Designer jacket for school- should I not?

[adrianna22]

Hi

I've been trying to find a good quality coat for DS 4, when he starts school for the winter period.

I've been up and down west end, trying to find a good quality coat.

So after looking in H&M, GAP, NEXT, MONSOON, ZARA etc. As a last resort I went into the House of Fraser, kids section and I saw the most perfect coat for him. The issues that I had with the coat, that it was a Timberland (designer coat) and it was £60.00. I didn't buy it in the end.

I'm not really keen on dressing my child in designer labels. Though he does have two pairs of nike trainers. DS dad brought him a tommy hilfiger jacket, which DS has had for 2 and a half years and still is in good condition but has outgrown it.

I loved his Tommy coat, especially the fact that the logo was very very small on his coat and wasn't noticeable at all. Though the Timberland coat's logo is a bit bigger and people will notice it. Though I did love the coat, especially as I am a picky shopper.

Should I get it or not? I don't want other people thinking that I'm rich or I'm dressing DS too fashionable for school.

[StripyBanana]

Bizarrely I think many people look down a bit on those who use labels like nike. Not that they are rich or anything but that theyre buying style over substance.

a bit like the cliche of genuine posh types having an old volvo, being dressed in labels is not nec something to aspire to.

or alternatively don't give a shit and just buy what you fancy :)

[tobysmum77]

haha we have an old volvo .

If you like it buy it op. dd's coat last year was quite expensive, so many try to make them look like mini-teenagers in the girls or are pink/ babyish which dd hates. They don't grow out of them in a few months coats last 2 years if you buy a size bigger. When they get trampled on you put them in the wash .

Just make sure it's named.

[LIZS]

I wouldn't for school. they get dirty , ripped, "borrowed" and yes you will be judged. Get a plain standard chain store or uniform shop (ie Trutex) one which you won't mind replacing and can go in the washing machine each weekend.

[Notso]

Why are you reading so much into it? It's a school coat fgs.

I buy my younger DC coats which are in my budget, practical, and look nice. If it's 'designer' or Asda doesn't come into it. I wouldn't be put off by a brand nor would I go out yo buy a specific brand.
DS1 has had Stella McCartney, Boden, Tesco and others in between.

DD is in high school now and has a SuperDry coat she had to have nothing else would do but she only wears it in blizzard conditions
I am always a bit puzzled by people who don't grow out of that and go out there way to buy the 'in' thing as adults.

[Notso]

Excuse the terrible use of there not their also yo not to.

[MrsWinnibago]

Get the coat you like. That's what I do. My DD had a stunning one at your Ds age and it was about 60 quid which was well spent as it lasted and was very warm.

[dawnlight]

We walk to school, so dc's need good, warm, waterproof coats. After 7 years of school coat buying, I know what I'm looking for.

Ds's was £55 from John Lewis; dd's was £10 from Aldi.

Buy it and write his name all over the inside (actual coat, not just the label) in permanent marker.

[noblegiraffe]

My priority buying a coat for Reception was that it was a bright colour so he could be easily spotted on the way to school and I could quickly spot him if he ran off in the playground. It was so useful, and I really missed it in the summer term when they didn't wear them and he just blended in with all the other kids.

[MollyBdenum]

DD's winter coat cost around £60 from Vertbaudet,but it has somehow managed to last her for 3 years.

[Pagwatch]

The label doesn't matter. No one will care really. But you mention the cost and that would be an issue if it feels expensive.
Children lose uniform. Lots of it. So only buy things that as much as possible won't cause a problem if it goes missing.

Dd is a sensible girl and was in a class of only 11 and her school blazer went missing week 2.
Buy that which you can best afford to lose and most easily replace.

[Pagwatch]

Yy to writing the name all over the inside in permanent marker.

[Ragwort]

I don't think Timberland is designer - of course it's a designer range .

Yes, I would judge a parent who spent that amount of money on a child's coat, it is an obscene amount to spend. Children's coats invariably get lost/ruined at school. I used to help at a local school and the amount of angst over lost property was ridiculous - there are loads of coats around in supermarkets/outdoor shops/charity shops etc etc - my DS is 13 and I don't think I have ever bought him a full price coat.

[RustyBear]

Judging by the number of unnamed "label" coats we had in lost property last year, lots of kids have them.

Have a look in your local charity shop, that's where ours ended up.....

[VeraGrant]

Nobody will judge you in the slightest. Honestly.

In 7 years of primary with dd I have never noticed what brand of jacket another child has.

Might be different if the jacket had 'PRADA' emblazoned across the front but short of that who has time/ energy to give a shit?

[mrz]

Surely Timberland is a brand name rather than "designer range "

[adrianna22]

DS dad brought him the Nike trainers and he got them on sale . Though they have lasted for quite some time now.

Thanks everyone for the useful comments. I'm just going to wait till the winter range comes out. For now, I'm just going to get DS those waterproof jackets.

[worldgonecrazy]

TK Maxx is your friend.

[Eva50]

Ds2's Adidas jacket is the only school coat that has gone missing never to return. I have had a DC in primary school for the last 14 years and normally just buy a school coloured or black jacket, they always turn up. The Adidas one was £2 from a charity shop but was a lovely jacket and ds was upset.

I would buy a cheap/charity shop/sale jacket for school. Ds3's latest was from ebay.

[DaisyFlowerChain]

Does anybody really notice brands at primary school? Who cares what it costs as long as it's fits and is clean. I'd notice ill fitting or dirty clothes but don't even give a thought as to the brand.

Noble, I did that too re bright coat. Debenhams used to do some lovely ones and I could always spot him amongst the mainly black coats.

They may come into play more at secondary but amongst the children more likely than the parents.

[Ragwort]

People do notice brands, and flame me if you like, but it is usually the parents of children who wear branded/designer labels who are always the ones who can't afford a £ or 2 for non uniform day or similar fund raising events. (in my experience - three different primary schools).

[NigellasPeeler]

how on earth is Timberland a 'designer' label? LOL

[BikeRunSki]

Ebay get very strict if you want to sell Timberland stuff and send lots of pop ups saying "Are you sure this is genuine" type of thing, so I imagine many people do consider it to be a premium brand, if not designer.

I am never really sure what constitutes "designer" though, but can see that Timberland is probably more a more desirable brand than Matalan.

[mrz]

I would class Armani or Vivienne Westwood etc as designer Timberland or Barbour as brands

[MinimalistMommi]

Is this thread a joke? Timberland is hardly designer!

[Ragwort]

I work in retail and would call 'Timberland' a designer/premium label - it is certainly more designer than bog standard clothes from supermarkets, Primark or M & S that I assume the majority of us wear.

I think people getting pedantic over the description 'designer' are missing the point - in my opinion it is an expensive make (is that a better word ) that I would consider a very special purchase and certainly not something for school. Still, I've learned something new in that people don't consider Timberland anything special.

Had to check whether this was the Style and Beauty thread .