Is it Important to Buy Popular Clothes for Kids and Teens?

Although a school campus is meant to be focused on academics, it seems there has always been an element of school that is really just about kids comparing themselves to each other. One of the main ways that school children seem to compare each other is through clothing. It's no secret to anyone who has ever attended a public school that kids criticize what other kids are wearing. As a result, many kids and teens want to wear clothes to school that are widely accepted among their peers. Most parents wouldn't mind at all buying their kids or teens clothes that were considered popular, if their children wanted them. However, the trend has always seemed to be that the most popular clothes among kids and teens, are also some of the most expensive. For different reasons, this reality finds a lot of parents around the country asking themselves if it's really all that important that they buy their kids and teens expensive clothing simply because it is what's most popular. If you find yourself trying to decide whether or not to get caught up in buying popular clothes for your kid or teen, these tips might help.

Ask your child how they feel about it. The answers your kid or teen gives when asked how they feel about the importance of wearing popular clothes to school will vary based on their own thoughts, experiences, and the social climate at the specific school they attend. You may find that your kid or teen doesn't care at all about those clothes that are considered most popular among their peers at school. Perhaps you have a really strong-minded, confident kid or teen, who doesn't care what others think. Maybe your kid or teen actually doesn't like the clothes that are considered popular at their school. However, more often than not, a kid or teen just wants to fit in and avoid becoming the object of someone else's teasing. Considering the harsh, unforgiving social climate at most middle and high schools across the country, it's not difficult to see why kids and teens would feel this way. But before you run out and spend more money than you ever wanted to on popular clothing for your kid or teen, take a few minutes to find out how they feel about the subject.

Weigh your options. Will it really harm your kid or teen socially if they absolutely cannot have the popular clothes they want? Can they be made to understand how silly it is that so much importance is placed on wearing popular clothes? If they really feel strongly that they will be ostracized at school if they do not wear popular clothing brands and styles, is there a way for them to earn money so that they can pitch in on the cost of what is purchased? Are you in a position to offer a compromise that involves allowing certain pieces of clothing, like jeans and shoes, to be name brand, while items like sweaters and coats are not?

Remember that you don't always have to pay full price for popular kid and teen clothes. If you decide you do feel it's necessary for your kid or teen to have at least some items of popular clothing, there are ways to acquire them for less than full price. Check Ebay for popular clothes, or ask your child's older cousins (or their parents) if they're willing to hand down, or even sell, some of their name brand clothing that they've outgrown. Some communities have great consignment shops, like Plato's Closet, which buy and sell used clothes made by popular companies like Hollister, Abercrombie, and Aeropostale. Additionally, you can wait for clearance sales. Abercrombie seems to drop their price of sweatshirts to a reasonable level around the holidays. Aeropostale has some really decent sales throughout the year, and although their labels are not as highly coveted as those of Abercrombie or Hollister, I've found the quality of their clothing to actually be better in many cases. Both Abercrombie and Aeropostale have a clearance section in their stores, and on their websites. I've never encountered a good sale at Hollister. Further, I've never encountered a pleasant shopping experience at a Hollister store, either. They have the rudest salespeople I've ever personally come across in my life, so we stopped going into their stores. I have checked their website a couple of times, and have seen relatively reasonable prices on a few random items, like polo shirts. However, I don't feel like they really deserve anyone's business, so I haven't brought myself to make an online purchase.

Trying to teach your child how silly and counterproductive it is to be materialistic, while at the same time keeping the ridicule they encounter at school, or when otherwise among peers, to a minimum, can be tricky. I was fortunate in the sense that although my oldest daughter felt strongly about having popular clothes for a few years, by the time she was a Senior in high school she didn't care at all about wearing specific labels. So it does seem to be something that a lot of kids will outgrow. Until then though, these tips can help you navigate the ridiculous world of kids and teens and their obsession with popular clothing.