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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Clothes for 13-year-old boys

24 replies

pattilou · 29/10/2007 16:15

Where do you buy clothes for young teenage boys. DS1 is 12 and seems to be in between adult and child sizes. Don't want to spend a fortune. Any ideas?

OP posts:
irises · 29/10/2007 16:30

It's really haard, isn't it? Fat face age 13 is more like a skinny 11 year old ime, and quicksilver, billabong is nice but v. expensive.

Last time I bought a load of stuff from the next catalogue, as their shops seem to end at 12. They had quite a good selection in the catalogue.

Have heard H&M is good but don't have one here.

There seems to be a massive gap in the market, I find it really hard to find more than one or two items which will fit ds (13 and neither particularly fat nor tall).

dangerstrawberry · 29/10/2007 16:59

Debenhams have a good range for teenage boys. Have to say though that they fit my 9 year old (but he is tall) so not sure for older boys. Also, Next start off with an xs size which is quite good.

Freckle · 29/10/2007 17:05

Oooh, this is a huge bugbear of mine. The majority of high street stores have stopped stocking clothes for children over the age of 13 (and there are precious few for 13 year olds either). I've challenged staff about it and been told to buy small men's clothes.

Two problems with this: DS1 (13) may have long legs, but he has a 24" waist (bitch ) and small men's clothes start at a 30" waist; and adults clothing costs more to start with and is liable to VAT, which children's clothing is not.

Do you think we could start a campaign to get stores to accept that childhood doesn't end at age 12/13 and they should be providing clothes up to at least age 15/16??

wordgirl · 29/10/2007 17:07

My tallish, skinny 14-year-old has bought quite a few things from BHS recently. But I would agree, there is very little choice and will gladly join Freckle's campaign!

AMAZINWOMAN · 29/10/2007 17:18

I have had to resort to sports shops!

Pinkeroony · 29/10/2007 17:20

Hi. I had a rare shopping spree in Primark recently with my leggy 14 yr old. He was pleased with the pile of reasonably priced jeans, t shirts and belt we bought. (Belt £1.50-similar one in Quiksilver=£20!) Have also bought hoody tops from E Bay and surfer dude shorts and t-shirts from Tescos (small mens).

irises · 29/10/2007 17:32

Ooh Primark, I think theres one in Reading, will have to go & have a shufti

grumpyfrumpy · 29/10/2007 17:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
pattilou · 29/10/2007 19:58

Thanks for all of these suggestions. Will try some of them out. DS is desperate to shop in the men's dept. but not keen on the VAT so will follow up your suggestions.

OP posts:
janeiteofthelivingdead · 29/10/2007 20:00

I don't have boys but very tall, very skinny 12 year old dd1 can usually find something to fit in there so perhaps it would be the same for boys?

themildmanneredaxemurderer · 29/10/2007 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theFlyingEvil · 29/10/2007 20:01

H&M. lush. cool and they fit.

DumbledoresGirl · 29/10/2007 20:01

M&S tend to go up to 15/16 don't they?

I am not quite there with this problem yet. My tall skinny son is 11, wearing age 12 clothes at the moment.

lilolilmanchester · 02/11/2007 23:09

My DS likes H&M and TKMax (not so many clothes for teenage boys that it takes too long to look through). He actually also likes BHS, as untrendy as that sounds! Some of the so-called sports shops like donnay shops and soccer world have a reasonable selection of more casual stuff.

lilolilmanchester · 02/11/2007 23:10

meant to also say Next directory.

irises · 03/11/2007 12:05

After reading this thread the other day, took ds to H&M and was really pleased. There were 4 whole racks of clothes for 13/14 year olds instead of the usual 1 t shirt, take it or leave it which you get in M&S.

Got him kitted out for the winter for £70, and it only took about 10 mins (essential for ds who hates clothes shopping).

fizzbuzz · 04/11/2007 10:52

Is there really that in H&M? I never knew they did boys clothes.

Although ds at5ft 11, probably wouldn't fit them anyway. Really pisses me off that at 13 yers of age, I have to buy adults clothes for him.

lilolilmanchester · 04/11/2007 20:27

Fizzbuzz, my 14 year old is "not that tall", so the clothes that fit him are too young for him. So to be honest, you are in a better postion, with much more choice. If you can get the XS or even S sized men's stuff in shops, you'll have a broader range and possibly pay less than in the children's departments. H&M seems to be on the small side, so my DS is just about to grow out of the older kids' stuff I think.

Piffle · 04/11/2007 20:29

H+M is good and so are Boden sales/Ebay

fizzbuzz · 04/11/2007 20:57

But children's clothes don't have vat on them, and that is what narks me so much.

He is still a child (well, I think he is, he thinks completely differently ), yet I have to pay vat!

Don't get me started about his size 12 feet.......

lilolilmanchester · 04/11/2007 21:05

See what you mean fizzbuzz BUT once they get to XS/S men's size, the clothes seem to get cheaper with or without VAT as there's a lot more places to buy them from. My DH is a little guy and can find decent clothes a lot more cheaply than our DS, for example.

Milliways · 05/11/2007 22:14

If you are near REading, have you tried Matalan?

Piffle · 05/11/2007 22:17

not being cheeky but does anyone here want ds's outgrown t shirts at all?
H+M type things in very good nick can do a photo tomorrow
For free of course

Piffle · 05/11/2007 22:17

12-13 size I think

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