Let boys have clothes!!!!!!!!

[slushy]

Okay ladies I have started a mumsnet campaign a lot of ladies complain about the inequality of children's clothes. You know the fact that you go in ASDA to see 10 lines of girls clothes one line of boys clothes. Because boys don't really need clothes.

I personally would also like to see some trousers other than jeans. Post your idea and complains ladies, and perhaps if we get enough support Mumsnet will help out.

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

I totally agree!!!

[cairnterrier]

Scaredandalone (do you need a hug and a cup of tea?) - what do you need to do to take over a campaign?

[FlameGrilledMama]

Hi Cairnterrior it is me (scaredandalone) that name was for discussing a sensitive ongoing matter and was how I felt when I namechanged to it I am uncertain but basically any ideas you can think of to publicize the issue further, try to get MN support maybe link to facebook.

[Diziet]

I think this is a great idea, I have 2 boys, H & M usually good, also got some lovely T shirts from Boots with sea creatures on - was so made up as DS2 has a love for hammerhead sharks and they did a T shirt with one on, I just HAD to buy it! Bloody navy navy navy, hell's bells, once they start school you want their 'civvies' to be a bit funkier, don't you? Or is it just my DS1 - I think he may be a bit of a Dandy!!

[hogshead]

Generally this hasnt particularly bothered me but last night I went to our local large supermaket and spied that they have their Christmas clothes out. Ooh' thought I, I'll perhaps purchase a little something for DS'.

But alas no. Apparently (going on what i saw last night) only girls are allowed to celebrate christmas in Tesco.

Boys are only allowed to wear a shirt and tie - not even a christmas hat available for a boy

[pinkmagic1]

I am currently trying to find a reasonably priced coat for my 7 year old DS and seem to have a choice of grey, black or dark blue. what is wrong with a boy wearing something a little brighter?
I really enjoy shopping for DD but find shopping for DS so boring in general and it really shouldn't have to be that way. Glad I'm not the only one to feel like this.

[Guacamole]

Don't get me started!
My local M&S has 3 rails of baby boy clothes and 11 for baby girls at the moment.
My Monsoon has a Monsoon Kids section, but without any boys clothes at all. I spoke to the Manager and she said they didn't stock boys clothes, to which I asked her if they are going to rename their section Monsoon Girls! She told me in her experience boys clothes do not sell, because boys only need cheap clothes to run around in and get dirty.
And finally Next who feel the need to put either a dog, dinosaur or truck on every single item of clothing they sell for boys!
Ggggggggrrrrrrrr!

[misdee]

well i am tentatively stepping in here.

on tuesday i found out i am epecting a boy.

so tuesday afternoon i decideed to look for boys baby clothes.

it was the same depressing moment that i relised that shopping for boys stuff which i like, is the same as looking for girls clothes i like. ie, i dont want baby dressed head to toe in baby blue, same way i dont like bubblegum pink for girls.

so have been hunting about. nothing really appealing atm :(

[Belle03]

I'm in too! My DS is 8 & it's jeans with everything according to the high street. I'm fed up of sludgy colours & I'd love a bit more choice for him. H&M not bad sometimes, bits of Boden OK, he's starting to like surfwear stuff when we go on holiday- coz it's bright & a bit different. We definitely need more choice for our lovely boys!

[Oblomov]

Agree. Choice of clotes for boys is poor. Next or tesco, 3 aisles for girls, one naff one for boys.
Saying that I don't have much problem dressing ds1(7). and ds2(2) has all his old clothes.
I bought great dark blue and black cords from woolworths for a few quid. and their jeans for £1.50 were fab too. tesco does smart cords.
TK Maxx we get great stuff from.
He likes smart. So nice shirts. and trousers. bought some lovely stuff from Debenhams the other day, in the sale. 2 shirts and 2 pairs of trousers, all reduced to about £8 each. Thats him sorted for all his school parties, christmas family lunch etc. I have bought him , this kind of thing, in sale :shirt
He likes Ben sherman and Jasper conran. only in the sale for under a tenner though.
Boys stuff , just requires looking. harder.

[earwicga]

pinkmagic1 - Debenhams website for red & royal blue coats and they are reasonably priced and good quality.

(Although I have had to sew up the material where the hanging hook is as it came undone but at least it had one I suppose.)

Tesco used to do red coats but have of course stopped this madness.

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

totally support this thread. am on supermarket type budget and its really hard to get bright fun stuff for boys - ds is 4.5 and suits red, purple, green.

and nice trousers that are not jeans, nightmare to find for my tall, skinny laddie!

