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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:
Elieza · 06/12/2019 15:25

DC’s choice. Either few clothes of good brands or many more of cheap brands. He’s washing them. Job done. No dilemma here. If he wants more he needs to save. End of. Eventually he may realise that mixing cheap and dear gives the impression they are all dear clothes!

treeys100 · 06/12/2019 15:48

Use depop you can get branded clothes for much cheaper

PsychosonicCindy · 06/12/2019 15:53

I just get ds adidas/nike clothes from eBay and he's well up for that gets more that way especially if you buy 'bundles'

RollOnNextYear · 06/12/2019 15:53

My sons the same. Only brands. And in men's. He gets 140 every other month for clothes not Inc underwear or pjs shoes etc that's general clothing . It don't go far.
Last week he got 1 tracksuit and 1 t shirt and it went over to 160.

He also likes North face and I can't remember the other.

He wants some trainers at 170. I said I'll. Pay the norm 70/80 he can use his Xmas or birthday money towards it.

He wont even entertain sports direct even tho cheaper. As he said you can't move, always ques and they don't refund. But also its last seasons aparantly?

Obviously I pick bits up but he's so fussy.

Lara53 · 06/12/2019 16:00

Buy second hand - Facebook, eBay, gumtree, depop

queenMab99 · 06/12/2019 16:03

My son was always unconcerned about clothing, would buy from charity shops etc. I was pleased he was so unmaterialistic!
He is now 43 and could often be mistaken for a homeless person.
You can't win reallyGrin

Oly4 · 06/12/2019 16:04

I think if he’s happy with fewer but branded clothes then so be it. Make him wash his own underwear if he only has two pairs!
If he’s in uniform during the week he probably needs far fewer of everything else.
Let him spend his pocket money on these things if that’s what he wants

msmith501 · 06/12/2019 16:04

Please don't enable him to think he has power when clearly at that age he should not have any. Brand name trainers are expensive and usually not that well made compared to unbranded decent ones. His mates may be applying peer pressure but the same mages will be trying the same ruse on with their parents. If he doesn't wear what you buy him then he doesn't have a choice does he? It's sensible shoes or bare foot...

KellyHall · 06/12/2019 16:06

Tell him he can have what he wants, if he pays for it. My shoe obsession started in my teenage years so I'd do multiple paper rounds, work in a shop and wash all my neighbours' cars for the money to buy the stuff I wanted.
It's never too young to learn the value of money.

ShadowOnTheSun · 06/12/2019 16:08

I really don't mean to be rude, but I fail to understand how is this a problem. Just say NO. What's he going to do? Throw a tantrum? Big deal. I'd just laugh.

I grew up with very well off parents, but they didn't see sense in buying branded/'trendy' stuff 'just because'. They went for quality stuff which would wear and last well and is also not cheap, but those things are not necessarily 'trendy' and not always the 'right' brand. I huffed and puffed a bit, but so what, no attention was paid to that.

Once I was given 400 to go and buy some clothes. Like an idiot, I spent all 400 on one pair of shoes. My dad didn't say anything about it and wasn't angry, he just said that all is very well, I can now enjoy that one pair of shoes and wear all my old stuff until the next clothes shopping (which didn't happen that often). I whinged and whined (no fucks were given) and then learned my lesson.

LolaDabestest · 06/12/2019 16:09

It's also easy to say...tell him tough but no one wants their teenager walking around in Asda joggers etc as sadly other kids are cruel.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 06/12/2019 16:11

He needs to learn the value of money. A paper round etc. He will quickly realise it takes weeks of work to buy not a lot. Also go through your own finances with him, sounds like he is need of a reality check.

treeys100 · 06/12/2019 16:11

Thats far from true that branded clothes are poorly made

Clymene · 06/12/2019 16:26

Kids should spend their own money on clothes if they want overpriced stuff.

