Teen boy brands

[SisterAgatha]

I need help here. I wear a lot of alternative stuff mixed with medium end items. Often from Vinted. DM’s, faded All Saints leather jacket, some band T-shirts, faded 80’s mum jeans etc. Think aged goth. People do often ask where I bought stuff etc though so I don’t look like trash.

Now on to my boy, he’s 14, been wearing Zara hoodies, next tracksuit bottoms, jeans, some Vans T-shirts, he wears Vans hi-tops and some old Levi’s T-shirts, he has a Superdry jacket and hoodie. Mixed with plain basics from sainsburys. Probably because of my style and what I’ve always put him in.

In laws all dress in things like fake Nike Air Jordan’s, fake Gucci, fake balenciaga, those DFND or Mercier hoodies.

Am I out of touch here? Am I embarrassing my boy? I just don’t know where to start, I don’t really know any “in” brands at all. I’m a panic I’ve offered on some all saints T-shirts for him but again, I’ve done this because i like them. They may be absolutely awful to the eye of a teenager.

help me.

As a teenager, I'd think he'd tell YOU what he wants to wear surely? Mine is all about Nike. Luckily, he's very happy to rotate a small selection of clothes so he basically just has a bunch of Nike t-shirts and trackies - many of which were bought as birthday/christmas presents and then get worn to death. I notice that other kids seem to be similar, or like Addidas instead.

He also quite likes Hoodrich but buys those himself with his birthday/Christmas money.

Urban Outfitters is another one that he and his cousins like. I like to buy these as the t-shirts and hoodies are a bit more interesting and make good gifts.

North Face and Superdry are generally quite well liked around here too and I notice that seems to be the preference for coats for most of DS' friends.

Edited for coherence and basic grammar. It was embarrassing.

We aren’t a hoodrich family, he wouldn’t wear anything with a big name across it like that, but he does have some Nike hoodies.

He doesn’t make any complaints about what he wears basically. I suppose I’m feeling this because we had a party last week and he was sat there in a nice shirt and T-shirt underneath (he chose it) and everyone else was in a DFND hoodie or Mercier hoodie and I felt for him. He makes no fuss at all though.

I have never been in an urban outfitters but I will definitely go as it always looks nice. Thanks 🙂

I think if he doesn't complain, it's all good. Was the party with his friends or a family party? You might find that as he's dressing similarly to his buddies, he's perfectly happy and doesn't mind that in other company he's dressed slightly differently.

His friends all dress the same as he does, a little bit vintage and Camden market-y , it’s only when we are with family and they are wearing all this stuff I’ve never heard of, I think oh… am I letting him down by not knowing what that is. I don’t really go in to sports shops you see, so I don’t get to see men’s sports clothes. Even my trainers I buy online from Office.

He couldn’t give two shits either way so I don’t know why I’m worrying really. Might retract that All Saints offer hahaha

I'm sure he'll tell you what he wants to wear. My ds15 has followed his own style preferences from about 12. It's changed but he's never been into brands. He likes vintage and unique. He wouldn't be caught dead in anything everyone else is wearing!

I think it really is about what his immediate peers are wearing - that's where the peer pressure comes in.

I find it quite amusing to see DS and my nephews together. They are all close in age but go to different schools and have different friends and interests. They all wear completely different brands/styles to each other.

But when DS' friends come over here, with the exception of the fact that some of his friends wear jeans which he point blank will not do, they all look pretty similar. Which is why I just discovered a random lightweight coat and a t-shirt that's not ours, in our washing basket!

Round here the fake gucci etc would get you laughed at.

My son has absolutely no interest in fashion (and is older) but he is in a band so the brands his friends like are :

Nike
Adidas
Vans
Converse
Lyle & Scott
Stone Island (usually bought 2nd hand)
Weekend Offender
Boss
Band t shirts
Mixed in with Primark, Sainsburys & H&M

I forgot North Face

Urban outfitters is your friend here. Their sales are great and they do lots of in app offers.

That’s exactly it! They go to different schools, they have very different interests, so when they are together and we are sitting there like the Addams family, I think oh god
will they take the piss out of him (they might, some of them aren’t nice).

