What do you spend on your kids clothes? Oilily OTT?

[Rhiannon]

I usually shop at Next, M & S and Gap for kids clothes. I've recently spotted a dress I like in an Oilily ad. Now this is definitely going to be expensive for me.

Just wondering where everyone else shops and what you all spend? R

[Oliveoil]

WOW THIS THREAD IS FROM 2002!!!

I feel OLD

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

charity shops, hand me downs, asda and tesco

[weeshop]

There is a great wee shop in Belfast which sells re-cycled designer childrens wear, so you get all the labels you want at a fraction of the price. They are all in great condition and the better quality stuff tends to last really well through several kids!
Weecycle is really worth a visit if like me, you like the quality of designer but not the price! Plus you get to actually inspect the item before you buy, unlike buying from e-bay etc.

[jasper]

Good idea Berries, particularly as these particular trousers were covered in zips/fancy stitching which is why I didn't like them!

[berries]

Jasper, I always find that a comment such as 'there was a problem with the zip/stitching' etc etc gets everyone out of those tricky 'can't stand it' situations. M or MIL may suspect you don't like it, but you have at least given them an excuse.

[Ailsa]

Just been clothes shopping, spent £40 in H&M and came back with the following;

a hideous pink velour cardigan thing for dd(MIL's choice)
2 cotton summer skirts
1 skort (skirt/shorts in one)
1 t-shirt for dd
and 4 t-shirts for ds.

Only the hideous cardigan was reduced, everything else was full price!

As they seem to have quite a quick stock change, I'll be going back next pay day.

Won't be too long before the kids are kitted out for our holiday in July.

Also got shorts and t-shirt from M&S, while I'm on about M&S, they have some strappy vests in the kids underwear section, packs of 3 for £7, they're too pretty to hide under clothes, so we're going to use them as t-shirts on holiday.

Anyway, that's me done until next months shopping trip.

[Rhiannon]

Had our NCT nearly new sale today, it was so busy and only the 3rd one we've ever done. Took £1500 which we were so pleased with. Made about £400 for the branch in 4 hours, not a bad return. Yippee! R

[jodee]

As we are talking Tescos, I had to queue at the checkouts for an hour today! Somebody enlighten me - isn't Saturday the busiest shopping day? Why were half the checkouts closed! Plus I went with Mum and DS who loves being pushed around in the car-trolley things which saved my sanity until the last 20 mins of queueing, but when I tried to prise him from the car a tantrum of epic proportions ensued! I have told my Mum to wallop me round the head with a turnip if I ever suggest going to Tescos on a Saturday again!

[jasper]

Lindy I don't really have to shop late but sometimes I just get the notion in the middle of the night when I am restless and can't sleep. Our local Tesco ( about 25 minutes drive) recently opened 24 hours a day. I am often the only shopper there and quite enjoy the peace.
Actually I have had bad customer service there before, but have always foung the checkout staff really nice.
I agree it must be even more difficult to be nasty then to at least be polite. What are these people on?

[Lindy]

Well done for reaching a sensible compromise!!

How rudely you were treated in Tesco - bad service is my 'pet subject' (I was in customer services for years!!) - it is actually harder to be rude & horrible to someone than to treat people courteously.

I too have experienced bad service at the so-called'customer service' desk at Tesco - but the check-out staff are always much nicer.

I don't envy you having to shop so late at night, do you often have to do this?

[Pupuce]

Jasper I know what you mean about wanting to tell the woman off..... I am SO tempted sometimes... maybe this shift wasn't her first choice?!?!

[jasper]

Made a decision on the tesco outfit. I am just back from one of my late night trips ( look at the time!) . Decided as a compromise to keep the coat but change the trousers. I waddled into the store, straight up to customer services ( which is just inside the door) . Of course being the middle of the night it was completely deserted so the asssistant could see me walk in, ie I was not a shoplifter! ( Always feel funny about returning things without a receipt). I was all smiles and explained very politely that my MIL had bought these trousers earlier that day, I did not really like them, so could I exchange them or would I need to ask her for the receipt? The assistant who was a woman in her 50s just STARED at me in the frostiest manner you could imagine! She leaned over and took them off me without a word, examined them,glared at me and said " what do you want to exchange them for?"to which I replied " well I don't know yet, I have just walked in the door" managing not to add " which you bl**dy well know you frosty old cow, you have been eyeing me suspiciously since I came in ". She took them over her side of the counter and kind of waved me away which I took to mean go and choose another pair, which I did, and when I returned she treated me with the same distain and barely said a word!
I walked away thinking to myself " am I hormonally oversensitive or did I just encounter the nastiest old bag in Scotland who was blatantly rude to a heavily pregnant insomniac?"
How come some people just can't be civil?
Anyway, I got a nice wee pair of trousers for my boy in which he will not look quite so neddy

[Rhiannon]

Jasper, I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that between the four grandparents over the past 7 years between they have bought 2 polo shirts (Oxfam), hideous knitted jumpers (jumble), a Paddington jogging suit (when DS was 18 months -he is 7 next month)and a my mother once bought a two piece set from Asda for DD(I nearly fell over with shock). That is it, honestly except for Xmas and birthdays we have never been given clothes of any kind. Bearing in mind my mother lives 2 miles from a large Next, M & S and Mothercare!

