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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To spend £600 every time my daughter goes up a clothes size?

668 replies

ivebeentotheyear3000 · 05/02/2022 05:34

Every time my daughter goes up a clothes size I end up spending about £600. DH thinks this is a ridiculous amount to spend but I don't really see how I could do it for much cheaper!? I buy from a variety of places but generally Asda, H&M, Tu, Matslan - nowhere really expensive.

Vests £10
Knickers £10
Socks £10
Tights £20
Jeans £30
Leggings £20
Shorts £20
Short sleeved tops £25
Long sleeved tops £25
Dresses £50
Fleece £15
Hoodie £15
Tracksuit £20
Winter coat £25
Summer waterproof £15
Pyjamas £40
Ballet uniform £75
School uniform £75
Trainers, shoes, wellies, sandals, slippers £100
Swimsuit £10

AIBU? How much do others spend and if less, how do you save money?

OP posts:
Hollyhead · 05/02/2022 05:49

Does she grow out of everything at once though? I replace in dribs and drabs - my DS who is 6 has t shirts in his collection ranging from 4-5/5-6/6-7 they all fit in different ways.

It does also sound like a lot of clothes for a school age child - they wear uniform for more than half the days in the year!

LittleBipper · 05/02/2022 05:49

Well I've got a boy who's home educated so no school uniform and no dresses. Kickboxing not ballet but I estimate costs are similar. Other than that I reckon he has the same amount of stuff from the same shops, but I don't buy it all at once! I replace things when they are too small or wrecked.

Hollyhead · 05/02/2022 05:50

I also buy tons of my DS’s clothes second hand which saves a lot.

Misaki · 05/02/2022 05:52

It is a lot of money to spend every time, I agree. How often is she changing size?

If your kid goes up a clothing size in spring then you don't need to be buying a new winter coat.

Try buying things a size bigger so they last longer. My school uniform was enormous when I started school. I grew into it.

bindud · 05/02/2022 05:52

It seems a little odd to have to replace every thing at once, I went up a couple of dress sizes in pregnancy but never needed to change my socks & surely going up a dress size might need new jeans but not necessarily a new coat.

SomeOwlsCoo · 05/02/2022 05:55

How old is she? It would be a lot for a 2 year old. Less so if she's 15.

And surely she doesn't always need all of the items? I buy shorts in the summer if last year's don't fit. But I wouldn't buy long sleeved tops in the summer. Actually I don't think either DC has long sleeved tops. At all. They are boys though. Maybe they have less clothes than girls.

Eileen101 · 05/02/2022 05:58

You buy it all in one go? My kids grow out of different things at different times. My 4 year old is in a variety of 3-4 and 4-5, although some big 2-3 stuff has only recently gone away. My almost 2 year old is in a variety of 12-18, 18-24 and 2-3! I get rid as and when rather than all in one go.

If you were buying from Boden for example, I can see how you'd spend £600 Grin

Eileen101 · 05/02/2022 05:59

Plus you don't need all of that at the same time - she doesn't need thick winter clothes at the same time as shorts and t shirts/summer dresses!

SleepyJackson · 05/02/2022 06:00

Your post suggests you have a moment where you get rid of everything and buy all new? I'm not sure how many people shop like that? Its quite unusual to replace everything all in one go. It seems quite dogmatic.

Id assume most children wear clothes in a range of sizes at any one time.

I would buy by season/use. So I'd get a winter coat when the weather gets cold. And then only if her old one was too small/knackered. And I've certainly had winter coats that lasted a couple of years.

How old is your dd? Once they get to school age, I found they needed a lot less clothes until the summer holidays.

I'm also surprised by your attitude to sizing- for example, a hoody could last my daughter 2 years during which she went through 3 sizes? Likewise, dresses became tops.

Tlollj · 05/02/2022 06:01

Do you buy if all at once? Surely she grows out of things at different rates.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/02/2022 06:01

@bindud

It seems a little odd to have to replace every thing at once, I went up a couple of dress sizes in pregnancy but never needed to change my socks & surely going up a dress size might need new jeans but not necessarily a new coat.
She’s talking about her DD’s clothes !0
Original poster
ivebeentotheyear3000 · 05/02/2022 06:02

I see the point about her not needing it all in one go, but I tend to buy all at once and then just get it out gradually as she outgrows that item in the size below.

She is on 50th centile for everything so pretty much outgrows sizes at the age designed. So she's in a size for a full year and requires both summer and winter clothes in each size.

OP posts:
Toothsil · 05/02/2022 06:05

I've never bought everything all at once. For example winter will come and she will need a couple of new long sleeved tops, a couple of jumpers and a coat but I get one that lasts 2 years. I might have already bought leggings or jeans in the autumn because her legs grow fast. Dresses I usually get long enough to do 2 years. She's usually had at least 2 years out of her vests and pants, and her feet don't grow at the same time as the rest of her so no footwear, and socks last about 3 sizes anyway. Pj's I usually get 2 years out of. I've only ever had to buy school uniform in September. I wouldn't buy summer clothes in the winter and vice versa, and swimming costumes seem to last ages.

