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

[ivebeentotheyear3000]

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?

but in reality £600 over a year is not frivolous for a growing child.

Of course it’s frivolous. It’s £50 a month.

Dd1 who is 12 still had a much beloved pair of shorts which are aged 7/8 which I have finally wrestled off her.

Similar scenario here. Dd12 is stick thin so shorts and skirts can fit for years, especially those with adjustable or elasticated waist. I have to confiscate favourites when they pass hot pant and fall closer to pant category 😆

I think you’re also running the risk of one day her looking at the clothes you’ve bought and refusing to wear them, she might change her style or favourite colour. And you’ve got a wardrobe full of unworn clothes. Also at quite a young age children like to choose their own clothes.

That does seem excessive to buy all at once. Why does she need a fleece, hoodie and a tracksuit?
Why does she need specific winter tops? We tend to stick hoodies over t-shirts rather than buy specific clothes for seasons.

Do you not buy some bits for Christmas & Birthdays and take it out of those budgets?

I’m fortunate not to have to worry about the cost much but even so - the magnitude of the waste is pretty horrific and I think about that a lot. We get a lot of hand me downs. Friends pass on clothes when their children out grow etc. My nearly 3 year old has about 2 + years worth of clothes waiting for her.. some from older sibling but a lot from friends too who have passed on clothes as they’ve finished with them.

I tend to buy coats a little big and they always last two winters (and then down to sibling).

My daughter's 11 and I've never bought everything all in one go. She always has a selection of clothes that are different sizes. Maybe I'll notice she could do with some new legging or t shirts in the summer or in winter I'll get her a couple of jumpers. Never seen the need to replace her entire wardrobe in one go!! I tend to buy a few bits each season and that's it. £600 is a lot to spend in one go.

My ds continued to wear his primary school leaver’s hoodie regularly until he was 16 and got a secondary school leaver’s hoodie😂.
There is absolutely no need to replace a child’s entire wardrobe every single year, even if their sartorial standards do not extend to happily wearing clothes that have obviously become a bit small for them!

I am another gradual buyer. Buying ahead a size (often on sale items) and second hand i sometimes manage to pick up something that has been a favourite.

Then I remove things gradually from the wardrobe. I arrange t shirts in (actual not stated)size order and that way I can see if he's starting to need more or not (getting to the end of you like).

I suppose it's old fashioned but back in the day you bought things big for kids to "grow into" and they wore them even if they were a bit on the tight side. In particular things like pyjamas and vests won't hurt being a bit big/small.

Some stuff was usually secondhand, either bought or passed on, like ballet uniform. They don't get much wear out of it and it seems so wasteful if every child is having brand new and then what? Throwing it away.

Gosh this thread is reminding me of the mumsnet chicken. Yes it's great if you can make clothes last, buy second hand, freecycle or have hand me downs. Marvellous if your child can wear a dress from midi to mini or a coat where they look like Kenny from south park for the first year but in reality £600 over a year is not frivolous for a growing child.

If I added up what I spent over a year it might be over £600 (it definitely I'd if they need school uniform but I don't replace the whole of it every year) but I'd definitely notice it more if I spent it all in one go rather than in say 10 x £60 or 6 x £100. And in reality things like t shirts and hoodie for example often aren't that much different in size if you buy one size up. I made the mistake of doing this with M and S joggers though and they've sat in a drawer for over a year waiting to be grown into!

When a child gets older and has an opinion of what they like to wear this approach won’t work as I am sure they will have gone off half of what you bought.

DS(17) gets very attached to his clothes and will wear them for as long as possible even when he has obviously grown out of them. Was doing the washing the other day and found a jumper sized age 13. It was a tad snug on him!

Replacing your dd's entire wardrobe every year is an unusual approach op. As others have said, usually items are replaced gradually. I have never known a child to wake up one morning and suddenly not fit into any of their clothes or footwear! Usually you buy new bits here and there and just replace stuff as needed. Clothing will always be slightly different fit and sizing even if all bought in the same size, it is normal to have a variety of sizes in the wardrobe. If you are savvy and buy things that are a bit roomy, you can skip some of the sizes. Eg buy 8 year old an age 9 coat, it will likely last at least 2 years. Ballet uniform should last a couple of years too. It seems horribly wasteful to the environment to be buying as much as you are, what do you do with the stuff you know longer want?

