Out of interest buying clothes and dressing

[C0FFEE]

At what age do you let them choose the clothes they wear?

For daily wear she has dressed herself since the age of four

Also

At what age do you allow your children to buy the clothes they choose?

I have consulted mine since about the age of 4 and since seven she has chosen her own clothes

when they are ready?

My sister was naturally stylish from a young age so liked to choose her own clothes.

I was not allowed as it would have been too embarrassing for my mum to be seen with me.

I agree, just when they are interested enough. My son doesn't care at all what he wears though for the first time last week decided he was going to dress himself. I thought I'd let him have the independence (and save myself a fight!) and he looked pretty good really.

Up until fairly recently (DD is 11) I've tended to buy her clothes without her there -I'm normally pretty good at knowing what she likes and TBH prefer shopping on my own rather than dragging the DC with me.

Nowadays though if she needs something in particular we'll go together and I'll let her choose (within reason!)

Shes really experimenting with style at the moment which is good as I'd hate her to follow the trend of looking like every other 11 yo.

If she really gets it wrong I do sometimes (if I'm going to be seen with her ) say something along the lines of "I'd probably wear those leggings with a plain top rather than that patterned one" or she'll ask what top I think she should wear with a certain skirt etc

My younger dc think that new clothes are what you get when your cousins come to stay bringing a big bin liner full of cast-offs. They are welcome to choose their own clothes from what's available in the cupboards, but it'll be a cold day in hell when I take orders from them as to what I'm going to spend my money on. Obviously I wouldn't go out and buy anything I know they'll actively hate, but kids are so fickle with their tastes that I can't see the sense in inviting them to have opinions on it.

Once they're teenagers, you sit down with them twice a year and work out what they actually need. Then you give them a budget and take them shopping. Once they realise how little £100 will actually buy, they start downgrading their tastes from Top Shop to Primark quite quickly.

I have been taking dd1 with me to help choose her clothes since she was 3. If she dosn't like an item she will not wear it and will scream hystericaly if I try to dress her in it. The resons she likes some clothes but not others can be quite subtle. One grey pinifore for nursey which has pleats in the skirt all the way round is fine but the one which only has pleats at the front is not. She is now 4 and I am not looking forward to her being a teenager. One good thing is she has started getting dressed by herself, it does leed to some stange outfitts but a lot less stress.

Are you describing my DD rambling. She has had very fixed ideas about what she will wear and what she won't since the age of about 3.
She is now 9.8 and has her own ideas about what is stylish and what isn't.
Her classmates are all considerably richer than her and she knows we can't compete with Dolce and Gabbana and Versace kids range. She gets most of her stuff from H+M or C&A.
This morning she's gone out in a pair of red leggings, a top with a cheetah on it and a grey velvet cardigan. She does look a dogs dinner but it was her choice.
|Roll on next year and a uniform.

DD is four and I've been letting her choose her own clothes (within reason) for a year or so. She also chooses what we buy because she has very fixed ideas about what she will and won't wear and I don't want to waste money on clothes that it's a battle to get her into! I'd prefer to spend the money I have available on clothes that she positively enjoys wearing. It speeds up dressing time in the mornings considerably and is easier on my nerves. Obviously I wouldn't let her choose anything that I considered unsuitable or too expensive and she knows that.