I just find she doesn't grow out of everything at the same time and never needs a full new wardrobe.

MsChatterbox · 05/02/2022 06:06

I remember with my son I was very picky about only having him in one size. If he grew out of something in that size, I would change out his whole wardrobe. I cannot believe I did that... Getting rid of clothes I could still fit him in!! My daughter now only loses particular items from her wardrobe when it just looks too small to pass for fitting now. She has some 6-9 month stuff and some 18-24 month stuff! I think people probably spend that amount over time but don't think about it as it will be 10er here and there. If you do want to find a cheaper way then look on marketplace for bundles and look in charity shops. You can get Clarkes shoes from ebay if you get the foot measure at home.

bindud · 05/02/2022 06:11

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads what makes you think I wasn't aware of that?

Ime it's very rare to buy new socks each time you go up a dress size, or even a few sizes (hence my pregnancy reference). Socks tend to come in a size range for one.

And if I need to buy new trousers for my dc I don't necessarily need to replace everything in their wardrobe at once as other things will still fit them.

Rtmhwales · 05/02/2022 06:11

@ivebeentotheyear3000

I see the point about her not needing it all in one go, but I tend to buy all at once and then just get it out gradually as she outgrows that item in the size below.

She is on 50th centile for everything so pretty much outgrows sizes at the age designed. So she's in a size for a full year and requires both summer and winter clothes in each size.

My DSS (8) is like this, too. 50th percentile for height and weight. So around his birthday things just start getting small and we replace.

The main differences for us are:

I buy a lot of stuff secondhand off Markerplace or children's secondhand shops, especially when they're on clearance (I recently bought all his size 10 jeans for 70p a piece secondhand clearance because he wears through them so quickly) and things like pajamas, swimsuits, winter coats etc I buy during the end of the season clearance for the next size up. I'm currently scouting for size 10 long sleeved pajamas for next year. It helps that he's happy to wear what I buy but if your daughter is particular about style pre buying wouldn't necessarily work.

bindud · 05/02/2022 06:12

How old is she?

As a pp said I wouldn't buy summer clothes if my dc had grown & needed some new clothes in winter.

Rtmhwales · 05/02/2022 06:13

I also like H&M because their clothes tend to be for 2 year ranges like 8-10Y or 6-8Y though they look a bit big when they first start wearing them.

londonrach · 05/02/2022 06:14

Why. I think I've spent £600 in total in the five year s of DD on clothes. Second hand bundle s ...look on Facebook marketplace. Shoes I get from supermarket as they better at lasting than Clarks. Can't believe you need to replace vests, socks, pants etc same time. Where you shopping?

Aimee1987 · 05/02/2022 06:15

I buy alot of bundles on marketplace. Cheaper, better for the environment and the majority of the time hes n really good quality clothes from places like next and gap. Along side supermarket stuff.

LaPufalina · 05/02/2022 06:16

We get lots from my sister as DN outgrows them, but they're the same size shoes. I use outlets like M&M direct and TK Maxx.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 05/02/2022 06:17

will you pass them on? sell them?

SleepyJackson · 05/02/2022 06:19

@ivebeentotheyear3000

I see the point about her not needing it all in one go, but I tend to buy all at once and then just get it out gradually as she outgrows that item in the size below.

She is on 50th centile for everything so pretty much outgrows sizes at the age designed. So she's in a size for a full year and requires both summer and winter clothes in each size.

If you can afford your system, and thats how you enjoy shopping for your dd, then I can see the advantages of getting it done in one go.

It is an unusual approach though, and quite expensive. You didn't mention your dds age. Just because she's on 50th percentile, doesn't mean she will always go up exactly one size each year. She may stay at one size for 18 months, or rip through 2 sizes in 6 months. In both these cases, you run risk of buying stuff you then don't use.

CrabbyCat · 05/02/2022 06:23

Like others, I only clear out when stuff obviously doesn't fit and buy bigger when I actually need it. Trousers obviously need to fit but T-shirts, tops, dresses and coats I tend to buy 2 sizes up so they get 2 years use out of them. Tights are fine bought bigger too. I find buying in dribs and drabs means they always have a selection of stuff they are close to outgrowing, stuff that fits, and stuff that is a bit bigger so it's not like they will look like everything is too big for them. I also buy some bits 2nd hand, school summer dresses for example last well and don't actually get that much use so make good buys.

eurochick · 05/02/2022 06:24

That seems like an unusually rigid approach. We buy a coat that's roomy to start with and usually get two winters out of it. Dresses last longer than trousers as it doesn't matter if they are a bit short. We have some jersey shorts that have lasted three or four summers as they have a stretchy waist band and the length works longer or shorter. I can't imagine chucking everything wholesale and starting again each year.