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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Anyone elses teen only wear nike and adidas?

185 replies

Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:21

I hope im not alone

My 14 year old is now in mens clothes and a huge size 9 feet, he will refuse point blank to wear anything except nike and adidas (that includes socks) and his new obsession is only wearing CK boxers Confused
We havent got huge amounts of money and at just under £30 per pair of trousers i would never afford a full wardrobe of clothes.
He has 3 or 4 trousers and 5/5 tops as he chucked out all his clothes that werent brand named.
He had £110 the other day and all he managed to get was 2 tops, 2 trousers and 1 pair firetrap jeans.
He knows i cant afford these expensive clothes and £170 trainers, but he wont accept primark or cheaper sports brand.
And £20 for 2 pairs of boxers is ridiculous (he used his pocket money for them)
He gets his expensive trainers and football boots at christmas because i refuse to pay that amount of money when every month hes moaning his feet are growing and shoes getting small, he got new football boots a size bigger for his birthday last month and i could have exploded when he said last week they are getting tight and need new ones soon.

I feel cruel he dont have lots of clothes, but what can i do when he will refuse to wear anything without a brand, hes so materialistic its annoying.

OP posts:
Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:27

I didnt even realise i dont a vote thing, didnt mean to

OP posts:
Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:27

Done

OP posts:
GinDaddy · 06/12/2019 11:28

I haven't experienced this myself but my genuine advice would be to say "no" to him.

If he "won't accept" various things, then tough - it may be his world and self-perception, but it's your money and I think it would help if you could set those boundaries even more than you have.

£110 is a big budget in some ways - you can get a lot of clothes out of that. Perhaps if you're able to go shopping with him or guide him in some way, he can get 50% of it as practical stuff, then spend the rest on designer if that' s what is so important to him. You set the boundaries, or else he gets nothing next time etc.

What do you think? Is that practical?

Magnificentme · 06/12/2019 11:29

I'm sorry but I wouldn't put up with that he may only want to just wear brand things but he isn't the one paying for it u seriously need to just say no and if he doesn't like it then tuff

Hellofromtheotherside2020 · 06/12/2019 11:29

It was like this when I was at school. Brand names give off a certain image and I can only imagine it's even worse these days with social media influencers etc. My parents didn't believe in brands so all I had that was branded was an umbro t shirt that I wore to death! I then started stitching ticks on my jogging bottoms to make them look like Nike. Yikes, I bet I was a picture 😂 then I started a paper round and spent Sunday's at the car boot sale looking for anything "designer"! I grew out of it.

My 14 year old son (and my 14 year old daughter, but not to the same extent as her brother) are brand whores too. He will only wear skating and scootering brands so like apex, thrasher and vans etc. I told him less is more so now at least he will wear target or Kmart shorts with a branded t shirt.

Tk Maxx are good for brands on a budget. Even eBay. It's a hard one tho hey!

IHateBlueLights · 06/12/2019 11:30

Learn to say no. He's a child FFS.

snowybaubles · 06/12/2019 11:31

There are 2 issues at play here. The smaller one being what he wears. The other is his demanding entitlement.

If he refuses to wear other clothes, fine. It's really simple. Don't play along.

BlooperReel · 06/12/2019 11:33

a mixture of saying no, and shopping in sales, at places like sports direct and tk maxx is the way forward I think.

Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:34

I do tell him no, which is why he hasnt got alot after chucking all his old stuff (has gone to his younger brother)
I have no idea why socks and boxers even matter Hmm
My younger lad is almost 13 and likes his brand names like most kids, but will accept cheaper stuff so his wardrobe is quite fuller

OP posts:
MutedUser · 06/12/2019 11:35

If he is using his pocket money to buy these things there is far worse he could spend his money on .

