designer baby clothes give me a break!!!!

[Tortington]

as a follow on from the debacle that james caused and then won sympathy for. ( u are just like my husband young man.... have u muscles?.....oops thats my dirty mind..am being sexist again!)
bargain clothes from charity shops am not knocking that.... but the delight at them being designer concerns me. i think it gives creedence to the argument that the parents are somewhat to blame for five year old kids going into strops becuase they will have nothing less than " said named designer" and kids generally demanding more(this is not to say and i wish this bit to be underlines in light of recent events that i am making a personal attack.)
its like designer buggies... give me strength! i do think that designer clothes and how much they cost are 2 arguments, i think designer clothes for babies are obscene - like i think mobile phones for 9 year olds are too.. i also think the cost attached to them makes it more obscene, thats to say there are two issues here each can be considered sepreatley to the other.

ooooooh more debate!! btw has brian got muscles too?!!

In principle custardo I agree with you but in reality I can see myself edging towards dressing DS up like that sometimes. Having said that at least 50% of the clothes I have bought him have come from Asda (and about half of those in the sale at that). But you are right I am making a rod for my own back. In a few years time when DS starts demanding the latest trainers/football strip/brand name jeans I will regret it.

I never buy any designer labels for myself or my kids (DM's don't count, do they????). I won't on principle. Don't want to look like a clone, or be conned. It's a rip off, you're paying, way over the odds, to do their advertising for them. And it always depresses me to see herds of kids all dressed the same. Like evryone's afraid to have a personality. INDIVIDUALITY IS GOOOOOOD!

Rant over....

I don't understand designer, haven't all clothes been designed. I like hand me downs from mates myself. I've handed down all mine to the net friend to have a child. Apart from the things I made myself. But I only made those things to keep my hands from helping me to drink and smoke whilst pregnant. It did work most of the time.

Hmm, 6 month old babies wearing Nike trainers - not my cup of tea. I don't have the money to splash out on designer for myself or my son and most of ds's clothes are secondhand/ASDA/Tesco, but sometimes it's nice to pick up the odd label from a charity shop or somewhere, mainly because I know I wouldn't go into a shop and pay full price for that item and feel pleased with myself for getting such a bargain, I suppose.

As for wanting the latest trainers/footy strip when older, if I didn't have the money then he would have to go without or wait until birthday/Christmas, but I wouldn't automatically say 'no' on principle because there is a certain amount of peer pressure to conform to the same style as all of your friends, and if ds wanted to wear the latest fashion in trainers to fit in with his crowd, then I'd go along with it.

I remember feeling thoroughly worried about turning up on the first day of term with home made uniform, but then I realised mine was better mad, more personal than all their high street uniform supplier stuff, and other girls actually really liked it. I did the same with my sons clothes. We got so many positive comments about my really badly knitted, but nice jumpers etc. And making them kept me out of trouble, which is actually an issue with me! I know not everyone can do it, but my poor attempts were satisfying.

Hmm, just remmebered one comment about him looking a bit feral in my hand knitted jumper though!

Custardo - get your point, but as an charity shop addict there's nothing that pleases me more than finding a really good quality item of clothing for eitehr ds or myself at just a fraction of the price that it cost originally. I would never dream of buying a Ralph Lauren polo shirt brand new, but finding an almost new one for 50p makes me giggle with glee. Having said that, most of ds clothes are hand-me-downs from my nephew or Asda and Tesco bits and bobs (great quality and dirt cheap). Which makes him very trendy as apparently the in thing is to mix and match a bit of street with a bit of couture! (Only joking) Only problem is I now find myself walking in to virtually every high street clothes shop and going "£30 for a pair of trousers - good grief".

Anyway, must dash, just seen a Pringle cashmere jumper for nine month olds advertised in Junior. A snip at just £160! (Who are these people?)

I'm the same Willow2. I spend much less on clothes for both DS and myself than I did for just me before he was born. I virtually never buy myself anything full price now and so when I look at the prices it comes as a bit of a shock.

MIL bought the sluglet a Catamini outfit. I nearly fainted when I saw the price! Given that she seems a cm taller every morning, it strikes me as a complete waste of money (though, admittedly very cute) Having said that, she went off to nursery this morning in a hand knitted jumper and a pair of trousers made from old curtains, all courtesy of MIL. Very fetching she looked too. I don't mind the occasional nice outfit as long as the sluglet realises that it's only her granny who will buy it for her.

I have an adversion to designer clothes that comes, I think from a poverty stricken childhood. Can't stand Next with all their advertising blazened over it, shurely it should be cheaper if they expect us to be walking billboards.

OK, I'm going to come out as one of those mums that dresses her little darlings in "designer" clothes....That said, I don't spend a fortune (IMO) as there are so many bargains around. For example TK maxx quite often has Osh Kosh, Jean Bourget, Miniman, Ralph Lauren. Also many shops seem to have permanent sales, TBH I look at prices in M&S and particularly Mothercare (hate that shop!) and think they are a rip off. Otherwise I try and pick up bargains when I go abroad as kids' clothes are much cheaper OS.

I know that the supermarkets sell some very nice clothes, and yes my kids have stuff from there too, but I really hate the way some people think that it's ok to ridicule people who spend money on their kids' clothes or suggest they have twisted values. I know one woman who always makes sarcastic comments about my kids' clothes being "smart", and no they're not in frou-frou dresses or sailor suits. I wouldn't say anything about her kids' clothes not matching/fitting/having holes so why is is ok for her to be personal? Oh, and she and her husband are consultants so they have plenty of money!

I suspect part of my attitude comes from my Italian mamma but as you may have gathered from this rant (never had one on Mumsnet before!) I really don't see why some people have to make a virtue of not spending money on stuff for kids.