He always looks nice i think, but I would think that as I’m also quite alternative and he’s wearing clothes I’ve sort of channeled him in to 🤣 he does look like he’s in a band tbh, I found a white tshirt in his room that someone had written “who the fuck is Taylor Swift” on in sharpie so that’s the level of branding we have in this house haha

Primark is also a good one for the odd nice t shirt.
ive noticed he never buys their band T shirts though, virtually every t shirt he has is a band one, but bought at gigs rather than shops - this is a thing relating to people wearing nirvana tops and saying things like “you can’t wait for them to tour”

gap are good for skinny waist but wide leg jeans

Agreed, the fake stuff makes me feel like its buying an identity I don’t want to have. If you can’t afford it real or new, buy second hand or save up for it.

I’m going to have a look on urban outfitters for sure.

I think if he’s happy in them, and his friends wear similar, then fine. I don’t dress my DS in the usual dinosaur stuff.

I like the sound of your style & same for adults, you wouldn’t wear those other fake styles yourself. Just not your thing.

I read a piece about clothing manufacturering, saying everyone wears the same now. That’s why we’re on Vinted.

Also, I recently overheard a pair of teenage boys talking about Balenciaga. Just a brand to them, it did make me chuckle!

He has some nirvana tops but is fully versed so he could definitely name three songs. I feel like we have the same style!

I should say we also do have some Uniqlo and Mango stuff but again god knows where it came from, my brothers old things I think. I don’t think they are very on brand teen items 🤣

sorry I keep thinking of other things he’s said!
stussy is back, but obscenely expensive now. It still makes me smile seeing it.
Skate / surfing shops seem good for brands like animal, Santa Cruz. Skate hut, salt rock, Ann’s surf shop.

I'm sure he would tell you if he was bothered. I have teen boys, they don't care about labels. They generally wear Uniqlo and some sports brands. They like comfortable clothes. My nephew is much more into brands, but prefers sporty brands like Nike.

Think I'm going to look at Urban Outfitters now though! Not somewhere I've thought of trying.

Agreed, the fake stuff makes me feel like its buying an identity I don’t want to have. If you can’t afford it real or new, buy second hand or save up for it.

The more expensive of those brands I have listed is pretty much only one of my son's friends wears them. He has worked alongside studying since he was 16 and either saves up for them or has them as a main xmas present etc.

Uniqlo is acceptable and a favourite shop, another one is h and m, but you have to weed out the obscure.

Ah yes the name three nirvana songs, I think our teens would be friends I’m wholeheartedly enjoying reliving my 90’s youth through them

My son and his friend would definitely not only be able to name the songs but could also play them on their instruments!

He has an Animal jacket too. You know what. The more I read here, the more I think we are probably alright in our choices and it was me having a wobble similar to that at the year 10 disco 🤣

Whenever I see or hear anything blondie related I always think of the mumsnet story (apologies whoever you were for retailing your story but it’s fantastic)
there was a mumsnetter wearing her original blondie t shirt out, teen girl wearing one that you can buy in next clocks her. And says to her friends “she probably doesn’t know who she is”

For what it’s worth mines only just started buying his own and actively seeking stuff out. He’s 15.
it all has to be approved by the girls in his phone prior to purchase though.

That's hilarious vegetables

My son and his friends are sick of me telling them the very first single I ever bought was Blondie.

Mine won’t wear anything with a visible logo/slogan, no matter how tiny. Everything has to be completely plain. Which is a total pain because online photos don’t always show them, so sometimes I’ve bought things thinking they’re plain and they’re not (Zara I’m looking at you).

The most memorable one was a parka that stupidly had ‘Whatever’ written on the sleeve. I refused to return it because the weather had turned, he needed it and we’d exhausted all the shops. Every time he complained about it, I found myself saying “Whatever” to him with a smirk. This progressed to any whinge about anything being met with “Whatever” if he did it while wearing it. Then dh and dd picked up on it and started saying it to him too.

It drove him batshit, but we had a lot of fun with it (and he is a total whinger, so it was good to have an amusing response).