(Rocking Horse Lane)
Fashion and style is a funny thing, everyone has an opinion on it or a perception of what they think it is or should be. It’s often tagged as a product of capitalism, prying on the unexpected consumer through marketing, colour and the ‘illusion’ of the ‘must have pieces’. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to see a rebellion as such against mainstream fashion, with people openly claiming to be standing against the pressures of capitalism, consumerism and social conformity! Which is great, everyone has a right to an opinion and should be able to openly express their fashion views, in fact that is why we’re seeing so much diversity and variety in the fashion industry – there is no right and wrong, it’s merely a breeding ground for creativity. The thing I find funny about these kinds of attitudes however, (as freely expressed as they should be) is that I often wonder if they realise by not ‘conforming’ to their own pre-composed opinions of ‘main stream’ fashion, they are merely conforming to a different social and/or fashion group?
I believe the truth about fashion and style is that although you may not think your ‘conforming’ or that you are a fashion agnostic, the reality is even if you argue your simply ‘throwing things on’ and no one cares, every time you step into the public eye you are projecting a particular image of your self whether you want to or not. Humans are by nature visual creatures and are always noticing the physical first – from body language and posture to every piece of clothing you put on. But that’s a topic for another day, the main point is that what we wear, fashion and style, speaks volumes whether we want it to or not. I believe we should thus use it as an empowering social tool as opposed to a form of repression or social categorization (something I may look at in more depth in the future).
The second illusion about fashion and style is that to be ‘fashionable’ we need to be wearing the latest designer labels and paying top dollar to get them. Which in many circles I suppose this is the case, however, to be stylish, which is far more important, is not necessarily being fashionable or wearing designer labels. Anyone can buy fashion but not everyone can wear it with style, that comes from within and reflects who we truly are or what we want to be on the day. In fact looking good, feeling confident and projecting your personal style does not need to break the bank. Nor do we need to teach our children that we need to spend money to look good or have the latest fashions to feel confident and empowered. It’s all about balance. The choices we make ultimately change the person we become, and non of us want our children to be feeling like they need to be wearing a certain label to fit in. But it’s also just as important to guide our children into making the right choices and taking pride in their appearance and who they are, as we also don’t want our children to be bullied at school for wearing ‘the wrong thing’ (whether this is right or wrong is irrelevant, we’ve all been at school and know how it works).
So after speaking to a few mothers about sustainable fashion (again a topic for another day) it became very apparent to me that price was a driving factor in their shopping habits for their children, and that for some the need to move against ‘mainstream’ fashion was even greater. But stylish boys clothes do not need to break the bank! With two very fast growing boys myself I’m fully aware of the short lifespan most clothing items have, and although I’m lucky to have 2 boys and can justify spending that bit extra to get better quality pieces for my four-year old (knowing they’ll be passed down to my two-year old), I’m also very aware of how in a lot of cases spending too much money on clothes for our kids is simply unjustifiable. So I’ve found some bargains! Places I’ve personally found online and in stores in Australia that are cheap but current for our boys.
A new find for me (although mentioned in previous blogs) is The Kid Store. Located in Robina on the gold coast, online and across NSW, VIC and QLD. There are some great simple pieces that can be matched to existing items for less than $30 in most cases. They do offer far more variety for girls and older boys – under size 2 in boys wear doesn’t offer a huge selection, but for my 4-year-old the range is great and I’ve found the quality to be acceptable for the price.
Here are some of their current range with each piece retailer under $35!:
Another good place to buy cheaper boys clothes – if quality isn’t high on your radar, is Cotton On for Kids. Although I don’t rate the quality of there clothing very highly and it probably isn’t worth what you pay for it compared to competition shops like The Kids Store, Target, Big W and Best and Less (in Australia) when they go on sale you can usually pick up some good cheap kick about tees, singlets and shorts. But their denim is well priced if you’re looking at current trends, and they offer the same styles from size 1 – 8, which means for those boys at that hard to find boys wear age of 2-3 you can find some decent styles.
Here are some of there better products in my opinion that are under $30:
Mike SS Tee $10
Clint Skinny Leg Jeans $29.98
Brooklyn Singlet $7.95
LS Derek hooded Tee $16.95
Joes Denim Short $17.47
Richie SS Shirt $19.95
Brody Boardshort $19.95
If your looking for some real overseas bargains then you can’t go past Next. My sister lived in the UK for 5 years and was constantly sending me gorgeous boys clothes from Chinos to Jeans, that were of great quality, different to what we get here in Australia and almost always received a comment when my 4-year-old wore them. She let me in on her secret, showed me the site and the prices are amazing! If you are interested in the latest trends at next to no cost this is the site for you! According to my sister the shop would be comparable to our Best and Less, Big W or Target but judging from their website a step ahead in fashion, size availability and variety. The site is in pounds so you’ll have to work out the conversion, but with our strong Aussie Dollar you’ll find some great buys, and they ship to Australia! Go to www.next.co.uk to view there bargains now!!!
I’d also like to add that some of our favourite department stores can offer some great boys wear at very cheap prices. Big W and Best & Less (in Australia) are the two better of the department stores for boys wear in regards to variety, style and price with the quality being on par to the above 2 mentioned stores. I would recommend hitting these stores at the start of each season and constantly popping your head in for bargains as the better styles do tend to move fast and it is also better targeted for boys sizes 3 and up.
Best and Less
At the end of the day if price is the driving force behind your boys wear shopping there are hundreds of alternatives to the conventional means. Second hand stores, ebay, or even handmade sites such as Etsy or Made It offer great boys wear alternatives as well as giving you the option to grab something a little unique. Plus it’s a great way to support local designers who are usually handy mums!
Related articles
- Money-saving fashion advice for men (mywaysavings.com)
- Fashion Tip: How To Make Your Old And Worn Out Tops Fashionable (fashionlurve.com)
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