I love clothes, and I love good quality clothes for dd. She does have things from Tesco's and Asda, but they just don't last as long/stay as nice looking as some of the more expensive things. On the other hand, I think designer labels emblazoned all over the place looks naff, so my idea of 'designer' is Boden, Gap and some of the French labels. I also pick up some great bargains in charity shops. Dd has a pair of Boden leggings that cost about £20 but have lasted her since last summer - they are a bit short now but still have their shape and look cute. A pack of cheapy leggings from Asda lasted the summer and are now baggy and horrible with uncomfortable thin elastic at the waist.

On the other hand, before dd was born I did buy a £45 velour sleepsuit from Selfridges for her that she wore three times - I still feel ashamed thinking about it now. But I didn't understand then...I was naive

What are designer buggies?

Interesting point Angharad. I agree with you that M&S and Next prices for kids clothes seem expensive. Also find Next a bit samey these days (used to like them but think they've taken the advertising/slogans a bit far) - everything seems to be in only 2/3 colours.

My biggest bugbear is that people seem to buy DS blue/beige clothes all the time. At least they all match I suppose! But it seems so dull - I like to dress him in nice, bright colours and try to buy these kind of clothes myself. When he was a baby everything was pale blue - we've now progressed onto navy! While I can't see myself putting him in pink that still leaves red, orange, yellow and green.

TBH I wouldn't consider Next designer, and I'm not a logo fan, that's why I have such a love affair with European baby things. I also find that lots of high street kids clothes just look too grown up, Next (again!) has these really tarty looking skirts and tops meant for 3-6m olds!

Should also add that I did a stint as a supercilious shopgirl in Armani in Knightsbridge, admittedly only Emporio, but...! (Oh and i still have the gorgeous black unifrom suit that looks fantastic even though it's nearly 9 years old)

I was near you then Angharad, in Joseph - unfortunately a bit more than 9 years ago

So Enid, have you been tempted by joseph baby clothes???

Message withdrawn

Recently received an unsolicited catalogue for some gorgeuos baby/kids clothes - lovely materials, soft colours and no daft cartoon characters everywhere (why are some of these so ugly/scary) - but they were selling romper suits at £37 a pop! Who would pay that?

Over 1/2 of ds's clothes are hand-me downs - some of them having had 2 or 3 owners before and still looking almost new! Among the stuff he has managed to 'inherit' are some babyGAP & Osh Kosh items - they're well made and good fabric and he looks cute in them (IMO he could look cute in a sack though), but they're a bu**er to explain to friends to whom I've pontificated about 3rd world labour...

Agree about NEXT stuff being plastered with their lables - I refuse to pay to advertise their store on my beautiful child.

On designer stuff resulting in all kids beign dressed alike - one time recently 3 kids turned up at nursery in the same outfit - there had been a 1/2 price sale at boots

I have done! As for the osh Kosh, if it's European (denim etc is thicker) then it's made in France. The US stuff you can get in Wal-mart type places is made in Haiti. Have to say thoughh, that most clothes are made with 3rd world labour so unless you make your own..

angharad, of course your'e right - re-read post (done in haste during ds nap time) - had meant to clarify '3rd world labour' should have read 'child labour', and also that it was babyGAP that I'd been harangued about (by my sister) no OshKosh - I've no independant evidence or knowledge on this subject so please don't take as gospel.

Hand me downs have kept clothes on dd's back this summer, as they will this coming winter! I lost my job in March, as did dp 4 weeks ago, so we have been very appreciative to our neighbor who drops a pile off almost every other week - her dd is six mos. older than mine, and dresses quite well!

I have also become a second hand store shopper - found some beautiful items for a fraction of the cost. I, too, refuse to put labels or cartoon characters on dd - and the more affordable stores in my town (Old Navy, etc) are blatant shameless advertisers!

As of next week, I start a new job which will change our financial situation - but I have learned - scouring through the racks at a second hand store can be very rewarding, and I will continue to do so, as you never know what you may find.

She does have a pair of Nike trainers - but I got them for only $5 US, never worn - I was very excited about that!

My main concern when buying dd's clothes is whether it will wash well or not. IMO a lot of Mothercare clothes retain stains and loose shape, maybe it's the way I wash them. If I can get designer clothes for reduced cost then I will buy them, shamelessly, if they are good quality. Many of her everyday items are Tesco's but she does have designer stuff as well. I try to shop around and mix and match. I don't want her head to toe to Gucci but don't see anything wrong with a few "quality" items if available at bargain prices. I usually spend the child allowance on her clothes as consider this her money anyway rather than part of the house-keeping.

H&Ms (Hennes) Baby is fab - good quality, massive range and cheap. Love it.

Cha - just bought 19 mo DS an outfit for a wedding there. I've only recently discovered the shop for him and me. Children's sizes are quite big though. Only problem is that quite a lot of the trousers seem to have cartoon characters on. Got DS trousers, shirt and tank top. Tank top has got a Pooh stitched on that I should be able to remove. As I said to DH, I'm not having him going to a wedding covered in pooh!

the point you made about not beig ashamed to buy expensive clothes for your child made me stop and think. still i have to disagree. i think designer lables are obscenely middle class, and am as fond of the midle classes and their ideals and the way they read tons of baby books, buy snotty clothes, bake cakes and grow herbs about as much as i am fond of children!

that was so childish i really enjoyed miself! short version is, i hear what you said angerhad, and i havent got a convincing counter attack..... anyone gonna help me out here she made a good point after all?

come on custardo, give us an inkling of what makes you tick then - with no herbs or cakes in your life how do you fill those empty hours