School Clothes for the Fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like having the "right clothes" is important to kids of every age and at every school. I still remember being embarrassed 30 years ago by my Lee jeans, because most other kids had Levi's. So what's wrong with a parent trying to balance her budget with her kid's happiness?

Yup, those Lee jeans...

[Anonymous]

Remember Dittos?

[Anonymous]

I remember the first time I convinced my parents to get me a pair of Stan Smiths. I really felt like hot snot for a couple days. I wore those shoes every day until they had holes all the way through the soles.

[Anonymous]

My kid wears 90% Target, Land's End or Old Navy clothes but I dress them up with slightly more fancy shoes and a couple of slightly more fancy cardigans and jackets that match several outfits and that are on during recess. It's amazing how a pair of $8 black leggings and a long-sleeve t-shirt look with the one Hannah Andersson blazer I bought during sale season.

I don't do this because we're embarrassed about not having designer clothes. I dress this way myself-- nice blazer over more affordable slacks = work outfit. I find that the clothing budget can stay waaaaaay down if you spend your bucks on two nice pairs of school shoes and a good jacket for each season, and then go cheap for the things that grow out, wear out, and get dirty faster.

[Anonymous]

Ohhhhh. Good mention: get dirty faster. Carefully purchased quality (not expensive) clothing, still in near perfect condition.... and my child has a vast collection of impossible to remove stains. Sorry. Waaaay off topic... but the fate of many a fine purchase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid wears 90% Target, Land's End or Old Navy clothes but I dress them up with slightly more fancy shoes and a couple of slightly more fancy cardigans and jackets that match several outfits and that are on during recess. It's amazing how a pair of $8 black leggings and a long-sleeve t-shirt look with the one Hannah Andersson blazer I bought during sale season.

I don't do this because we're embarrassed about not having designer clothes. I dress this way myself-- nice blazer over more affordable slacks = work outfit. I find that the clothing budget can stay waaaaaay down if you spend your bucks on two nice pairs of school shoes and a good jacket for each season, and then go cheap for the things that grow out, wear out, and get dirty faster.

When my kids were small Hanna Anderson had quality that could not be beat! I hope it is still the same. I made most of my purchases from the sale section and those items were handed down more than three times. Great stuff! Cute but meant to be played in.

[Anonymous]

Twice annual sales are the hot tip with Hanna Andersson. Quality's still great, but DC just outgrew them.

[Anonymous]

OP, I second the recommendation of H&M. Between that and that Gap and a few Hannas thrwon in, youw ould have a pretty good mix. Hanna was just having a back to school sale on specific items. I don't know if it is still going on but it is worth checking.

I shop a variety of places for my kids, everywhere from H&M to department stores, Hanna, Boden, LL Bean, Lands End, and Neiman Marcus. So far my kids like what they have because they help me pick it out, and they haven't noticed that some things come from less expensive stores than others. There are some kids at school who are decked out in North Face jackets, Ugg boots and the required t-shirt and leggings, but my kids both have a very strong sense of what they like and their style, so they are not interested in dressing that way.

[Anonymous]

OP Here: I did not realize a rather random question about school clothes would cause such a stir... I am not really into clothes my self but have a few nice things, mostly purchase Hannah on sale and Lands End for DD now. Better quality than Target and most other more affordable clothes.

Though with tuition and being in a school where most of the kids will have more financials resources than us I wondered if it would really matter where I got her clothes. It seems that it will.

I also ask because I remember as a very young child being aware of where my clothes came from (KMary vs the Caldor of my friends) at a very young age, and being different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

i thought most of the other posters were sympathetic, encouraging and honest in response to the OP's question.
i might hate that clothes can matter, i want kids to be proud of who they are, and respect others regardless of their clothing labels, but i'd be a damn fool to think that it doesn't matter in some places. i hope it really does not matter for OP's kid, and I hope it doesn't matter for anyone else's either.

And this is what you want to instill in your child? that to "fit in" designer clothes are important?
And then a PP suggested cutting the tags off?
What message are we sending to kids?
What a way to build a healthy self-image
I think you'd be a damn fool to want to subject your child to this pressure.

I think you're a damn fool if you think that kids will not care what clothes they wear. And that goes for every school in the country, public or private.

