Autumn/winter coat for teen boy

[Mammamia321]

My elder son (almost 15) does not care about clothes at all which is great most of the time but last year he ended up wearing one of my raincoats rather than get his own and I want it back! Plus I would like to help him look a bit more presentable. What is a ‘cool’ coat for a 15 year old boy to wear walking to school in rain/cold, that isn’t the £250 North Face one as that is just too much money for us…

Hmm …

Our young weren’t keen on North Face (too ‘everywhere’) but at around the same age, early teens, were given Fjällräven parkas that saw them through university.

Might you consider getting the North Face coat pre-owned - possibly ‘brand new with tags’? There must be millions of them about on Vinted / EBay / Depop (does that still exist?) - if that’s the only brand that would be acceptable?

Alternatively, if your town has a proper vintage shop still in existence you could take him to browse there. He might completely fall in love with a 1970’s US flying jacket or a 1990’s Emm and Ess Crombie …

Last resort - Primark. I’ve heard countless people rave about their winter parkas.

He won’t fall in love with anything @HoxtHun , he couldn’t care less about clothes! My younger son has a Primark puffa that is decent.

Hope you don’t mind me chiming in, I came here to ask the exact same question! We just moved here from a hot country and my almost 15 year old has never had a coat, has no idea what he likes but is also worried he will be picked on if he wears the “wrong” coat. Neither of us are the kind that likes to follow trends and our son also hasn’t got much interest in clothes, apart from avoiding sweatshop clothing and synthetics. He thinks my idea of a duffel coat would lead to bullying “because Paddington bear has one”. And we have been gone so long that we don’t know anything about coat culture (or counter culture!).

Help!

13 yo DS has a Jack Wolfskin puffa for cold but dry weather and a Mountain Warehouse waterproof (currently half price). Not sure what we'll do on cold AND wet days...

Haha yes I know! Thanks for the tips. We’ve bought waterproofs before because he grew up with monsoons, but there’s a huge difference between wet in hot weather, and freezing cold and wet.

I want to say just wear what you want and ignore everyone else, but I do still remember my secondary school experience of being mercilessly taunted not because of my cost but the colour of the lining (my parents: “nobody will notice the colour!”. Also it is a wealthy area and I have no intention of buying him a Ralph Lauren coat or whatever, which he mentioned as one kind he had seen (but was clueless about the fact it was a brand name!)

Ah the happy memories of being a teen…

My non brand- label wearing teen has got a lovely black padded coat from Uniqlo this year.

His brother is in head to toe Montirex and Nike 🤦🏻‍♀️