The no VAT on children's clothes - is this why can't I buy teenage clothes? so they charge more? Surely a 15 year old is a child!

[pyrocantha]

Have hardly bought anything of late so this hadn't really hit me before but I went to look and in almost all of these there are no "teen" sections - you have to pay full price for the "mens's"
How is a 14 y/o a man/woman?

Same with shoes - my 9yo has size 6/7 feet, & soon I will have no option but to buy adult shoes. He’s only in year 4!

I agree. My dd went into ladies size 8 at age 11. Hasn't been able to for into children's clothes since.

Yep my 15 year old has been in mens clothes for a good year or so.

Well if they are the same size as adults, that's the consequence.

I agree - it drives me mad. DS is 17 and we have had this problem since about 14 or so. Jeans are particularly tricky as he’s skinny so finding the right waist/ leg is quite hard. If there was a proper teen section with proportions to match it would be ok but we have to try to find sizes for a very slight, small man (ie a teenage boy) which are like hen’s teeth.

It’s a physical size thing. My 12 year old is taller than his grandparents. I’m really eeking out the kids clothes now!

My DD is yr 5, just turned 10 and in size 6 shoes, there are no kids shoes in size 6 for girls and the boys section is really limited too, so feel your pain!

It's probably an outdated rule that doesn't reflect that today's teens are adult sized at a younger age.

I don't know how it would get changed, but it's likely one of many things that the current government would never be interested in addressing spontaneously.

My dd decided that she didn’t like kids clothes although she still fitted into them so i started buying her small women’s sizes in primark instead

The shops don’t benefit from the vat, it goes to the tax man so I don’t think it’s why. I suspect they just don’t sell many “teen” branded clothes.

Because the VAT exemption is for children up to the average size at age 14. Which is why even school uniforms for bigger kids attract VAT.

It's annoying isn't it? I've been through this with 2 boys where they have a 26" child's waist, but men's height so really hard to buy pants. There are a few brands, best place to look I've found has been Next as they do their own teen range and brands in teen sizes.
Shoes though? No one here has been in child shoe sizes since they were about 9 which is extremely annoying.

I find the age sizing ridiculous over 12 anyway (majority of teenagers are adult sized particularly girls so who is eg 14-15 actually for! The height in that ‘age’ is above that of an average adult woman.) My 11yo wears an adult 6-8 or girls 13/14 or 14/15. She’s outgrown ladies footwear in all mainstream shops already - an 8 is both too small and far too wide.