Designer clothes

[Candynet]

Hello, I'm new here but wanted to ask other Mums your opinions. My DS is 15years old. He loves his designer clothes, he hasn't got this from me at all. Seems to be just teenage boys these days. I am in a good job and have a comfortable life. I buy him some select designer clothes for Christmas and birthday to which both occasions he has a budget and picks what he wants. So he has had Lacoste, CP stuff like that £165 tracksuit jobby. The rest of the year he gets Nike , North Face stuff etc.

His friend has now trumped all of the peer group and is walking around in a Moncler jacket £650, McQueen Trainers £350 IPhone 11 Pro plus and this is just items for his birthday. The list goes on. This child lives in a council estate flat. Now I am not saying they can't afford it or downing these people in any way. Good luck to them. I just don't know how they are supporting a lifestyle like that and living with what seems limited means. How can my DS even keep up with this, I certainly can't and don't think I would pay that for teenage clothes. Do other Mums feel this pressure?! Kids asking for super expensive clothes?

@oohnicevase
Do you not know how council housing is allocated? You don’t need to be homeless or in need, you could be moving to the area for work, to support an elderly parent or you could have been in need and now improved yourself but can’t afford a mortgage; should the council turf you out unless you’re unemployed??
Weird ideas on here from supposedly intelligent people 🙄🙄

@JKScot4 I was pointing out what someone else's post implied..
I do understand exactly how it is allocated but thanks for jumping down my throat 🙄

Just say no, and talk to him about the value of money, the superficiality of branding, the importance of recycling, etc etc. I'd have done that ages ago. My DDs have never asked for a single brand, ever. They have nice clothes, carefully selected from E-Bay and charity shops. My 16 year old loves finding her own clothes in charity shops now. She's at private school, and finds the attitude some kids have quite funny. You don't have to follow the herd.

Your post suggests you think SH is for those in need. The snobbery on MN about SH is horrible especially as let’s face it none of us are far off being in need ourselves.

I think the implication is if you can afford all this stuff then surely you don't need a council house and it should be given to someone more in need ?

Lots of kids in my ds's school were the same ,dripping in designer gear. It seemed to be the boys rather than the girls. We bought ds basics and anything designer / expensive label he had to buy himself from his own money.

@Casander .My so bought himself that particular hoodie and I agree it's horrific!

Thank you everyone for your replies. Some people just don't seem to get what I was asking and assume that I am being judgemental on council estates! If you read the post you can see I'm not. I have been a Housing Officer for 20 years and been in and out of social housing people's house's all my life! Helping them! And how do you know I don't live on a council house myself? Isn't that judgemental? Yes my Son is a sheep! Yes he is into appearances! Again I said did not get that from me. That's my problem, that's why I asked! How do Mums keep up with kids that are into their appearance so much. I hate it, I like individuality. He's a teenage boy and doesn't like to stick out. I also know a lot of social housing yearn to have their own houses. So I thought that if they are spent over £1000 for their child's birthday wouldn't they also want to be in their own home on a nice estate. It's not downing them at all it being a snob far from it. Some are just missing the point. I have been in more social housing than I can count and some work full time and houses are beautiful. Again that's not my point.

Thank you fishcanfly yes you are right!

@jkscot4 no I am not assuming council tenants are poor at all!! It just doesn't compute if they had all that disposable income why they live in council housing. Clearly you feel people with £1000's in their bank account should sit pretty in council housing. Leaving families in need of housing in emergency B&B because of the housing shortage!

People saying their kids are in the best gear and living in council properties are too sucked into consumerism and also want to keep up with appearances because H&M is perfectly adequate . I wear ASDA clothes! Why buy a £650 coat it's ridiculous unless you are on £1 million pound a year in which case you shouldn't be in a council property. People saying they just live in council because maybe they can't get a mortgage, why can't they? Debt ? Bankruptcy? Because of consumerism? Credit rating low? I get people are supported by partners and a relationship breakdown , fleeing DV all sorts puts them in a situation where they are now in social housing but I also guarantee they are not spending £650 on a coat for their child and if they are it's because they want their child to keep up appearances! So every negative post is just a reflection back.