AIBU about Toddlers shoes and clothes?

[mrsHawk1ns]

AIBU to be annoyed that the only clothes I can seem to find at the moment for my 15m DS are all jeans and hoodies, or clothes covered in character crap shudder?? I'm probably being old fashioned, but I really can't stand jeans and hoodies on DC, he can wear them when he's older if he wants and is choosing his own clothes but right now I like him in chinos and cardigans/round necked jumpers or clothes that aren't covered in ridiculous hideous cartoon characters :-/

And SHOES! (now I know I am being really old fashioned here) but I really want some T-Bar buckle shoes for him, but all I can find are pink or purple glittery girls ones, they seem to be marketed towards just girls now whereas when I was younger boys and girls wore them, Prince George was in a red pair at the start of the summer and they sold out, but I just can't find any suitable ones! He has one foot that is a whole size and width bigger than the other (strange kid) so the smaller foot rubs up and down in the velcroed shoe all the time and the tongue comes out!

Sigh, go on, tell me I'm BU and old fashioned :-(

Boden. Expensive but buy with a code and the quality is very high.

I find it annoying as well! It's easier with DD who wears leggings most of the time, which are easier to move around in. You could also try get boys' tights (either specialist ones from Slugs and Snails or just some non-pink ones from any shop).

I love Frugi clothes (at least for under-twos, as their older boys' clothes can be a bit piratey for my liking), although they are very expensive. However, there are sometimes sales and discount codes online and they often come up on Ebay. Little Green Radicals as well although their sizing can sometimes be a bit weird. Tootsa MacGinty have unisex clothes although again cost £££. Sainsburys sometimes have nice things as well.

Google Happy Little Soles online for shoes.

Primark, if you can stand it. I hate shopping so get 3 of everything to kit out my 7yr Ds, my 5yr old dd and my 2yr old Ds. Done.

I get my Ds' feet measured in shop then find shoes online.

You don't need good quality as the kids grow faster than the clothes disintegrate.

Find a shoe shop that you trust with fitting and go for Start rite or Clarks for shoes. Shop on Ebay for the rest- loads more choice, cheap and saves on trekking round town.

These are the ones PG wore and are cheaper than Start Rite still crazy for little shoes though

I have spent a small fortune online on clothes and Happy Little Soles this afternoon...ooops :-D

These guys do great boys clothes if you are looking for something different. Especially now your toddler is older and are in clothes for longer. They have a sale at the moment as I think their new range is out soon
jessieandjames.co.uk/en/home

If you like cardigans & jumpers can you knit your own or get somebody else to knit some for you? I love hand-knitted clothes, my absolute favourite cardigan which has done a nephew, his cousin & 2 of my 3 DSes so far (with plenty of life left for DS3) is a gorgeous olive green knitted cardi

Ebay is your friend here. DS has lovely clothes from Monsoon etc but all really cheap from ebay

For shoes try www.livieandluca.co.uk

Some autumn stock has arrived but not a great deal for boys at the moment, but another delivery is due in September.

When my son was this age I only shopped in mothercare. Everywhere else was too grown up looking. I then moved on to sainsburys aswell. I've only started shopping in next recently and he's 7 now! I like children to look like children and not mini adults.

Snowwhite, I hear you! That is exactly how I feel, I already think he's growing up too quickly so I don't want to dress him like a grown up too! My Mothercare is awful, when I asked for something in his size the assistant told me "oh we only really keep them out the back and not on the shelf because nobody wants baby clothes in that size for a toddler"... What the hell that doesn't even make sense lol! So glad you've all been really nice and helpful :-D

What a great thread! DS is 2.5 and his age just doesn't seem to be catered for in the supermarkets so we've gone online. I don't iron so wouldn't go down the chino and shirt route anyway but pick up great cord trousers on eBay.

We got him some lovely red canvas T bar shoes from JoJo and they were in different colours too. You can also get faked preppy tops I.e. Shirt collar attached to a jumper which is lovely without the hassle!

Having said that - we let DS choose some of his clothes and he has a real obsession with loud board shorts and Hello Kitty

Make the most of then being young, now he's 7 all he wants to wear is an arsenal kit and football boots. I took him to get a hair cut today and he asked for a Ronaldo!

Completely with you OP!

Morrisons is good for chinos. DS1 is a slow grower and has been wearing a set for a year and going well.

I love dungarees but Ds2 is big and long bodied, so at 16m he needs 18-24m or 2-3. He was beyond the 12-18m at about 10m and has quite a baby look still. I just want my baby to look like a baby!

I think you'd like Mamas and Papas clothes too OP.

I was just about to mention M&P too Bike. Their chinos are great and have a very adjustable waist.

OP I have just started a thread the same as this as I hadn't seen yours! This drives me mad! I also wanted little t bar shoes for my DS, but couldn't find any. I also love hand knitted cardis and baby clothes- but now he is 19mo, I struggle to find anything other than stiff jeams amd hoodies I hate it!

I would definitely second those who have said Ebay, and the NCT nearly new sales are a fab source of all sorts of brands of clothing. I like my DC to look their ages (5 and 2!) not like mini teens.

When DS was this age I bought lots of Me Too stuff.You have to shop around for it, but the designs are very lovely and colourful and toddlerish

I think the problem is the age ranges seem to of chnge in the last few years and a lot of shops do baby, then 1-7 range. I dont think 1-2 year olds want to be wearing the same clothes as a 7 year old

Smafolk is good. Scandinavian clothes in general are. There's a lot of UK sites that sell them. Alba baby, maxomorra Etc. Very child like, colourful and fun. Polarn o pyret sell excellent winter hats and long sleeved shirts. I loved their sleepsuits when DC were small too because they last FOREVER.

H&M is ok but the past couple of years I've been left feeling a bit 'meh' about it. When DS was a baby I got the majority of his clothes in there but the stock has turned a bit angry birds-esque of late and I don't understand this craze. Their jeans and trousers however are still next to none. I always get his jeans with braces and chinos from there or Next.

Mothercare is ok. The pyjamas are pretty good quality and have some cute prints. Just bought DS the paddington bear ones which are utterly adorable. The Little Bird range is about best and they have navy t bar buckle shoes which I bought DS for summer. But the Autumn/winter range hasn't blown me away this year sadly, all a little too in your face and gaudy IMO.

TK Maxx is brilliant if you can find stuff in their size. I just got most of DS pyjamas from there, all cute prints with RRP of £30 and I got them for £10!

Shoes wise I like French ones. Babybotte, pom d'api, aster and Bellamy all sell the traditional tbar shoes and lace up boots. Pretty pricey but often come up on eBay for fairly cheap.

Boden isn't great for boys IMO. They sometimes have nice prints on shirts but that's about it. Definitely Vertbaudet for coats, their duffle coats are divine. Zara sell lovely shirts for boys. Gap sell nice striped shirts and pyjamas. White company sell lovely traditional checked pjs. Cath Kidston also sells cute pyjamas and Hatley. Jojo maman sell some nice stuff too and Toby Tiger.

I don't bother with Primark or supermarket clothes anymore. They always rip after two seconds and wash terribly so have to be replaced anyway. My DC last in their clothes for a year so it's worth spending that bit extra IMO.

IAMACLANGER is right - I got some polarnopyret kit for DS2 in a sale and, and despite him crawling around in it for 6 months it still looks as vibrant and new as the day I bought it (the velvet stuff at least - the jersey printed jimjams have faded a touch - although that could be my old tumble dryers fault).

DS1 (4) and DS2 (