Good quality boys clothes, but not too 'trendy' - like Boden I guess... where to buy?

[ASecretLemonadeDrinker]

Sorry for random title, brain not in gear. Anyhooo I have 2 DSs (soon to be 3)just 4 and 19m and need to get them some clothes. I think the 4 year old is lasting long enough to get decent stuff, and obviously will be handed down twice but I have no idea where to buy. I have eyed up some stuff in Boden (polos and the like) but that's all I have seen. Preferably I don't want anything with skulls etc, and too trendy/fashion-y (brands like Bench, Henleys, timberland etc.) I have trawled the web for toddler jackets like berghaus but cannot seem to find anything. Thanks so much if you can help

Polarn o Pyret only have a few shops in the UK and don't sell online as far as I know but they make brilliant, brilliant hard wearing Swedish clothing. Their fleeces and snowsuits are particularly fabulous.

We also buy replica rugby shirts for DS - tho expensive, you can get the previous years colours much cheaper, and they really wear well. We do a lot of layering of long sleeved tee under short sleeved rugby shirt or tee shirt

The thing DS wears that is most commonly commented on is his stripy leggings from Stardust - especially the yellow and black ones that he calls his bumble bee leggings

Thank you for starting this thread, it has brought my attention to Vertbaudet - and I've just ordered a heap of stuff for my DS

BattyKoda- I like Vertbaudet, but I find the sizes come up really small

I love Petit Bateau with a passion for both my kids. Simple, classic and stylish. Not cheap, but if you buy at the start of the season you get a big discount. But as you mention berghaus I was in Polarn o Pyret earlier and they do exactly that sort of cagoul thing, looks hardwearing, in all colours.

Hi, I buy mainly Boden and Gap for my ds. Boden is a bit dearer but you can usually get 10%-15% off. I find Boden clothes very hardwearing and once my ds has grown out of them I sell them on Ebay for more than half the cost of the original purchase.

Is there a Zara near you? I buy quite a bit of stuff there - esp good if tall slim DS like mine as trousers are long and narrow.

St. George by Duffer (debenhams) are great for jumpers, they wash really well and don't bobble.

Frugi has nice quality tops (ethical too). I tend to get most of my stuff when they have a sale on but most things I have bought from there have been able to pass on so has been good value even at full price.

M&S has ok bits sometimes. I just avoid the logoed stuff they sometimes get in.

I've always found Mini mode at Boots to be pretty good quality and often nice bright colours.

I was hugely disappointed in Vertbaudet- sent everything back.

Some of this looks quite nioce:

name it

Oh no!! I've ordered loads from Vertbaudet! At least it's free to return....

Bodens boys trousers last extremely well and are a bargain if you get them in the sale. GAP have lovely t-shirts and tops and again whenever you go past one just go in and have a look at the sale rack. Everything else tends to be supermarket bought which will be thrown when he has outgrown it.

I love

gap
m&s
next

I love

gap
m&s
next

Monsoon have lovely stuff for boys at this age.
Miniman clothes are beautiful and great quality. A bit pricey though.

My advice would be spend a bit more on tops and then get shorts or trousers from the likes of next. This can really bring the price of an outfit down.

Buy tops/coats/jackets from all the places mentioned - M&S, Gap, H&M, Zara, Boden and team them up with cheaper jeans/trousers from places like Primark/Tesco etc.
It always seem to be the trousers that get ruined quickly with boys and it gets expensive when they rip the knees of their £20 jeans!

Primark do some fab boys jeans/trousers for about £4 a pair. You could even take the 'Rebel' label off, and nobody would know where they were from .

My DSs nearly always have about 5 pairs of Primark trousers as a 'basic starter' in their wardrobes:
2 x jeans
1 x beige (like chinos!)
1 x black (smartish, with a shirt)
1 x navy (wear for cubs/beavers)

Fat Face & Crew do nice boys tops too, but not a huge range....
I love Gap T-shirts, and they wear very well, but are usually on the big side - size-wise.

Tesco cord trousers were fab for winter....

Kids Should be Kids are dreadful- they should be banned for being so boring!

Vertbaudet and La Redoute used to be brilliant - their clothes were lovely quality when DCs was little.

Both DCs clothes are a mix of Sainsburys, Asda, and Boden. Had some really good trousers from Asda with legs that roll up and fasten with a button, great for cloth bums that need bigger bottoms without long legs.

Girls trousers from sainsburys been really good too,and they often have 25% off. Lots of cute Boden tops/tshirts and a pair of reversible baggies (with discount codes). Wish I had an H&M or primark nearby!

Sainsburys do some nice t-shirts for boys of about 10/11. At least they did last year - ds has a few still going strong.

Milletts/Blacks have a few nice looking things - combat trousers, fleeces etc - but start from age 3, so I havn;t tried any yet.

Second everyone's vote for John Lewis. Also Sainsbury's and the odd bit from Next.