Can we talk 13 year old boys or is that anathema in style and beauty?

[Dumbledoresgirl]

If you have or have recently had a 13 year old boy who is not into sportswear, from where did you buy casual clothes for them?

I did a brief round of my local shops with my 13 year old the other week. I kind of felt that Animal or FreeSpirit (I think that was the name?) was the kind of shop I should be in, but ds was equally unimpressed no matter where we went.

Also, am I supposed to buy mens clothing for him now? He is reasonably tall (5 foot 6 and growing by the day) but as skinny as a rake. The only shop I know of that sells clothes for children aged 13/14 is M&S and they haven't had anything decent for his age for years. Most other shops seem to stop at age 10 or 12. But menswear? For my little boy? It takes some getting used to!

Please, any help/advice? Ds has zero interest in clothes so there is no point asking him. Dh has advised me he was the same at that age and that I should simply provide something the appropriate size.

what do you mean...'recently have or have HAD a 13 year old boy'?? as in given birth to one lol???!!!

my ds is 11 and a bit...get his stuff from m and m,some from next. he likes the goth look tho,so will be looking elsewhere soon

yep,menswear...he's growing up!!

I neither have, nor have ever had, a 13 year old boy but the coolest boys at school wear drainpipe jeans with preppy jumpers and fitted jackets when not in uniform. Maybe H&M? All Sains sale might be worth a look too, as their stuff comes up v small. Also Zara.

All SainTs.

Maybe French Connection too?

No I meant have you got a 13 year old son or a son who was recently 13 ie is now 14 or 15 or 16!

I am happy ds is growing up but he is way skinnier than any adult male I know and I am not sure how clothes are going to stay on him/not hang off him in folds.

My DS1 is nearly 15 now but I had the opposite problem to you - he was quite chunky so I was buying 13/14 clothes when he was 11.

Also not in to sportswear (thankfully). I think H&m go up to age 14 or even 15, and Debenhams was quite useful.

As far as men's clothes go, it's up to you I suppose. I think DS started having small men's at about that age, but obviously avoid it for as long as poss.

Oh, and Next goes up to 16, and La Redoute.

You have my sympathy; that's a nightmare age to find clothes for.

And sometimes those bargain sports shops do vaguely normal goodies and T-shirts - can't remember the names of any of them.

Oh it is quite reassuring just to see you say it is a nightmare age to buy for. I thought somehow I was blind to all the clothes there are out there for 13 year olds!

A lot of shops mentioned here I simply don't have/have never heard of. H&M always seems so tacky to me but I admit I have previously been looking at the girls' clothing so I will give that place another go.

Also, I will look at LaRedoute because that is online, isn't it?

I know where you mean OurLady. Sports Direct has a big outlet near us and I have noticed quite innocuous rugby shirt type tops there. I was going to try there the other week but ds would have strangled me had I suggested another shop.

God yes - H&M is BEYOND tacky. But okay for basics like jeans and jumpers at times (though I only have dds).

DS2, almost 13, likes TopMan.

Gap boys size xxl is age 13-14 and up to height of five foot seven.

DS is tall and very skinny 11 year old - the Gap trousers and jeans fit him as they have waist adjusters.

OK, have searched online. Found one tshirt on Laredoute that might be a go-er.

I obviously need to get into more menswear shops. And maybe wait until the sales are over and shops like Gap have proper stock on the shelves.

Thanks for the ideas. I am beginning to see where the difficulty lies. Ds is in a man's body but still wants to wear little boy clothes.

DS1 will be 13 in June. We buy him Baker Boy jeans by Ted Baker - online at Debenhams. They are £26 a pair but look great on. All their designer tops are nice too. St George by Duffer, Ted Baker, J by Jasper Conran.

JD Sports is quite good. We bought him a Helly Hanson jacket (was actually reduced) and it looks casual but smart. In fact we went back and got one for DS2.

Saw in a weekend supplement, New Look are doing Giles Deacon chunky checked shirts for men.

I suspect their sizing is rather on the slim side.

DS likes Republic (loud and trendy but they have good offers and you can find plain stuff among the trendy, and the Small men's is again quite slim-fitting.)

Ds is a not particularly tall 13, and we have this problem. Largest Gap would fit him, but he scorns it (social death at his school, sadly). We have found that Uniqlo XS men's size fits him perfectly though for 'cool' shirts and very good quality whilst cheap plain knitwear.

Coffee - my DS isn't tall either and I had to cut about 4" off the jeans and use the sewing machine to put them back like they were with the stitching.

My DSs are 14 (5ft 7) and 13 (5ft) and both very rake like.

The older is "emo". He wears girls skinny jeans from H&M (age 14) or ladies size 6 from primark. He also wears very fitted ladies t shirts, either band ones or stipey things normally. I got him a couple of hoodies from Camden market before xmas - mens size small and they look extremely generous.

The younger one I get all his clothes from a local independent shop. He wears quiksilver, oneill, gantt, replay etc. All of these do ages 12,14 and 16 and the jeans still have adjustable waists, essential in our house if you are wearing boys trousers. He is considerably more expensive to dress than DS1 but not much effort as he doesn't care as much about what he wears.

Next have in the directory/online, but not in store, clothes up to age 16. They are much cheaper than buying mens clothing. Obviously you have to look hard as there are lots of horrible items but odd ok stuff mixed in. The 15/16 pyjamas I have just bought for the 5ft 8 DS1 are generous and long in the leg so obviously there is scope there for fit.

TK Maxx if you have time often yields quite a lot of older boys stuff - tends to be a lot of surf makes again - we have bought saltrock, quiksilver etc

My boys go to different schools, we live between the two and they are about 40 miles apart. At both schools it is popularly supposed that GAP stands for gay and proud and consequently neither will wear any GAP clothing. Whilst I do try to discourage any homophobia I know I have no chance of overcoming that as they would just get such a hard time.

Oh god I had no idea Gap was perceived in that way. I like their boys' clothes (the girls' stuff looks ok but then the skirts tend to come down to just below the knicker line which is simply too short imo). One of the few nice things ds1 has is a red hooded fleece with GAP written on it. He is just the non-trendy, sensitive, intellectual sort of boy to be called gay too.....

Oh and I should add, as you said mysteryfairy, I am not homophobic, and don't bring up my children to be so either, but I know gay is used as an insult in schools and ds1 just doesn't need the aggro.

Never heard the GAp thing, either at my daughters' school or the one I teach in, I must admit.