Buying clothes too big

[KitKatastrophe]

Thinking about school uniform and also other clothing. I have some friends who always buy their childrens clothes the next size up (age 4-5 for a 3 year old, for example) so that they last longer. Just wondering if other people do this? I'm just thinking if I send her to school in clothes that are miles too big it will look silly, or is it the norm?

My mother used to do this. I always looked ridiculous. She bought one school skirt that was so big, I never grew into it and we had to get it altered!

When dc1 started school, she was between sizes in their logo stuff. They do age 3-4, then 5-6. She was 4, about to turn 5, so I thought I'd go with the 5-6, but it did look silly actually. Too big. Swapped them for 3-4 and she is back at school now, age 5, nearly 6, and still in them. She looks fine.

I will get her some bigger stuff soon, but I think if we had stuck with the big size, she would have looked messy for most of the year. This way, she has always looked neat and we will be ready with bigger stuff when she grows out of this lot.

If I'm buying stuff in the sales which she won't wear immediately, just because I've seen it and know she will need it eventually, I do size up. Especially non school stuff. We love Frugi clothes, so I get stuff in the sales in bigger sizes, because it's pricey full price.

My child has branded school pinafore and cardigan and it’s ridiculously expensive. I bought a size up and she used the same ones from reception to year 2. From y3 they wear skirts and I’ve bought a size bigger as well so they can last for a while.
I always buy the right size for her shirts because they are cheap, just the supermarket ones and as they are white, they don’t tend to last long either.

I buy a bit big for growing room, not so massive I have to sew anything unless really needed. It’s very common to see kids first day of school in uniform that’s a bit too big. And at the end of summer term where it’s a bit too small.
If I’m buying for a one off occasion, then I buy clothes to fit nicely for that day.

DH always buys DS jeans that fit him exactly right that day, annoys me no end, by the time he’s worn them once, I’ve washed and dried them, they’ve shrunk slightly and he’s grown slightly. Such a waste of money.

I often bought shoes half a size too big and put a insole in which I took out halfway through the school year. Clarks actually advised me to do it. Worked very well. This was in primary when they were growing lots.

I used to love seeing the new Year 7s in their massive shirts, they could fit another person in there sometimes! I have a picture of my own Year 7 daughter looking exactly the same. I must be the only person whose school barathea mac went through almost 7 years, being turned up as the minis got shorter and shorter, it had been bought to last after all.

At primary school age, a uniform item bought "a bit big" at the start of the year is normally "a bit small" by the end. So doing this makes sense.

I bought my DD a "slightly overlarge" blazer in Year 7. Turns out she'd already stopped growing. I must be the only parent ever to ask their DC if they'd like me to buy new uniform in a smaller size.

Definitely always buy a bit big, but not so much so that it's hanging off. Our branded stuff comes from M&S and it all bloody shrinks a bit and gets so hard and scratchy so quickly that if you don't buy a bit big it becomes incredibly uncomfortable for the poor kids. I pulled a jumper out that DS hadn't actually work a single time just b before Covid and couldn't believe the difference in how it looked and felt vs the one he had actually worn.

I buy the next size up as within three months it fits. Can't afford to be wasting money on buying stuff that'll only last one term.

I wore the same blazer all the way through secondary school. I grew into it, then out of it!

With my DS, I always bought for growth, but not too much.

I give a bit of growing room, but not miles too big!

I learnt my lesson on sizing up too much as kids lose things and then you’ve had the wrong size for no good reason.

RedskyAtnight I’m sure my dd will stop growing soon so I didn’t go much bigger - she’s yr 7.

@haba

Clarks are offering a guarantee that their shoes will fit until February or they replace for free...DS has gone up two shoe sizes since Feb half term.

I have heard this too, but they're measuring everyone huge to avoid giving away free shoes (my daughter went from a 7 to 8.5 and the shoes they suggested were massive). Ill fitting shoes arent good value even if they last ages.

DS2 has t-shirts too big... he's one size below DS1 so I just buy the bigger size and split the pile between their drawers rather than checking each label for 8-9 and 9-10

Some shops have gaps in their sizing so DS2 is at that awkward stage of 5-6 being clearly too short and the 7-8s being too big. Nothing is a great fit at present, not helped by a lean, lanky build so it's either too short but good on the shoulder's waist or long enough but he looks like he's about to fall through the waist/ neck.

Going excessively big so that it's worn out before it fits is a false economy, especially if hems are completely trashed anyway.

Oddly enough op, we bought daughter’s shoes 2 weeks ago and they’re already rubbing on the top 😭 we shall be back at the weekend clutching that receipt! 🤣