How many clothes do you buy for your kids, and how much do you spend?

[LipsyGirl]

OH is going on about I’m spending too much and buying too many clothes for DS.

I have

X6 vests
X5 sleepsuits
X3 sleeping bags
X2 pajmamas
X2 jeans
X3 jumpers
X4 tracksuits
X9 t shirts
X1 coat
X2 trainers

I really don’t think that’s too much at all

How much do you buy?

I can't really say what I spend. Mostly second hand bundles in fantastic condition. I sell or pass on items when outgrown, or recycle in textile bins. My DD is older and she likes blue and green so some if her hoodies etc get passed on to DS.

We could easily afford to buy new but I resent the price of new clothes when they might get trashed. Sun cream, mud, spaghetti sauce etc. Some things can be saved but if I have to chuck away (recycle) a top that cost me £1 I'm not too bothered.

I picked up a huge bag of Next clothes for DS yesterday in the next size up. Over 30 items, mostly unworn, some new with tags, beautifully pressed. £20! From FB marketplace. Bargain.

I buy a lot of Frugi because I think they're gorgeous, wear well and last. I buy almost exclusively second hand or in sales/offers. I dont know the exact number but would say I spent at least £750-1000 on clothes for my daughter last year.

I justify this because

• the clothes will be used twice here, by DDs 1 and 2
• they hold their value and can be sold secondhand for almost as much as I paid

Maybe my daughter is tidy but, apart from the early poo stains, I have never had to throw an item of clothing away because it was stained etc.

I didnt include in that estimate, the cost of nappies. We use reusable so probably come into the clothes category.

@UnderTheBus how do you not get clothes stained?? What about when you go out and play in puddles/mud/climb trees or they eat anything??

I have twins and would say I spend maybe 300 every six months (whatever they need for the change of seasons, basically) for the both of them, so it works out to around 150 each for summer clothes and again for winter. Usually some of their things can be used another season, so it’s just replacing what’s been grown out of. I buy some new and some secondhand. Our third wears the hand me downs... so all in it works out to maybe 600/year for 3 children? It’s getting more expensive as they get older. 😳

Mine are in reception and year one

They have (each)
two sets of pjs

7 pairs boxers/socks
3 pairs of jeans
2 tracksuits
One good wolly jumper
Plenty of t shirts
One smart outfit (usually got for Christmas shirt and jumper and smart trousers and the shirt does them in the summer with Jean shorts)
One pair of good shoes and one pair of trainers

I know this amount is perfect and lasts them the year near enough. I don't know what I spend mostly asda and some things from next / Matalan

Gosh my children are always staining their clothes. They’re grubby things though, always digging and stuff.

My daughters rarely stained things. And they ate and went out in puddles sometimes. Even grass stains can be removed. They put a few holes in the knees of jeans and winter tights.

But I don't get the stained item things, surely people soak items and use stain remover.

I always bought next sizes up in the sale and what I didnt use, I sold on ebay. I had a 10.5 year gap but had kept the nicest items from my older one and they did get used.
I always loved to see the pictures of them wearing the same clothes. Under 2, I reused the most and it dwindles as she got older but still have a few pieces left for her to wear at nearly 11.

Also the people saying certain brands wear better, that is not true. It's about washing them and if they are tumble dried or not. I washed and bought from all brands for 21 years now and even certain Primark pieces can keep well depending on how you wash and dry items.

Now my daughter mostly chooses her own clothes but I have a rule that it has to be discounted. There are so many sales all the time in the UK, that I would never just go and buy an item full price. Shop around and you can always find what you are looking for reduced. I try to buy natural fibres but you can find quality at all price points relatively easy.

People always remark how nicely my girls are dressed.

If you take pride in appearance all the joggers, tracksuits and trainers don't make any sense? The spend is quite high as well.
We did sleep suits or pj's not both, at 1 we probably had more of those as both of mine were refluxey, prone to nappy leaks of both varieties. More so with ds.

I only ever got 1 pair of shoes with mine until school age or if we had an event.
All if ours was cheap, gifted or second hand/handed down.

Also I think that because I was bought up to have house clothes and going outside clothes, both casual and smart. This makes clothes last longer.

"If you take pride in appearance all the joggers, tracksuits and trainers don't make any sense?"

Children should be all clarty shouldn't they? It indicates fun.

Easily a couple of grand a year here each.

I pack 2 changes of top everyday for nursery, he has at least 10pairs of pjs. A few smart jumpers, shirts, T-shirt’s, hoodies, joggers, jeans, shorts. 2warm coats for nursery so one can be washed. A smart coat. Trainers, boots, sandals, crocs, wellies. Loads.

Don’t even get me started on 9yo dd

10 pairs of pjs is a lot.. my friend has tonnes for her children and can't a bit the drawers. I like to keep things simple and one fresh pair one in the wash is loads I think. Even on holiday we can access a washing machine.

