winter coats would you really spend £100 on a 4 year old?

[pombears22]

Was talking about this with a mum friend this morning - around us most kids wear coats that cost around 100 quid. To me that just seems a bit mad for a pre-schooler when others are so much cheaper. I mean how much technology does a pre-schooler need for a British winter. Same with waterproofs etc etc - somehow I just thought that kids dont really need this stuff but I've only just moved back to the UK so unsure whether am totally off the mark here

just in a very ordinary local school.

dirty school shirts, yet balenciagas!!

The kids Fara charity shops in Richmond , Chiswick and Battersea are great for finding good quality clothes. If any of them are near you.

@3WildOnes are they? Good to know.I often pop into the one near Notting Hill but its only really good for books.

@sweatervest seriously? Wow

If it was a coat I really liked then yes I would.

Someone around here definitely does - my mum has picked up £100 jackets for my 3yo for a couple of pounds each (she is the queen of charity shops).

I go for outdoors brands and can normally get two winters from coats. Annoyingly my two are too close in size to hand down and are currently in identically sized coats.

I did a few years of supermarket coats when they were younger and clothes got more of a battering, one did fal apart.

Other than classic smart coats that last for 20+ years, I've spent £100 or so on a couple of coats. I spend a lot of time outdoors/ camping etc. One was bought for lightweight warmth while travelling and is still in use 15 years later. Just don't look too hard at the cuffs. The other is my "lockdown" coat. After the constant drenching of winter 19/20 and regularly having sodden thighs, I was blowed if I was repeating that through 20/21 of the extended school drop-offs, outdoor socialising and loitering in a park pretending that I wasn't illegally supervising a pair of 9yos "exercising" together. At least I was very well snuggled up and cosy in my upgraded coat.
No way would I pay that for someone to grow out of in a year or two.

Surely it depends how long they’re outside for as to whether it’s worth it?

At my daughter’s primary they do forest school and when she was at nursery the same. If they’re outside learning in all the elements then I’d see a good coat as being a complete essential. If they’re actually getting in and out of a car and spending all day inside then perhaps not. Mine is also in wrap around care at the school which means she’s often playing out in winter as it’s getting dark and cold.

I bought Polarn O Pyret in the January sales when my children were small. The bigger child passed his to my younger DS. I eventually sold one for £20, and passed another down to family. Both were in mint condition despite being worn for years. Not a bad investment at all

I don’t mind spending a bit more if I know it’s decent quality and he’ll get a couple of winters out of it. It is the thing he wears about half the year, daily.

However no, I’ve not spent that much on one. He had a Boden he adored that I ended up chasing down to get the larger size in the next year but that’s about it!

I think i splashed out £30 on my 4yos last coat. I’d have preferred cheaper but didn’t want to argue with a 4yo in the shop, she spotted something pink and shiny she wanted and other than price it ticked all the boxs. Plus as a third DD she lives out of hand-me-downs so I caved really quickly. My older dds got winter coats for £5 from the charity shop.

We have a cheaper primark one for nursery and a waterproof / warmer one for being out and about - usually from Asda / Tesco / next etc. So the nursery one can get washed a lot if dirty and doesn’t matter too much if it gets wrecked. Usually have a lighter jacket aswell for during spring / autumn

I think you should mind your own business and stop being so judgemental about what other people choose to spend their money on.

I think it's nice their kids are in decent clothes and not cheap ones

My kids coats are Burberry, Helly Hansen, PoP, Lands End and Didriksons.

Passed down from eldest to youngest where can. BUT.... I buy in the summer, from Ebay/Shpock/FB and have gotten huge bargains. PoP jackets from Fb for a fiver, Lands End expedition parker for £15 and a full Helly Hansen ski set for £16. I always buy waterproof, and they both have winter coats, school coats and a light rain jacket. The coats RRP are expensive but the quality is second to none. And there are 2nd hand bargains to be had!