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Original poster

How much do you spend on your daughter's clothes?

75 replies

SomeGuy · 04/10/2009 02:31

My daughter is 2. My wife has decided that DD needs to be kept well-styled and hence needs numerous items of footwear (two kinds of boots, various shoes), numerous dresses, and so on. The stuff she's buying is Debenhams type stuff, so the damage could be a lot worse, I should add.

How much do you spend for your child of this age?

OP posts:

claireybee · 04/10/2009 10:27

DD (3) has a ton of clothes but most of it is hand me downs or presents. This year I have bought her: 2 summer dresses, 1 pair of wellies, 1 pair of shoes, 3 pairs of leggings, 7 long sleeved tshirts, 1 cardigan. Will need to buy her winter boots at some point, and her pyjamas are getting a bit short in the leg.

I often see things that I'd love to buy her but just can't justify it when she already has so many clothes that she can't wear it all.

treacletart · 04/10/2009 10:32

I really enjoy buying clothes for dd (2). I think she looks great and we get nice comments on what she's wearing most days. Her wardrobe is almost entirely from Ebay. It costs a tiny fraction of buying new and therefore I can afford much better quality than if I had to buy new. There's a much wider choice than the high street, its easier than shepherding a wriggly toddler round the shops, plus of course its it's ecologicaly and ethically far superior. I reckon I would spend an average of £8 a month on clothes for her.

nancy75 · 04/10/2009 10:34

loads, only have 1 dd, wont be having more so she is spoilt. i dont think 2 pairs of shoes/boots is over the top if you can aford it.

lljkk · 04/10/2009 10:36

Leaving aside shoes (typically 1 pair each of fitted trainers and school shoes at a time, plus wellies and sandals -- those last 2 are often 2nd hand, too),
I still spend very little even now that DD is 8yo. We have had lots of second hand items given to us (or sometimes bought for her by relatives, usually per my suggestions). I only buy what she needs, and that's only after scouring charity shops for the item(s) first. I don't just do that because of being mean with money, it's also an ethical-environmental thing. One day she'll be a teenager and truly particular about brands and looking good, I'm in no hurry to bring that phase on.

I humbly suggest to OP that the clothes-buying thing is 95% your DW's pleasure. It is very common, ime, for mothers of only girls to do this, particularly among women who themselves quite enjoy 'looking good'. One of my (lovely but "high maintenance") aunts shops like that for her DD, which is great for the rest of the large and generally more impoverished family, because of the terrific quality and large quantity of hand-me-downs that we get.

So Not for me to say if it's a right or wrong pleasure for your DW to indulge.

cleaningsucks · 04/10/2009 10:36

my daughter always look great. and she wears a combinaton of charity shop clothes (gap etc - its amazing what you can find) and hennes pretty much. ine pair of shoes/boots/ sandals depending on foot growth. she got a pair of 'party shoes' - sequined from monsoon - for christmas for parties. i would say that adds up to about £200 a year, so £15 a month? but maybe thats because, unless its chazzer, i buy stuff for summer, and for winter, in one go and dont buy a few things here and there. this is because we dont have any money. but, tbh, i find kids in 'outfits' horrific and as she has got older, i want her to understand the value of things.

charis · 04/10/2009 10:38

my dd is nearly four. I bought her lots of lovely clothes when she was 2 shortly before she became absolutely adamant that she would not wear anything but leggings and cat t shirts with crocs. She has a wardrobe full of beautiful pristine dresses and a very independant mind.

sugardumpling · 04/10/2009 10:52

My DD is 3 and has loads of clothes but most of hers are from h&m, george, next,ect, no designer stuff. I tend to spend more on shoes/boots and she has loads! My DH is always moaning about the amount she has, but hey we're girls we like to shop .
DD is also beginning to get very selective about what she wears though!

sarah293 · 04/10/2009 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SickForGoreAndBleedsBile · 04/10/2009 11:00

I spend/spent too much by many folks standards I suppose. But thankfully DD has started school and is now in uniform so I don't spend anything now

I just took a look at DD's shoes though and she has:

Crocs
Clarks Sandals
Cacharel Sandals from ebay
Trainers
Canvas Mary Janes
2 pairs pale pink round toed mary janes, different designs. Both bought at sale prices of around 25 quid.
Startrite school shoes
Buckle My Shoes boots from last year that prob don't fit now so will have to replace.
Some cheap but sparkly brown velvet MJ's from H&M for parties.
Wellies
Erm..think that's it.

DS has three pairs.
Sandals
Trainer boots
Crocs

It's a mum's prerogative to dress her DC's before they refuse to be dressed by anyone but themselves. As long as it's within budget.

I don't buy designer stuff, there's no need. Except on occasions I do like to buy the odd nice item from somewhere like Nordic Kids.

kidcreoleandthecoconuts · 04/10/2009 11:11

My DD is 20 months and has loads of clothes. It's down to me really as I love buying them.
I don't buy second hand but I do buy loads of new things off ebay like Gap, Catimini, Sucre d'orge and Boden. It's much cheaper than the shops. And I only spend what is in my PayPal account that contains money I have made from selling her clothes on. I also buy in the sales at Benetton,Next and a little boutique near us that sells Kenzo and Oilily. DD doesn't walk so we don't have the cost of shoes yet!

pointydoug · 04/10/2009 11:20

I wonder why a child needs to be kept well-styled

sarah293 · 04/10/2009 11:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sugardumpling · 04/10/2009 11:36

Because some people like shopping some don't, personal preference . All my DDs clothes go to charity when she outgrows them.

yada · 04/10/2009 11:43

i spend about £300 a month on both dd's.

might seem like loads to some people but its a bit of a obbsession to me, they have about 20 pairs of shoes each and about 5 pairs of boots each.

will have to cut down now they are both at school and dont wear as much.

lumpsdumps · 04/10/2009 11:52

I spend about £100 on both dds a month

GodzillasBumcheek · 04/10/2009 12:00

I used to spend £600 each per year on DD1 and DD2. Including school uniform.