Oh, forgot about the shoes. DD likes Doc Martins and trainers. God knows how much on those. Was raging with her Tommy Hilfiger trainers recently, £80 I paid for the ones she wanted, got them home and discovered they aren’t even leather. Bloody man made! Sorry for the derailment but that annoyed me!

Easily a couple of grand a year here each.

How? Do they have lots of cheap clothes that only get worn once or just designer clothes?

Not as much as used to. Prob just couple of hundred this year. I deliberately bought a size bigger for coats, sweatshirts and t shirts last year and won't have to replace until autumn when he starts school anyway. At the moment he has about
6 jeans
6 jogging bottoms
2 smart trousers
7 shorts
7 sweatshirts
3 sweaters
4 shirts
God knows how many t shirts.
I line dry everything and iron so things are in beautiful condition so can be passed on. I also did a shop at tescos recently and he has casual clothes to see him through next year.
We tend to buy asda and tescos with a bit of primark but he is usually gifted m and s or next from family. We do get complimented on how distinctive he looks as he knows what he likes

I don't spend much at all. Mine are 5 and 3. I'll buy new shoes, trainers and underwear and anything specific they need but the rest are Birthday/ Christmas gifts, hand me downs or from the charity shop. I look through the charity shops and buy nice things in bigger sizes when I see them so can get good quality stuff. The charity shops are brilliant for party clothes as they're hardly worn (and means my daughter can wear the poshest of monsoon dresses to jump in puddles because it only cost me £3)

@Abbccc we don't buy designer but probably spend £2000 a year. DS's feet grow quickly and we only buy bobux, startrite etc £30-£45 a pair easily, one or two pairs of sandals and trainers for summer, trainers, boots and wellies for winter that's easily £200 a year. Good winter coat £40+ , summer jacket £25 puddle suit another £20, if you're including grobags 2 for winter, 2 for summer £25-£35 each we tried M&S or supermarket ones (gifts) but they go lumpy and don't wash well, there's another £100. Most of DSs clothes are next, La Resource, H&M and I get a lot of sale things from Frugi, Boden, JoJo etc.

4 seasons a toddler who is in a different size every 3-4 months up to this point, spend a few hundred every season which if you break it down per item isn't a lot per item (just bought DS 8 pairs of shorts, 15 t shirts, few long sleeve tops, couple of cardigans/hoodies, dungarees, 2 swimming outfits, new swimming nappies, couple of packs of sleeveless vests 3 pairs of short pyjamas, grippy socks for around the house, water shoes for the beach (we live on the coast), 4 pairs of leggings and a pair of jeans plus summer footwear) £4-500 3 times a year.
I really don't like things with slogans and TV characters on them, or trucks etc because he's a boy so you do ended up paying a bit more to avoid that.

I just don't think the amount in itself is relevant, it's whether you have the disposable income to afford it, that devices if it's reasonable or not. We have no debt other than a mortgage and save well, including decent pensions.

Oh I spend as little as possible. They don't care and they grow out of stuff so fast.

DS is 15 months and 90% of his current wardrobe is a job lot of clothes I got from a local mum for £10! There's some really lovely bits in there too. The other 10% is gifts (some from when he was born that he's only just grown into).

I spend very little on kids clothes. I have 3 primary age DC (boys and girls). I also homeschool them (not just during the pandemic) so they live in these clothes.

Just as an example,
DS age 8 currently has:
3 x tracksuit bottoms
1 x jeans
3 x shorts
4 x t shirts
2 x hoodies
1 x sweatshirt
1 x smart shirt

Also swimming shorts, winter coat, rain coat, wellies, crocs, trainers, winter snow boots.

I buy clothes mostly from Polarn O Pyret as they are ethical, often organic, extremely hard wearing and unisex so pass down everything through the younger ones.
Their motto is something like ‘made to last for at least 3 children’. I also get passed a lot of stuff from friends with older children which tends to be Next or H&M. I keep their wardrobes as minimalist as I can so as not to overwhelm them (or me!).

Don'tstand 8 pairs of shorts and 15 t-shirts is a lot! But obviously people can buy what they want :)

My DS had loads of clothes but most were presents or hand me downs. Even now (he's
13) he has loads of t shirts as we get them from several other people.

The stuff I bought was mainly from M&S. good quality as some lasted 7 boys (we pass it on to another couple of families) before finally going to charity.

I do recommend Ralph Lauren and Armani for kids. All of DDs goes to charity once it’s busting off her body, but in as good condition as new. Really lasts a long time so IMO is worth the money. Better than replacing cheap things constantly. She’s had Primark from my mum and it seems to disintegrate after 2 washes.

I spend a small fortune on kids clothes.

They have roughly 7 sets of school uniform. At least 14 unfits and seven pjs. About 30 sets if underwear.

Some is second hand, some or hand me downs. I just dont to be chasing washing even though I normally wash every day. This way I feel less stressed. But storage and sorting it out during the pandemic has become a major pita. So I guess I have to much maybe? I grew up with hardly any clothes that fitted me so i know it's down to that. Too much is fine if it all fits in a few draws. Too little and maybe there is more risk of not keeping it clean or it getting worn out