Anyone else stumped about where to buy your children's clothes now that Boden have declined in quality

[perceptionreality]

....while their prices have shot up! I'm really frustrated about it. Their leggings are absolute shite now - years ago they were brilliant.

It's very annoying because my youngest is too wide for Gap stuff and I find other shops like M&S and Next are a bit hit and miss. The Boden tops used to wash and wash and could easily be used for 2 or even 3 children. Now after a few months of washes they are reduced to tat. Such a shame.

Where do you shop instead?

I rather like verbaudet - the stuff washes and washes and wears well and is a bit continental in style so it's not as garish as a lot of other stores.
it's worth a look - the happy price stuff is cheap, but the other stuff isn't cheap, but is good quality i find.

One more to add - some nice things in Mothercare. I find Debenhams good to shop online, you can get Jasper Conran, John Rocha, and various other designer kids line too and if you are on their email list they quite often do discounts.
Went into Next recently and struggled to find anything I liked, their spring lines seem to have gone mad for florescent colours which I thought looked a bit grim.

ooh and they do three fits to their jeans - skinny normal and wide, which can be very useful!

I agree with Fat face and H and M - although if your youngest is too wide for Gap, may be the same for them. DS is Mr Average and these fit OK but not generously. I have done OK with Boden shorts and trousers recently and winter long sleeve T shirts but summer quality often worse and I won't buy their short sleeve T shirts at all.
Next do some Boden rip off items which are often as good as the old ones (but then some is rubbish)
And of course John Lewis!

Agree with Vertbaudet. Nice styles and easy to avoid pink for girls (my personal bugbear!). There are always discounts available too - even for non-happy price stuff, particularly after your first order (they will bombard you with emails, but the offers are generally good), so I find the prices very reasonable and you can usually get free delivery.

Well, I still use them for some daywear. Agree about the quality decline, but they're still better than other high street shops, that I recall, in being good value for money.

You'll potentially have to spend more for better quality. I use smaller, lesser known brands and boutiques. My favourite shops are those like Elias and Grace, which sell brands like Bonton and Miller, Maan etc. We've bought lots and lots of Miller dresses for the dds and they're wonderful, understated too. I also like the Scandinavian brands e.g. Smafolk, Molo wash nicely and minimal ironing.
Polarn are ok too, and I would recommend, but not consistent quality, with fading of some items I've also found.

Agree that Next very hit and miss and M&S awful for younger girls. Also find quality at H&M not very good.
I get quite a few bits online from Vertbaudet. The quality is decent, clothes wash well and are stylish and there is always some sort of online discount applicable. Also pick up bits and bobs from Boots, Zara, Debenhams and local kids boutiques.

I've looked around for boy's clothes, and the choice I think on the high street is pretty appalling. I never, ever dress the boys up (they wouldn't have it). Also DS1 doesn't manage buttons very well even now (8yo) so we stick to t shirts and trousers with elasticated waists.

I think Boden are still really good for trousers. They have a bigger range and more elasticated waists than anywhere else. The quality is fine, and you don't have to get them into looking like mini teenagers. And to tell the truth, I have tried trousers from M&S, H&M, JL and the like, and they are all far too big around the waist.

I still like Boden coats and pyjamas too. But I wouldn't buy t shirts from there. JL is fine, H&M ok. I haven't ever had a t shirt wear out, they just don't. It's the trousers that go (esp in the knees).

And I knit them jumpers.

DD (11) is on the narrow side so I find Gap and Next tend to offer the widest choices of clothes that will actually fit. I find that M & S and BHS offer more clothes for chunky children and so do Asda, but if you shop at Boden you might not want Asda clothing, although I have been pleasantly suprised at the quality.
I find Debenhams a bit little girly for that age. DD loves Hollister.

Shop around!
H&M is good for basics, but I find it useless for children 8+ (not my taste and trousers are too big for my tall and lean ds, for insntace)
Decathlon for basics.
Zara is hit and miss, used to be much better. Makes good trousers for boys though.
Okaidi as well.
Petit Bateau is boring and overpriced at the moment (though good for women's tshirts).
I buy stuff (wool jumpers, coats, dresses) from independent shops during the sales. I like American Outfitters, Bellerose, Maan, Bonton etc. and from Nordickids.co.uk (during the sales)

Frugi is brilliant for quality and style, IMO. They're not cheap, but they have brilliant sales. They are cut very large though, and lots of the stuff I've bought for my long-legged skinny-arsed DS are never going to be worn. Good resale value on eBay though. JoJo Maman Bebe similar quality/style/cost.
Oh, and I'm another fan of H&M too. Definitely the best on the high street for children.

Our H&M children's department is very patchily stocked you have to be lucky to get something nice in the right size.
I have DDs, but their boys stuff looks ok.

Skulls, what is it with skulls they give me the creeps!

John Lewis good for boys. Frugi also good - stuff lasts a long time (although we also have problem of skinny 2 yr old who does not fit their trousers). Boots mini mode good for girls if you can find it.

John Lewis
Polarn O Pyret- always great quality
Comptoir des Cotonniers
H & M very hit and miss imo

Laura Ashley do nice stuff but sadly stop at age 8.

Pumpkin Patch certainly used to be v good - I brought back a heap of stuff from Oz which is now 6yo and doing ds3 - still washing and wearing beautifully. Must see how near we are to one now that we've moved. Prices used to be good too.

Am starting to struggle to buy decent stuff for ds1 (8) which can be passed down to ds2 and ds3. Gap is still great for trousers I find although I really rate the Boden stripe shorts so I hope the quality still good this summer. I've tried some organic stuff but aside from Frugi, it doesn't last. I was looking at Viking Kids, and scandi brands in general for tops, I've found Katvig bits I have got last v well. Dd I struggle with, monsoon leggings are fab and H&M trousers, M&S do decent party dressses but decent tops, jumpers etc v hard to come by except for JOJo (colours limited tho). Would prefer to buy fewer good quality things for her now she's 3.

£25 for a T-shirt (pre sale in Elias and Grace)! I will stick to Sainsbury and Asda!

YuleingFanjo I was beginning to think I was The only nm who buys from Asda:)
Although I do sometimes buy John Lewis and Debenhams in the sales....

some nice stuff here www.jako-o.com/shop/Clothing/group/5494/Clothing.g5494.0.html

prices are in euro

Another vote for Lands End - I followed a link to their children'swear sale from an S&B recommendation a few months ago and haven't looked back. Will be buying summer coats from there this year, instead of usual Boden. Agree - quality at Boden has gone tits up.

Joules is top quality, washes well, and you can get it at a good discount in the sale.

Best option around, but not cheap.

Fat face also good.

I disagree about Joules quality for children, it can be ok, but not consistently so. E.g. some of those cheaper jersey dresses and tops and leggings. I've returned two items recently for sewing faults/poor quality The adult range is fine, however.

I love jako-o! I found the site years ago and somehow managed to lose the bookmark and forget the name, so thanks for the link :o

Muddy Puddles are fab for colourful outdoorsy sort of stuff, especially for boys. Not a vast range, admittedly, but the quality is excellent and their customer service has always been really good. Got some nice stuff in their sale recently and their rainflex waterproofs are amazing.

For those wondering about tomato stains, sunlight is the answer. On a sunny day hang the clothes up in a south facing window. The stains will be gone after a few hours.