Lawana Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 What would seem reasonable for a yearly budget for an almost 16yo's clothing? Homeschooled with two out of the house classes in a casual environment. Goes to church, so would need dresses and/or dress pants for that. Needs 2 fancy dresses for recitals. Mild climate- doesn't need snow gear Has very hard to fit feet and overpronation─add extra for $100 New Balance shoes and others that don't work out as planned Has stopped growing and is stable in size, so similar to an adult's need Shops mostly in misses not Jr. sizes Has been shopping at places like Old Navy, JCPenneys We are not rich by any means, but can afford what is reasonable. We end up buying too much cheap stuff that only lasts a season. Suggestions as to where to buy teen friendly but better quality clothes would also be appreciated. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 (edited) My SIL gave my niece $50 per month for clothes. She was responsible for everything from underware to outware. The only thing my SIL paid extra were her running shoes and clothes for track. This is in So. Cal. where it is pretty temperate. My niece asked for clothing gift cards for holidays and b-days. She also used her babysitting money for clothes so I'm not sure if $50 was enough in her opinion. My 13 year old get some great things at Platos Closet. They sell gently used clothes. TJ Maxx and Ross are great too - nice quality and good prices. ETA - My SIL gave the money to my niece each month to manage. After a few years my niece became really good at managing money when it comes to clothing. She is very careful to weigh the cost benefit of items she purchases. She buys good quality and knows what looks great on her. Edited July 20, 2012 by Ferdie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 What would seem reasonable for a yearly budget for an almost 16yo's clothing? Homeschooled with two out of the house classes in a casual environment. Goes to church, so would need dresses and/or dress pants for that. Needs 2 fancy dresses for recitals. Mild climate- doesn't need snow gear Has very hard to fit feet and overpronation─add extra for $100 New Balance shoes and others that don't work out as planned Has stopped growing and is stable in size, so similar to an adult's need Shops mostly in misses not Jr. sizes Has been shopping at places like Old Navy, JCPenneys We are not rich by any means, but can afford what is reasonable. We end up buying too much cheap stuff that only lasts a season. Suggestions as to where to buy teen friendly but better quality clothes would also be appreciated. TIA Too bad you aren't close to me. I'm about to post a bunch of young teen clothes on Craigslist, mostly Aeropostale, Hollister, etc. Since my daughter is very tall, she's probably larger than yours. At any rate, we buy mostly at places like Marshall's and TJ MAXX these days, to get the most bang for the buck. I probably spend a few hundred on her per year (wore uniforms to school). She does seem to have a lot of shoes though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 My SIL gave my niece $50 per month for clothes. She was responsible for everything from underware to outware. The only thing my SIL paid extra were her running shoes and clothes for track. This is in So. Cal. where it is pretty temperate. My niece asked for clothing gift cards for holidays and b-days. She also used her babysitting money for clothes so I'm not sure if $50 was enough in her opinion. My 13 year old get some great things at Platos Closet. They sell gently used clothes. TJ Maxx and Ross are great too - nice quality and good prices. ETA - My SIL gave the money to my niece each month to manage. After a few years my niece became really good at managing money when it comes to clothing. She is very careful to weigh the cost benefit of items she purchases. She buys good quality and knows what looks great on her. Thank you. Very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 Too bad you aren't close to me. I'm about to post a bunch of young teen clothes on Craigslist, mostly Aeropostale, Hollister, etc. Since my daughter is very tall, she's probably larger than yours. At any rate, we buy mostly at places like Marshall's and TJ MAXX these days, to get the most bang for the buck. I probably spend a few hundred on her per year (wore uniforms to school). She does seem to have a lot of shoes though. I sent you a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I try to keep to a budget of $50/month for each of my girls for all clothing (shoes, socks, underwear, jackets, swimsuits, everything). I have two that have to go to specialty bra shops and one that has to have expensive shoes because of her orthotics. My 14yo mostly shops at Delia's and Aeropostale. My 16yo mostly shops at Sears. My 19yo mostly shops at Maurice's and Kohl's and really doesn't like the limitations of a budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 16yo and almost 14yod get $100/year to spend on clothing. Granted, they have no special clothing needs (orthotics, for example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 DD has a friend whose parent does this. They give her $80/mth but the parent helps with special items like sports clothes and ski gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 17 and 14 year old probably spend about $500 a year on clothes. I take them shopping 3-4 times for major change of season shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 We never budgeted for clothes. My then 16 year old was fairly easy to shop for (so long as clothes were soft). I bought the vast majority of her clothes at thrift stores. