Dressing kids in style how important?

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:22 pm

I'm going to ask my Rav but how important is it that I allocate money to clothes for my children that two in style? (I don't necessarily mean the top brands, but like an Ali coat vs appaman, fake ugg boots). We cannot afford it, we are paycheck to paycheck and drowning. But, I have trauma from not being a stylish kid. What do I do? (I take as many hand me downs as I can, but it's hit or miss).

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

I think you answered your own question. Depends on kids ages. But you can be stylish without brand names.

BUT make sure it’s coming from them and not you. Meaning, a 3 year old couldn’t care less if she’s wearing real UGGS but you might because of the trauma. A 13 year old wanting real UGGs is a different category completely

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:28 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

My girls are 12 and 10 and asking for real Uggs and the Ali coat.

amother

Wandflower

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:28 pm

Try to pair up with a family that can give you good quality in style clothing. Also are you on any programs? I know lakewood has an organization that gives gift cards to local clothing stores before sukkos and pesach.

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:28 pm

amother Wandflower wrote:

I don't have such a family. If anyone knows any family who has AND would be willing to send out of town I would so appreciate.

No programs that help with stylish clothing where I live. not in Lakewood

amother

Papayawhip

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:30 pm

amother OP wrote:

My girls are 12 and 10 and asking for real Uggs and the Ali coat.

Knock off Uggs look exactly the same usually. Which Ali coat?

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:31 pm

amother Papayawhip wrote:

Knock off Uggs look exactly the same usually. Which Ali coat?

I know and I'm saying that's what I'd buy if I have the funds. But they're $50. My max to spend usually would be $10/15.
The puffer coat. I would usually buy old navy for $25

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:32 pm

Honestly, I don’t think girls that age wear Uggs anymore in Lakewood. And we’re very far off from Ugg weather. Wait a couple of more months and you can find great deals on sale. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even want them when they see that none of their friends are wearing them.

Why are they even asking for UGGs now?

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:34 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

I'm not in Lakewood. We are buying a coat now from Ali because it takes a few weeks to come so they mentioned the boots too. It gets cold here soon after sukkos. Girls here were wearing it last year, I think it's still in this year.

amother

Starflower

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

My girls are 12 and 10 and asking for real Uggs and the Ali coat.

This is the age when fashion starts to matter to girls.
I told my girls that I want them to have nice things but I won’t pay more just because there’s a name brand printed on the clothing.
Let’s say I would pay up to $70 for a pair of shoes but the name brand shoes they want are $150, they can use their own money if they really want.
I don’t believe in supporting labels.
For one daughter’s birthday she wanted a certain type of pony tail holder. It was $15 for a pack of 3 because it had the brand name printed on it. I could buy a pack of pony holders for $2 for a pack of 20. That was her birthday present. That’s the extent I will pay for my child to do free advertising for a company.
Yes, being in style and looking put together is important at a certain age but it does not have to be accomplished by wearing name brands.

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:39 pm

amother Starflower wrote:

Right so I'm not asking about the real ones.im not buying real. But should I give in and buy the fakes? Or buy from Old Navy for $20

amother

Wandflower

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:41 pm

Is it really this bad oot? Is the whole class wearing it or a handful of girls? If it's a handful then you can easily say no this is not what we are doing. And give them 2 or 3 options within your budget.

amother

Starflower

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:42 pm

amother OP wrote:

Right so I'm not asking about the real ones.im not buying real. But should I give in and buy the fakes? Or buy from Old Navy for $20

If they need something to wear anyway then $20 is not so much. You can’t fight them with everything.

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:42 pm

amother Wandflower wrote:

Yes it's this bad out of town where I live sadly. I work in the school, it's a very very large percentage. Maybe 75 percent and of those about 50 percent have the real brand name (appaman, Uggs, etc). I would not buy the real brand name. But should I buy the knockoffs?

amother

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:43 pm

amother Starflower wrote:

If they need something to wear anyway then $20 is not so much. You can’t fight them with everything.

what do you mean?

Just as an example I can buy a coat from Old Navy say for $25. Or one from Ali for $65 (or appaman for over $100, but that's a hard no for me).

amother

Chocolate

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:45 pm

A $25 coat is not warm and $15 boots won’t last or be comfortable.

If you live in a cold climate Ali picks coats (buy a bit big) will last 3 years and uggs on discount site can also serve you well. Totally not wasting money for frum styles.

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 12:58 pm

[quote="amother Chocolate"If you live in a cold climate Ali picks coats (buy a bit big) will last 3 years.[/quote]

THIS

Buy the coat for 2-3 years and you will get way more worth than Old Navy.

Personally, I would have my girls choose which is more important to them and spend on that.

When you say knockoffs you mean boots from china that say UGG or ones that look similar to UGGS.

I also don’t think it helps that you work in the school and see well dressed kids every day and compare to your own. It’s probably bringing up a lot of your childhood insecurities.