[Greenwing]

Glad to know I am not alone in thinking this.

Tried to buy clothes for DS aged 9 at Tesco last week - dreadful choice compared to girls.
Had to travel and search to finally find bright yellow hoody from George at ASDA.

I got so fed up with dull clothes for my five sons that one summer we bought white T shirts and pale chino shorts and dyed them cheerful bright colours like orange, lime green and pink (even tie-dyed some). For coats we bought them waterproof cagoules which came in red! Hooray - no skulls, army camouflage, dull grey or black.

Youngest are still wearing the hand-me-downs.

[nappyaddict]

I went shopping today and there seems to be a lot of sailor inspired stuff. ie red and white stripes, navy and white stripes, navy and cream stripes, tan and camel coloured things etc.

So do we mumsnetters like this sort of thing or is it a bit too boring?

[LostInTransmogrification]

Fed up with the choice of monster/bug/dinosaur clothes in skinny colours esp as the girls section is so much bigger. Bring on the campaign!

[nappyaddict]

Got a thread here if anyone is interested in answering it.

[Eglu]

Someone earlier in the thread said why does the coat need to be yellow?

Well it is safer for my DS to be in a brightly coloured coat so he can be easily seen, rather than some black or grey thing.

[TaperJeanGirl]

I dont have any trouble buying clothes for ds 19 months, only prob is it costs more to dress a boy in non skull/camo/car/football clothes, I go for basic plain tops and jeans/trousers from h&m then a more expensive top/jacket/shoes from No Added Sugar/Joules/Molo/basically anything from nordic kids website, litte asos is great too, I also have 2 girls and find it much easier to buy nice clothes for them without spending as much....most of their stuff is from next/gap/ h&m and sainsburys sometimes do some nice bits for girls too, rarely for boys...

[Eglu]

TaperJeanGirl Your DS is still quite young. THe older they get the more difficult it is

[kitbit]

Next is the worst. Either skulls or overpriced Disney-esque character shirts in gaudy cheap looking colours. Or cringeworthy slogans. Or little lord fauntleroy shirts and waistcoats ensembles in very cheap badly made fabric. Rubbish.

[Sequins]

Ooh yes please to more boy's clothes. Boden team please take note (arf)

DS is 4 and we would like more:

• trousers with longer legs and thinner waists
  
• red trousers
  
• brighter blue trousers
  
• forest green trousers
  
• moleskin, chino and babycord fabric
  
• braces (DS' choice rather than mine but he does find those inside buttons itchy)
  
• washable woollen jumpers
  
• washable woollen zip-up cardigans, ideally with a hood
  
• long-sleeved T-shirts of good quality thick-ish cotton
  
• knee length socks
  

We would like less clothes with:

• slogans
  
• thin material
  
• skull and crossbones
  
• army motifs
  
• rugby shirts
  

Personally I am also getting a little bit bored with horizontal stripes. What's wrong with a plain round neck jumper?

[nappyaddict]

Yes I agree. Does anyone else think stripes are boring?

I like spots, swirls, stripes, diamonds, squares, stars etc.

[nappyaddict]

Fab trousers here

[casbie]

totally agree... son wants cordoroy trousers, can i bl**dy find a pair? no.

son wants a hiwaiaan t'shirt (had the same red hiwaiaan shirt, in different sizes since he's been 3) can i find one? no.

i am sick to death of branded (read expensive brands) being the only quality clothes on the market.

with girls stuff, i'm already sounding like an old lady; "i can make that with better quality materials AND cheaper"

i'm now dragging my children around fabric shops instead of clothes shops!! i'm thinking that i'm going to have to re-learn how to make trousers and i really hate making trousers...

[barnesmumm]

It's not just clothes it's shoes too. I have searched high and low for a pair of traditional sandals for my son finally getting a pair at Russell and Bromley in Richmond that were left unsold from last year. Why is it so difficult to find a pair of proper sandals for boys. Schools rightly do not accept pupils in open toe sandals for health and safety reasons and I think that the old fashioned shoe is considerably better for the developing foot. Start rite still produce a proper closed in sandal for girls so why can they not produce a unisex model? John Lewis the bed rock of all traditional children's wear do not stock anything either. I have written to Start rite and am awaiting their response. Am I being unreasonable or simply just an old stick in the mud. All my other boys wore traditional sandals and have lovely feet and they all had traditional overcoats and never had a day off school sick.