I now know why teenage boys dont go out...

[GnomeDePlume]

Went out today to buy a pair of shorts and pyjamas for DS aged 13 (to supplement holiday wear).

Went to two Tescos, Sainsburys and Next.

Absolutely nothing for boys beyond the age of 12.

I can only assume that lads continue to wear clothes bought for them when they were 12 until they are about 17 and start to fit adult clothes. This would explain all the 'cropped' trousers and tee shirts I see!

It would also explain the obsession with xbox etc. They need something to do until they can find clothes that fit and they can go out into the world again!

Gap and Zara are good for pre-teen boys.

I got my DS 13, skinny and not that tall some nice summer pyjamas at Marks and Spencer. They're also ok for tee shirts and shorts, not too pricey, if you look carefully. The rest I get from the big supermarkets.

Shoes and sandals are also a bit funny: size 5.5/6 means that he's too big for boys, too small for men's. In the end I found some great ones from a third party at Amazon.

Asda men's pyjama bottoms in XS are great. Got my DS about 5 pairs and I think they'll last a few years. Quality is lovely. All in a fleezy cotton. H&M also good but wish they went a bit older than 14 as the quality and price are really good I find.

Beware of those feet reshetima, DS went into a shop in size 5s and came out in size 8s!

I can only assume that he had folded his feet up in some sort of origami arrangement!

One good thing is that while DS is not sporty, he is a keen army cadet with the plus that they provide the uniform! We have to provide boots which isnt too bad for cost.

DS is 28" waist but also 28" hips! He has no backside to speak of so if trousers dont hang to his waist the next point of contact will be his flipper feet!

I know Soccer sports gets sniffed at on MN, but I bought a lot of my DSs jeans and T shirts from there.

It's not all sports clothing in there.

Soccer sports is a new one on me. We get things like trainers from Sports Direct.

I am taking note of all the suggestions of different places to look. I was just shocked that there was nothing available in the shops themselves.

It might be called Sports Direct now though.

But really the jeans and T shirts are worth looking at in there.

Oh right, thank you. I will take a look, I hadnt thought of checking out their clothes.

MandMdirect are another option worth a look.

River island men's start at 26 inch waist.

BHS is really good for young teen clothes and go up to age 16.

DS1 at 14 has just measured up as size 13 feet Luckily we don't have the issues your having with clothes as he's very definitely wearing men size clothing but DS2 is wavering between big kids and small adults (M&S do 14/15 iirc) I tend to buy him jeans from Primark and then adjust the leg length.

Thanks all!

I've got this to come. Ds has just turned 7 but is in size 9/10 clothes (he's really tall).

Is this one of those times that not even Johnny Boden does anything for? Not that I can imagine a 13 yr old boy wanting a shark appliqued t-shirt!

We've got this too. DS2 is a tall 12yo. Primark Small t-shirts fit him, and in the last month, he's just made it into 28" waist, 30" leg trousers - with a belt. Nothing else. No choice. He needed a dressing gown and it took us 6 months to find him one; he still needs a jacket and we've been looking for 3. Looks like it's going to be like that for the next couple of years too... It's rubbish!

I also feel your pain. DS is 15.
I look on ebay a lot - my main search is T shirt age 15 - and buy whatever I can find!
Sensibly DS doesn't want to wear sports gear or anything with offensive logos on, so that narrows it down even further.

Ds is 16 and remember how awful it was to get clothes for him in his early teens. I got a lot from Verbaudet and La Redoute.Also Debenhams Red Herring range. He had been in man's clothes since he was 14. Still had problems finding him a suit for prom.He is a 38long in a jacket and there are not many around, but ended up with a nice M&S skinny fit.

Asda do underwear and PJs up to 16. H & M, and Gap go up to at least 14, as does M&S, and we have just bought a Primark XS for my DS3 age 11 and 5 foot tall, which fits OK. I think Hollister also do sizes to fit that age range , not that anything would induce me to go in there, it feels like an assault on all my senses at once! Boden do a teenage range starting from about age 10, very nice but pricey.

Shoes, has anyone mentioned how hard it is to find bargain shoes size 12-3 (girls) & boy sizes 4-7? Sandals & wellies & anything cheap & cheerful easily found in child sizes, the selection dries right up, especially at lower price ranges.

I am bad at buying stuff mail order, & DS hates shopping so it's like pulling teeth to get him to try anything on for fit. Thank goodness for M&S.

Another vote for La Redoute mail order
www.laredoute.co.uk/children-children-teens.htm

DS got his stuff mainly from Debenhams & H&M, but also BHS & republic.

I finally got DS to agree to go shopping with me last summer before he went off to university. I forced him to go into the changing rooms to try on two shirts. He chose one -- I don't know if he actually tried either one of them on.

This was the first time since he was 8 that he had come with me to get clothes for him, and the first time since age 8 that he had owned shorts that weren't basketball-related, or t-shirts that he didn't get from sports teams and leagues he had participated in or other sports-related shirts. This summer he had to buy 'work casual' trousers and three shirts for his job and now he knows how to iron..

He hasn't slept in pajamas since about age 10 -- just sleeps in boxers and men's vests.

DS has the largest and widest size in men's shoes -- anything bigger and he would need specially ordered footwear or roasting pans. I crossed my fingers mightily as they kept on growing and growing and growing but thankfully they have finally stopped.