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 I try to keep to a budget of $50/month for each of my girls for all clothing (shoes, socks, underwear, jackets, swimsuits, everything). I have two that have to go to specialty bra shops and one that has to have expensive shoes because of her orthotics. My 14yo mostly shops at Delia's and Aeropostale. My 16yo mostly shops at Sears. My 19yo mostly shops at Maurice's and Kohl's and really doesn't like the limitations of a budget. Thank you:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 16yo and almost 14yod get $100/year to spend on clothing. Granted, they have no special clothing needs (orthotics, for example). Thanks for your reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 17 and 14 year old probably spend about $500 a year on clothes. I take them shopping 3-4 times for major change of season shopping. That's helpful. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 DD has a friend whose parent does this. They give her $80/mth but the parent helps with special items like sports clothes and ski gear. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 17 and 14 year old probably spend about $500 a year on clothes. I take them shopping 3-4 times for major change of season shopping. This is closer to us, I think. We don't budget for my daughter's clothing, but buy things as she needs them. I'd say we shop maybe three times a year, frequently at thrift stores and places like Marshall's. And I rarely spend more than $150 per trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I don't do a budget but go with what is needed. There is a limit on what I pay for things but not a particular yearly budget. If my kids need shirts, shoes, socks etc I start watching for sales and replace as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I'm not sure. I no longer care about price because dd12.5 is SO HARD to buy for with her very tall, extremely thin frame. Even tops are getting to be an issue because jr. Tops are so low cut. She is so tiny that the front just falls open.:glare: when we find clothing that fits her well, we grab it. She also needs very thin material year round as she gets very, very hot. She loves to wear dresses when she volunteers at a retirement home. Last time I bought dresses I got them at the second hand store. They looked brand new and were gorgeous! Dd9 is going to have to start to wear knit pants or she will have to try boy's jeans. Her thighs are too large for most pants on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrindam Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 My 16yo and almost 14yod get $100/year to spend on clothing. Granted, they have no special clothing needs (orthotics, for example). Wow how do they manage?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 We end up buying too much cheap stuff that only lasts a season. One way to set up a clothing budget is to list all of the items the dc would need for a year, and come up with what you feel is a reasonable price to pay for each item. Pro-rate things like coats which would be expected to last for several years. Add it all up, divide by 12, and you've got your monthly amount. Obviously, some folks spend $2 on a shirt at a thrift and some (apparently, looking at catalogs) spend $50, so your list should reflect your typical purchasing level. Allow a tiny bit of room for the learning curve of putting together a wardrobe, if you can. As to quality, I'm ready to give up and sew everything myself. Clothes in the teen size range are particularly dreadful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 We buy new at Marshalls or Ross, shoes are online from Amazon, but the majority of my teenagers' clothing comes from a large thrift store. I probably spend $500/year for our family of seven on clothing. I can buy brand name items (Banana Republic, DKNY, Ed Hardy) for less than $2 an item because we go on the 50% off days. We were laughing at ourselves the last time, as I was debating paying $3 for a pretty shirt that was "overpriced." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 None of my girls are easy to fit. My 19yo and 14yo are thin, but extremely curvy. Finding pants that fit is next to impossible. Anything that fits them in the hips has several extra inches at the waist. When they were younger, Canyon River Blues jeans at Sears were the only pants that actually fit their shape, now almost nothing fits. My 14yo can wear Bailey shorts from Delia's and that's all. She hasn't managed to find any other shorts that fit in any other store. She can't wear the same brand of jeans either because the proportions are all wrong on the jeans. She found one pair of Mudd jeans at Kohl's that she could wear, but it must have been a fluke, because she tried on a bunch of jeans that day and she couldn't get any other jeans to fit, not even the same brand/size/color as the ones that did fit. The only pants that fit my 19yo are from Maurice's. Shirts are a whole other problem. My 16yo is pretty easy. Because of her fine motor issues, she only wears elastic waistband shorts/pants. Those are inexpensive and generally fit a wider range of size than other styles. For her, the biggest problem is finding those elastic waist shorts that don't end up looking like clown pants on her. She is VERY long-waisted and has little bitty legs. She has had the best luck with Laura Scott petites at Sears. She used to do well with the Copper Key brand in Dillard's, but that was before her body shape changed with puberty. She doesn't really have much that looks nice because those clothes all have fasteners that she can't cope with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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