Well this damn fool, who's taught in public ed for many years, must work in a high school where kids don't feel the need to compete over superficial clothing labels. So unless you've directly been involved with teens in the public setting, don't make a sweeping generalization.

Furthermore, if tuition is sucking you so dry that you can't afford to keep up with the Joneses and their expensive taste in clothing, you're not living within your mean and you're sending out the wrong message to your kids.

[Anonymous]

FWIW 13:33,
The three quotes you included were from 3 different posters, the first & 3rd are not the same. Your venom is misdirected, as I have zero interest in competing over labels and fashion, and the OP was just asking as a new parent.

And, as the poster of the first quote, I can say I have taught in both public and private schools. In fact, as a teacher, I have found the private school setting to be more relaxed regarding my own clothing than the public.

Regarding the moral high ground of public schools, I remember hearing an NPR report a couple of years ago in which public...I think... school kids near Chicago were discussing the essentials of having Kate Spade bags, etc. So, it's back to it all depends where.

As I slop around in my Payless sneakers, I won't pass judgment on the OP.

[Anonymous]

There are lots of good reasons to buy higher end clothes for your kids, especially if you have more than one child wear them. Better style and better quality are worth a bit more money. There are ways to buy nice clothes at substantial discount if need be. If your child or you doesn't care ... then hey! No problem! It just goes to show that it doesn't take much to get DCUM posters into a dither over basically a difference in taste. That wonderful old thread on "where do you buy your child's boutique clothes" was hilarious and is getting repeated here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

i thought most of the other posters were sympathetic, encouraging and honest in response to the OP's question.
i might hate that clothes can matter, i want kids to be proud of who they are, and respect others regardless of their clothing labels, but i'd be a damn fool to think that it doesn't matter in some places. i hope it really does not matter for OP's kid, and I hope it doesn't matter for anyone else's either.

And this is what you want to instill in your child? that to "fit in" designer clothes are important?
And then a PP suggested cutting the tags off?
What message are we sending to kids?
What a way to build a healthy self-image
I think you'd be a damn fool to want to subject your child to this pressure.

I think you're a damn fool if you think that kids will not care what clothes they wear. And that goes for every school in the country, public or private.

Well this damn fool, who's taught in public ed for many years, must work in a high school where kids don't feel the need to compete over superficial clothing labels. So unless you've directly been involved with teens in the public setting, don't make a sweeping generalization.

Furthermore, if tuition is sucking you so dry that you can't afford to keep up with the Joneses and their expensive taste in clothing, you're not living within your mean and you're sending out the wrong message to your kids.

This is so NOT true. I have sent my children to both public and private schools. Public high schools (especially in NOVA) are VERY label conscious.

[Anonymous]

And a few people on this thread have commented how students were label-conscious in their own public schools 20-30 years ago. I doubt that kids have gotten less label oriented since then.

[Anonymous]

I run a wardrobe consulting business so I naturally notice what kids wear at their schools. Things have not changed so much since we were kids. The significance of what kids wear is one of many factors that determine how they want to be seen and with whom they want to bond. It is about first impressions and finding others who appear to be similar and familiar to us. Where we go wrong is when we put the sole emphasis on names and labels and when we dress in away that is not authentic and does not mirror our souls.

You cannot go wrong if you take a balanced approach to clothing your child. Spend more on an item that will last and is not trendy. Studies show that they are a better investment if the item in question will be worn lots and last a longer time. Spend less on trendy and clothing that will be outgrown within months. Allow your child to have a say on what will be most important for him/her.

The great news is that there are many outlets that will allow you to buy quality clothing at great discount. And Target has made it fashionable to pay less for cutting edge designer diffusion brands. Also, sign up for emails from stores. They will send you coupons which you can use to save a bundle.

If your child is going to a new school, wait until the first weekend after school starts to buy their wardrobe. Allow them to see what other kids are wearing. Corporate America has their own dress culture - kids do, too.

My son is moving from a private school where they dressed like slobs to a school where the kids dress really well. He's always dressed in a nice style but we are waiting to buys shoes until he sees what the other boys are wearing. I see the shoes as a way to facilitate making freinds more easily - especially as he will be with kids who have been together for years already.