I spend quite a bit less now, as they tell me when they are running low on certain items. Which is weird because i'm sure most kids would play on that a bit and claim extra clothes which weren't needed.

I don't see the point in buying shed loads of clothes/shoes...they only seem to wear their favourites over and over again anyway!

(Disclaimer...the kids i'm talking about are 12 and fantastically odd, thank goodness)

SycsUpGoreAndBleedsBile · 04/10/2009 12:05

I don't think DD's need to be kept well styled at all. I guess I'm just a mum who likes fashion/clothes shopping herself and so when I buy for DD I can't/don't want to switch that interest off. I'm not interested in buying clothes for anyone that are just functional, it's just another way of expressing myself and finding small pleasures in what can be a tough old world-of-few-pleasures at times

Heated · 04/10/2009 12:07

I agree with lljkk, & will freely admit shopping for dd is about giving ME pleasure, at 3 she couldn't give a monkeys what she wears.

Usually I buy clothes for the dcs when there is a discount or sale. I don't buy weekly or even monthly for her but will do a big splurge when it's needed. Last cost on dd was last weekend, £86 for a pair of shoes and boots but they will last her probably 6m.

Bigmouthstrikesagain · 04/10/2009 12:22

God I am feeling really tight now as I don't spend very much on clothes for my 3. ds is in uniform so needs only a few tops trews and has 2 pairs shoes and one pair wellies, dd1 is 3 and has loads of clothes vastmajority are from carboot sales. I bought some new trousers from tesco for pre-school and she has 2 pairs of shoes and some wellies. I don't think there is any point in having more than a couple of pairs as they replaced frequently as feet grow and I always get bloody expensive fitted shoes.

Dd2 is nearly one and wears a mix of hand me downs and second hand. I am always getting compliments on girls clothes so they don't look scruffy I just think buying new when there is so much good 2nd hand stuff is unnecessary.

But it is the buy it all new brigade that keep me supplied with pristine 2nd hand clothing so ... Keep it up ladies!

Remotew · 04/10/2009 12:23

When DD was this age I spent as much as I could afford which wasn't a lot. Shoes were one pair plus boots/sandals. Clotheswise maybe an outfit per day so 7. I'm glad I didn't over indulge. She is almost grown up now and isn't always wanting the lastest gear. Nowadays I will buy her a few outfits for leisure time at the start of summer/winter but I'm not always being pestered.

I think you should spend as much as you can comfortably afford if seeing your DD very well turned out floats your boat. It's not always a priority with people.

Good idea about selling the stuff on ebay once its outgrown. If you have the time and inclination.

Remotew · 04/10/2009 12:27

Oh I forgot in addition to the functional she always had a party outfit including shoes.

bronze · 04/10/2009 12:31

but why does well turned out = spending.
I can count on one hand the number of things I have bought dd (excepting shoes) yet because I am the non proud one I get enough hand me downs for three children so can choose a lovely whole new wardrobe from it all for nothing. The rest gets freecycled and then when she grows out of it I recycle again.

We do buy more new stuff for the boys but with 3 of them it does get worn out by the end

Original poster

SomeGuy · 04/10/2009 12:33

soemguy - can you afford it? if not i suggest you talk to your DW about it.

if you can, i suggest you suck it up. two pairs of boots doesn't seem excessive

Yes we can afford it. I'm not overly bitter about it, just curious. DW did say much what people have said here "it's my one chance to dress up a little girl".

I am a bit at all the ebay comments. She hasn't taken on my hints that old toys, etc., should go on ebay, so if I want something ebayed I have to do it myself.

Can't be arsed with ebaying children's shirts for £2 or £3 a time though.

OP posts:

crokky · 04/10/2009 12:45

People are all different I suppose. My DS is 3 and my DD is 1 and what I want from clothes for the is the following:

-warmth
-comfort
-practicality
-some fun things on tshirts like Thomas/Mr Men or simliar

I don't spend much, but if I do get something, I make sure it will be washable/tumble dryable and suitable for everyday wear. I like decent quality stuff but would not pay more than a few pounds for one item - young children can destroy an item of clothing so if this happens it needs to be cheapish!

Both kids wear all their clothes, I don't have any excess clothes. DS has school shoes for nursery, trainers and wellies. DD has one pair of shoes and one pair of wellies.

When clothes are finished with, they go to my cousins's DD if they are still wearable or they have been worn out, they go to the charity shop for the rag man.

Plenty of people like their DDs to look nice and have quite a lot of expensive clothes. I think that's fine so long as you can afford it and you dispose of the clothes and shoes ethically afterwards. Personally, I am not into clothes much so I buy my kids simple comfortable stuff. If I loved clothes, I would buy more stuff for my kids.

notyummy · 04/10/2009 12:58

It's interesting that some people see a correlation on being 'into' clothes yourself and spending £££ on kids....because I do love clothes and spend a reasonable amount on myself.... but I don't grow out of them and look after them - plus I do care what I look like.

My dd falls into neither of these three categories, therefore I buy here practical (and also pretty) second hand stuff - and guess what - that means I can save for her future AND have slightly more money to spend at Net-a-Porter.

What's not to love?

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