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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
itcoldoutside · 07/12/2019 03:42

Hi might cost more to but but your buying less ? Branded things wash better and last compared to primark etc ?

araiwa · 07/12/2019 04:37

Lol at nike and adidas being designer brands

anxioussue · 07/12/2019 04:40

If you can't afford it then he's going to have to accept it. He's old enough to do that. Many teens have too. He can get a Saturday job.

PenelopeFlintstone · 07/12/2019 04:43

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
The school counselling told me that this age is the hardest for teens as friendship groups are very fragile, but that by 16 and 17 the groups will be cementing. This means that 14 and 15 year olds will want to do everything they can to fit in and not be ditched.
I tell mine that it’s a waste of money, that really rich people don’t show big labels, etc. He says, “Mum, I know all that but right now I’m at High School and so right now these things matter”. He talks like he knows it’s stupid but is just playing the game so his life is good right now.

19lottie82 · 07/12/2019 04:46

He had £110 the other day and all he
managed to get was 2 tops, 2 trousers
And a pair of firetrap jeans

Obviously you could buy cheaper if you went to Asda or Primark, but I wouldn’t say the above is expensive?

I agree with PPs that day it could be worse.... a lot of teens are into labels a lot more expensive than Nike and Adidas! Look at Sports Direct, eBay and m and m direct for cheap bits.

19lottie82 · 07/12/2019 04:50

Brands are laughing all the way to the bank - tell him he's a sucker!

I’m sure that will really change his mind! 😂

CatShapedCushion · 07/12/2019 04:55

Sure he only wears sport brands&CK..whats the big deal?just have an honest convo that lets him know you'll give him what you can afford&he gets stuff at bdays&xmas or a p/t job.. myDC get cash from me for gear-if they choose the exxy stuff they get less..they dont care(&neither do i).

cece · 07/12/2019 05:14

My son is similar. When he was 15 he got a Saturday job and started to buy a lot of his own clothes Nd shoes. I'll give him what I'd have spent on an item and he tops up the difference so he can buy the label. 🤔

WorldEndingFire · 07/12/2019 05:30

Might be worth watching Behind the Swoosh with him; he may feel a bit differently about his beloved brands if he understands their connections with child labour and sweated labour.

ZooTxDeSiiRe · 07/12/2019 05:32

I'm 23 and still love branded things, but also would wear non-branded items, and still can't afford a new phone or new clothes, but hey ho, that's just life (sucks doesn't it) he'll grow out of it, but most "fellas" don't. Just offer him more for cheaper or less for more money.

ZooTxDeSiiRe · 07/12/2019 05:34

And let's be honest, non branded clothes tend to be worse quality than branded clothes, so shouldn't be a big deal

SomeVelvetMorning · 07/12/2019 05:36

Never experienced anything like this. The school had a strict uniform so brand names were never an issue at school.

For non- school clothes at around that age my son developed his thrift shop/ vintage shop hobby which has survived for over 15 years. It's a point of honour for him that other than underwear and the occasional pair of shoes all his clothes are second hand.

We could have easily afforded the sort of branded gear your son likes. My son's view was it's all basically cheap gear made in sweatshops sold to people who think wearing labels gives them an interesting personality whereas it's really extremely naff.

BackBoiler · 07/12/2019 05:38

I look on the clearance section on JD. My son is 11 and has been pretty much the same since he was 9. In fact all his life he has been a but picky with what he wears. I remember him having a huge meltdown over some pants with crocodiles on them at 3 Confused

PenelopeFlintstone · 07/12/2019 06:57

I’ve just realised this thread is a great opportunity to ‘innocently’ and ‘unintentionally’ demonstrate how middle, or upper-middle, class you and your brand-rejecting children are.
We already know how happy Old Etonians are to walk around in holey jumpers. Who do they have to impress, after all?!

Ilovechinese · 07/12/2019 07:04

Yes my son is also 14 and since becoming a teenager has turned very materialistic and only wants Nike and other name brand and will only wear Nike trainers and coats etc so you're not alone. I think it is down to peer pressure a lot as well as he Is always telling me what clothes and things his friends have.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 07/12/2019 07:14

It sounds like he will just have very few clothes. That's not a bad thing, fashion is terrible for the environment.

Leave him to it if he's funding it himself from pocket money and birthday money. In a few years he'll be able to get a part time job and fund himself.

wizzler · 07/12/2019 07:25

I get DS shoes from Schuh imperfects... lots cheaper then brand new, and you can see the imperfection in the photo of the actual pair you are buying.

Both my Dc are into these brands. If they need something new, I tell them I will pay what I consider a reasonable price and if the one they want is more than that, then they pay the difference.

Elodie2019 · 07/12/2019 07:28

He is very materialistic

Sounds like his self worth comes from material things/ money/ possessions.
Say no. If he wants expensive stuff, he needs to get a job.

Elodie2019 · 07/12/2019 07:30

A paper round maybe...
How many weeks delivering papers = 1 pair of trainers?

Tellmetruth4 · 07/12/2019 07:36

I remember how cruel kids were at school to those who wore ‘no name’ trainers. This was back in the 90s so can only imagine it’s far worse now.

FreshStart01 · 07/12/2019 07:51

I have 2 DDs 13 & 11. DD1 has always been very interested in fashion / what she wears, whereas DD2 really couldn't give a FF. I upped pocket money to £10 a week for DD1 and got her a debit card so she could do her own clothes shopping. She understands that she will not have many clothes if she buys labels, but that is up to her. It works much better than arguing, me saying 'no', and forcing something cheaper that she then refuses to wear. No stress for me now, and she is learning to save, budget, and the value of money.

choli · 07/12/2019 07:54

Might be worth watching Behind the Swoosh with him; he may feel a bit differently about his beloved brands if he understands their connections with child labour and sweated labour.
I doubt it. That is for kids who already have a different mindset.

FlamingoAndJohn · 07/12/2019 08:16

Fewer things worn lots. Isn’t that what the world is striving for?

Well yes but running the washing machine every other day for just some pants is not helping.

Catapillarsruletheworld · 07/12/2019 08:31

Dd2 11 likes to walk around like an advert for JD sports! Her almost 15 year old sister isn’t as bad, most of her wardrobe comes from primark or new look.

Luckily, she (and her sister) can still buy trainers etc from the kids section, which helps with the price. I also hit eBay for Adidas jumpers and jackets, as you can get lots on there in good condition for under £10. Leggings I buy in the sale, she has two pairs for Christmas and an Adidas t shirt I brought I also brought on sale.

Luckily she’s happy with primark for underwear and socks!

MrsBobDylan · 07/12/2019 08:52

I've just bought ds an Adidas outfit from TK Maxx for Xmas. ATM he has 3 tracksuit bottoms (Nike) a madly expensive sweatshirt which he bought with bday money and a few Hyoe t shirts also bought from TK Maxx.

I just wash them regularly. I would let your ds buy what he likes and get only what you can afford for bday and Xmas.