And laughing at other kids for wearing clothes from Primark is bullying. I have no idea why so many parents just shrug their shoulders @LolaDabestest

RollOnNextYear · 06/12/2019 16:53

Agree with the bullying tho.
My son goes to a local secondary and there are a mixture of children from very different backgrounds. And my son has a friend who wears lots of pre owned, hand me downs and supermarket clothes he said its horrible as people bully his friend calling him a tramp. Despite its all clean and looked after
My ds often gets in trouble for defending him. And also passes some of his stuff to him.
It's a sad world but unfortunately nothing gets done about it.

LucaFritz · 06/12/2019 16:56

Say no why would you want him dressed like a tramp in Nike and Adidas anyway he'll look like a walking advertisement or a gang member Hmm your the parent you choose what clothes he wears unless he pays for them himself what's he going to do throw a tantrum 😂

Clymene · 06/12/2019 17:05

And where are the parents telling their kids not to be such nasty brats? They're down at the shops, buying more throwaway fashion so that their kid learns that manipulation is good and consumerism is great.

I thought this generation cared about the planet. I absolutely despair sometimes.

dontalltalkatonce · 06/12/2019 17:19

It's also easy to say...tell him tough but no one wants their teenager walking around in Asda joggers etc as sadly other kids are cruel.

Then you team it with a designer top or shoes. Where are they living that they can afford head to toe designer? Not around here, that's for sure!

snowybaubles · 06/12/2019 17:27

It's also easy to say...tell him tough but no one wants their teenager walking around in Asda joggers etc as sadly other kids are cruel.

There is a shit load of choice between high end designer clothes and joggers though Hmm

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 06/12/2019 17:41

Never been a problem for myself or my DC

None are into designer gear and can't say we have suffered in anyway .

TriangularRatbag · 06/12/2019 18:00

How often does anyone else see a fourteen-year-old boy's underwear? I can understand maybe on the day he does sports at school, but otherwise he can wear M&S!

QueenBlueberries · 06/12/2019 18:09

hmmm DS 14 insists on adidas or nike trainers, but happy to get discounted ones at 'famous sports shop' or anywhere else. We generally compromise - he wanted a North Face coat, got one on ebay second hand for £15. He doesn't care about underwear yet and is happy to wear primark trousers, but will save his pocket money to buy nicer tops - they do last a long time and he wears them out or grows out of them and we give them to a charity shop. He is a reasonable boy so it's not an issue. So my advice is to just try to find a compromise somewhere.

floatyjosmum · 06/12/2019 18:11

my ds 18 is like this and has been for some time,I have refused to pay extra so he has had to get used to the fact that there are less things in his wardrobe.
I thought he would outgrow it once he had to buy it himself but he hasnt... very good at shopping in the sales though

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 06/12/2019 18:42

How often does anyone else see a fourteen-year-old boy's underwear? I can understand maybe on the day he does sports at school, but otherwise he can wear M&S!

Isn't that the idea of the CK waistband, so that you have the top bit with the fancy name on it sticking out of the top of your trousers to enable the self-appointed Pants Police to inspect at a glance and nod their approval?

I don't know if it's still the 'thing', but it doesn't seem all that long ago since youths were walking around with the waistband of their trousers actually lower than their pants. Comically, they still usually had their belt done up, without realising that a belt doesn't do anything below the widest point. I presume they thought it looked cool. It didn't: just made them look like a (very large) toddler who's had a bit of a toileting accident and needs some adult help adjusting their clothing after it's all been cleaned up with Aldi Mamia wipes and a bit of Sudocrem.

Slazengerbag · 06/12/2019 19:01

I have a 15 year old exactly the same. We compromise on primark jeans. My tips for you are M&M direct, and top cash back. Jd sports regularly give 10%cashback.

Mine earns now so he spends his money on clothes. He wants trainers that are £150. I give him £80 which is the limit which I would spend and he has to give the rest. He mainly gets clothes off me for Christmas and birthdays.