I used to buy a couple of sizes bigger, and buy in the sales and keep until she grew into them.

Crackers.

Buy as and when, I can guarantee there’ll be clothes that she just won’t have worn out of each £600 bundle.

Just because she’s ‘growing at the proscribed rate’ now doesn’t mean she will carry on doing so.

DD grew 4” in the space of a few weeks, every time you thought she’s stopped she sported again. Luckily it was summer so she was living in shorts so they were a bit more forgiving (plus lockdown so no one saw the ankle swingers)

That seems completely unnecessary no child grows out of everything all at once just replace bits and bobs as you need to.

Once they get to high school and have to wear uniform from a compulsory supplier you might not even get a blazer for £75 let alone the full uniform. (In which case it is sensible to allow a bit of growing room)
DD is in year 11 and she's on her 2nd blazer and PE kit, and 3rd lot of skirts. I've replaced shirts most years though and only bought jumpers last year since they've had to have all the doors and windows open. She's had 3 winter coats in that time.

@Exhausteddog

Completely off point but I'm impressed you find all seasons clothes at the same time. Often shops move out their winter stuff in about March to make way for summer gear, and then do the same with summer stuff in August/September. I remember scouring the shops for wellies once (can't even remember what time of year) and nowhere had any. And I've definitely looked for shirts in September (DS wears shorts all year round) and not been able to find any.

I was surprised too. My experience of clothes in shops is that they tend to be rigid about what's in season and what isn't (doesn't necessarily correspond to what the actual weather outside is though). Mine are mostly in second hand, but I've never seen a shop that would allow me to buy clothes for a variety of seasons all at once, occasional sales racks that have been hanging around for a while notwithstanding.

I recently noticed my small for his age 5yo's pants were getting a bit small...18-24months! No wonder! His socks he shares with his brother so they are various sizes...they stretch fine. Does your kid not get this stuff in presents? Mine get everything at Christmas and then their birthdays at the start of the year so by December things are getting a bit small and they might need a top up. Aunties love buying them pjs. I don't personally mind spending a bit more on clothes on my elder son as everything will go down to the younger one. Also both mine are v skinny so shorts last for years.

but in reality £600 over a year is not frivolous for a growing child.

Of course it's frivolous, not to mention completely unnecessary and wasteful. No one needs 600 quids worth of clothing every year, especially not a child.

Individually it's not a lot but I am surprised that you find that all her clothes and shoes don't fit her at the same time! I've never heard of that (especially clothes and shoes being in synch!!)
I always find different brands run at different sizes, some clothes have a bit more shrinkage in the wash, some clothes need replacing due to being ruined, I'll pick up items at various points if she's running a bit low and I see something on sale or a good bargain, we get hand me downs from relatives and friends, many items we will buy a size too big and it's hardly noticeable too (coats, jumpers, knickers). It's really hard to imagine a point where you'd replace an entire wardrobe (although having 600 pounds worth of clothes for an entire wardrobe isn't crazy if you're buying new and not on sale) so for that I think YABU.

I bought clothes very big, so you only need to replace them every few years. Buying clothes age 6 for a 6 yr old is what the clothes companies want you to do.

It is ALOT! And quite an unusual regimented system but I do have small children for their age whose clothes last a while. Head to Primark and buy as and when

Do buy this all at once? Unless she takes massive growth spurts surely you just buy in dribs and drabs as different things get too small

It's pretty crazy to buy a whole wardrobe and get it out as she needs it. Surely you buy summer / winter clothes in season as otherwise choice is limited. I don't believe you get the wardrobe all at once.

Also a size is not universal and can differ depending in the same shop. Next is pretty large, boots and sainsburys and gap is smaller etc.

I probably spend at least £600, probably more per child per year but clothes last about 2 years a lot of the time. I tend to Size up so they get more wear out.

Why would you buy winter clothes and summer clothes at same time? By the time summer arrives, they could be a size bigger depending on age.