I'd frame the Tesco outfit if it was from my MIL!

[SueW]

Lizzer you've reminded me that I picked up two dresses for DD in H&M last week ( oh what a short memory I conveniently have when it comes to clothes buying ). A fleece dress which has just been personalised using Ra's (grandma's) sewing machine and a denim pinafore which remains untouched. They were good value too.

I've also had a lot of Osh Kosh stuff in the past but picked it up overseas. Pumpkin Patch I used to buy in NZ before it arrived in the UK but it's nice to see that their prices compare favourably over here with what they charge over there.

My worst purchase was a DKNY velour polo neck for DD to wear to my brother's wedding. It cost me loadsamoney but went perfectly with the pinafore I'd chosen. She complained constantly that it itched so I had to cut out the label.... aaaargh! Not even decent resale value and she never wore it again!

[slug]

The sluglet is blessed with plenty of older cousins and a grandma who knits like a dream. Mothercare do make good sleepsuits, and I confess I swapped a whole load of hideous pink stuff we were given for a very cute fake leather jacket so she could match her daddy.

[Bozza]

Jasper, that happens to me fairly often because I must buy less than a quarter of DS's clothes. He is the only grandchild for both Grandmas, plus having three childless aunties and a childless godmother. MIL, in particular, buys him loads of things. The problem I have is that she buys stuff from a shop which stocks seconds etc. Not in itself a problem but I find they tend to be small sizes and DS is quite large. So quite often they're practically too small. Have taken to passing things on to my hairdresser who has a son who is a few months younger.

Sometimes though it would be nice to buy DS things other than vests and sleepsuits and trousers.... But I can't really justify it.

Mainly buy the vests/sleepsuits plus casual clothes at Asda. Also frequent Next outlet shop plus odd bits from a Sale anywhere. Have bought virtually nothing full price from anywhere except Asda.

Did splash out on a hand-made christening suit though...

[manna]

Jasper - I think those trousers sound kinda cool.....!

What about primart, anyone? hit and miss with the sizes available, but £2 for a pair or jeans for a toddler..... please! My new fav.

[Lindy]

Jasper - it depends how often your MIL sees your child & what your relationship with her is like. IMO is it often simpler to just keep the outfit & put it on when she is visiting (I had to do this with various hand kitted items!!) - unless it genuinely doesn't fit & then you have a decent excuse!

I am the meanest mum out (see 'toys' thread!) & hardly ever buy anything new for my DS (apart from shoes) - I have loads of friends with older boys who pass on wonderful stuff, I love trawling through charity shops & we have some excellent second hand shops locally, & he also gets given beautiful new outfits from family & friends.

[jasper]

Can you all advise me on a small problem? Mil took ds to Tesco today and bought him an anorak and trousers which I really dislike!
She said to change them if I wanted.I usually see plenty of clothes in Tesco I like. Do you think that would be rude?The trousers are very pale grey with zips that detach the bits below the knees (!) and make him look like a small football hooligan.

[hattie]

All this talk of clothes got me in the mood for what I thought was a bit of window shopping at lunchtime instead of going to the gym - naughty me! But GAP have just put out their latest sale items. AAAGH. So, fifty pounds later, dd now has some very pretty additions to her Spring (and hopefully, Summer) wardrobe. But she DOES need them. Honest!

[sis]

I HATE shopping so ds's clothes are usually from the Verbaudet catalogue and some stuff from LaRadoute too. The latest Verbaudet catalogue is a bit disappointing because therre are very few colourful (i.e.NOT black, navy, beige and/or grey) clothes for boys over the age of two.

When ds was younger, I used to spend two hours in Fenwicks childrenwear dept on the first day of their January and Summer sales and get loads of really great stuff.

[hwr]

I'm worried that now Gap's had such a slump in profits the Sale rails will be hopeless and it seems to be the case here in Cardiff.

I'm a big fan of benetton kids' clothes, they have good end of season sales and Gymboree has a decent sale section but some of the stuff is very American.

I'm a sucker for nice kids' clothes (blame my Italian mum) but was really offended when a "friend" recently had a go at me for buying dd good clothes. I wouldn't dream of commenting on her dd's outfits. All dd's stuff is from sales, I like getting Kenzo dresses etc for less than something in Mothercare (which I think is rip-off central)