't think the janner beys have heard of urban outfitters!

Just to reaffirm I don't think the trackies are terrible or offensive and I haven't made assumptions about their background or behaviour. I'm just baffled that boys limit themselves to essential about 10 items of clothing!

I think a lot of boys actually don't really care about clothes and fashion....they just want to be the same as their friends and blend in.

My DS is also in the tribe. In a way I think it's a relief for them to not have to think about this too much and have an automatic tick in the fitting in box. I probably would have jumped at the opportunity when I was a teen in the 90s.

I live in a very middle class town and can honestly say that all the boys are dressed the same and the girls all look very scruffy.The only ones that stand out are the puffy lip girls . They look immaculate but not natural.

It's the current 'fashion', but no, of course all teenage boys don't dress like that.

We’re in the Midlands but down in London this weekend. DD (14) was so thrilled to see boys wearing something that wasn’t the JD uniform! Plenty that are, but also a glimmer of fashion/choice/style that she doesn’t see at home. She’s been eyeing them up everywhere we go!

Yes i have 2 roadmen too..,,,

I was thinking about that today actually having been to a shopping centre and seen hordes of teens. Every single boy was in a dark tracksuit. When I was growing up in the 90's it was a minority who wore tracksuits out and about, the rest of us called them chavs and it was generally wise to steer clear of them. Nowadays it's very rare to see a teen or tween boy not in a tracksuit, including the "naice" middle class ones. I've given up trying to get my 11yo into jeans or anythibg else.

We're in the East Midlands and all the same style round here. Boys are in black trackie bottoms, black t-shirt, black north face type coat, black Nikes, black baseball cap with coat hood over it. Girls are in black leggings, black Nikes, crop top (white, black or grey), black puffa jacket. Or oversized tracksuits.

I think that's a bit harsh. My DS is also 14, has the 'uniform' and haircut. I'd never tell him he's ridiculous for wanting to dress like that. I remember being a teenager and wanting to fit it. I tell him he looks good, handsome etc they need their confidence boosting at this age-not to be told they look boring and awful! I wonder how unique your own dress sense is?

tell him it’s ridiculous he wears the same stuff as everyone else

It's not ridiculous...it's really normal. And even people who think they're being really unique in their fashion choices are still making them based on the era/culture they live in.

Yes same in the north. North face puffer jackets, black trackie bottoms and trainers. Haircut as mentioned - they all seem to have curly or at the very least wavy hair for the fluffy top bit.

Looks comfy, warm and easy to segue into playing some impromptu sport so fine by me

As I said my son is 15 (year 11) and doesn’t dress as you describe but I’ve just asked him about it and he says it’s more common in the younger years.

That's what being a teenager is about, no? Finding your tribe and fitting in. Or faking it in the hopes you fit in (and then at either end of the curve, you had those who refused to get involved in 'fitting in' with any tribe, and the trend setters who embrace the next trend first)

What 'fitting in' means changes from generation to generation, even year to year, but it usually involves fashion or hairstyles that your parents don't understand. And now with social media and the sheer availability of clothes wherever you are, you can 'fit in' to a much bigger tribe.

We're in rural Ireland, and when I took my teen boy to a premiership match in London recently I could practically feel his relief that he fit in.

DS is Yr7 and I seemed to buy all of his Christmas presents in JD Sports this year. He was thrilled. He would never have asked for clothes like this as he would have expected me to say no. However, having been the child in homemade clothes for years, I think that there can be benefits to being a sheep. I've noticed with him that his confidence in doing things with new people has grown as he knows he'll look "right".
Also, I don't think anyone should criticise teens for actually wearing coats!

Yes and DS was a follower of fashion until the pandemic. Then he started to develop a more agri boy style and is now very much his own man (19). He hates the hoody/track suit style and wears jeans, 1/4zip tops with air Nikes. A bit preppy to be fair but he likes colour and, unfortunately, expensive designer although will not wear labels with huge logos. I have found eBay and Vinted a good source since he quite likes the worn in look.
He wore a suit for sixth form so is happy to wear a shirt with jeans and has a good selection of ties. They are going through a bit of a Saltburn stage and he disappeared off this weekend to a fancy Air bnb with friends with his black tie and dinner suit.
I love that he is not afraid to break the mould. But of course it is yet another tribal identifier in the same way that the black track suit is, just a more attractive one.

My younger son (13) is a wannabe roadman, never out of black joggers and puffa jacket. My older one (17) wears chinos and hoodies in various colours, but is more confident and less bothered about fitting in. He’s a self confessed nerdy kid and all his friends dress like him so it’s really just a different ‘look’. Secondary school is really tribal - safety in numbers.

Thanks@pastypirate for thinking my DS sounds amazing, he is very creative but I can't exactly say I objectively like his outfits ATM, he's into clashing colours and patterns and over-accesorises, he's like a walking vintage shop! However I do admire his spirit, walking around Glasgow like that!

Surely as teens you let them buy their own clothes! Mine would hate me if I still bought them clothes. Just thinking back 35 years ago to my mum doing this to me makes my embarrassment levels go through the roof.
Honestly, stop it!

Most, minus the hair. Except my ds and his friends who are all music students and tend to dress creatively and originally. Ds is heavily influenced by eighties fashion and has super long, curly hair.

DS is 14, he had a pair of jeans when he was a toddler but I've not managed to get him into any since then! He hates the idea of them.
The only trousers he owns are school trousers and joggers (he's not yet bothered about labels so a mix of h and m, and whatever fits from sports direct - possibly slazenger or nike) I bought a pair of navy chino type trousers for him to wear to a wedding and a funeral a couple of years ago, but he grew out of them in a couple of months and I haven't replaced.

But he meets with friends to walk to school and there are a few styles of coat . One has a very smart formal coat, one has a Parka jacket and a few including DS have sporty type coats (no North face though)

Mine likes me to buy his as I find him t-shirts and hoodies in his favourite colours on vinted. His favourite purple hoodie was from there.