IVEgotthetinselBITCHES · 06/12/2019 11:35

Tbh i think having 4 pairs of joggers and a handful of tops is fine if he wears a school uniform 5 days a week anyway

Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:36

He is very entitled, and very jealous of his other friends who get a much bigger budget on clothes etc
He gets £10 a week pocket money and an okay amount birthday/christmas, i just wish he would realise hes extremely lucky what he gets and to stop comparing what he don't get

OP posts:
Tattooedmama · 06/12/2019 11:37

It was great he used his pocket money on the boxers, but he just don't get much for the money

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LolaDabestest · 06/12/2019 11:38

It's normal for that age be glad it's not more expensive brands! I go in the sale jd/foot asylum litrally get most things around half price or if it's something a bit dearer eBay.

marchez · 06/12/2019 11:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 06/12/2019 11:39

Bollocks to “won’t accept” cheaper clothes. Will he be walking around naked if you don’t buy the expensive stuff? Didn’t think so.

porridging · 06/12/2019 11:40

Check outlet stores- adidas and Nike T-shirt’s can be picked up for 7-10 pounds, Nike had hoodies and bottoms for 22ish each at the weekend in their clearance online. Sports direct have deals in store. Car boots, gumtree etc, quite easy to source. It’s difficult being a teen when all your friends are in brands. I completely get why he wouldn’t want primark but difficult for you too.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 06/12/2019 11:40

If he genuinely "won't accept" anything but those brands and you don't have the money to buy those brands, he's going to have to learn to go without.

Could you sit down and say to him what your budget is each month (including all bills - let him see how much 'other' stuff you spend your money on each month just to keep a roof over his head and food in the cupboard). Explain what's left has to cover x, y and z and tell him if he wants designer branded stuff he's going to have to earn the money to pay for it because you simply don't have it. It's not cruel to teach him to live within his means; he chose to throw out the studs he didn't want, so he now has to live with fewer clothes. He's not going to suffer because of it, however awful you might feel.

I feel your pain with the shoes; DS1 is just 14 and has size 14 feet. He's just announced that his school shoes are getting tight and my head almost fell off because at some point he just has to stop growing!

IVEgotthetinselBITCHES · 06/12/2019 11:40

The outlet section on nike and adidas websites can be really good

MutedUser · 06/12/2019 11:40

It’s his money though it will be a lesson he has to learn when he can’t use the money for something more fun. We are not at this stage yet but my mum used to give us a budget for clothes. I would get loads of stuff from primark while my brothers would get a few items that cost more. They had less but what they wanted. Plus Nike and Adidas seem to last well where as mine didn’t .

Wejustdontknow · 06/12/2019 11:41

My ds is almost 14 and has gone from a size 6 to a 9 in shoes in the past year, he also likes ck boxers, Nike socks and adidas tracksuits. He understands money is not never ending so gets the socks/boxers for Xmas and any needed I between are from next/supermarket. I only buy 1 pair of trainers at a time and he has to make do as they are to expensive to be buying multiple pairs each time his feet grow, I always buy his trainers in the sales. Clothes wise I buy what I can within budget and he has to ask for more designer style stuff for birthday/Xmas
At that age they are old enough to understand a budget but also old enough to understand fashion so it’s all about balance

Skyejuly · 06/12/2019 11:42

I tell mine no. They go without if they dont like it. A 14yr old does not need branded underwear.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 06/12/2019 11:42

It's normal for that age be glad it's not more expensive brands!

I agree it's normal for that age to take more of an interest in what they wear. It's not ok for them to refuse to wear anything other than designer labelled stuff if they know their parents don't have the money for it. That's the part he needs to learn.

Lonecatwithkitten · 06/12/2019 11:43

Set a budget or give him an allowance and once it's gone it's gone. I give an allowance to cover toiletries, gifts, non-uniform clothes and going into town drinks etc. There is no further top ups and once it has gone that's it. Right at the start there were a few times where my DD couldn't go out with her friends because she had spent all her money. Now she is much more careful she shops in pound shops for toiletries and carefully chooses her clothes basics from new look and primary with the odd TK Max top up.

SheOfManyNames · 06/12/2019 11:43

With his own money he can buy what he likes.
He would be welcome to go without shoes, save up his own money or wear the tight ones f he doesn't like the ones I buy.

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