Hi Grandmas and Grandpas I NEED YOUR HELP!

I've had a few things from Vertbaudet and the clothes are well made, but their delivery times have got so bad, I'm going to stop using them. I ordered a dress and cardigan for a little relative a week ago and the package still hasn't been despatched, despite both items being in stock.

Hi, Milena. Boden is my favourite for toddlers. Their boys' clothes are stylish, bright and really well made. But I've only ever bought from their sale or clearance section, when you can get up to 70% off. I'd never pay their full prices, even if I could afford to. The first thing I look for is something that my DGS will want to wear, otherwise it'll just languish in a drawer. The most difficult thing for me is that I can only buy very occasionally for them, as they have enough clothes, bought, gifted and swapped between them, to kit out a small village. Also, they're all boys, and there are usually 3 racks of clothes for girls to every one for boys. To DH's embarrassment, I kicked off made a bit of a fuss at M & S recently when they had 5 designs of dressing gown on sale for toddler girls and only one - boring blue and white striped a grandad could have worn - for boys aged 2 to 15.

I just looked at Boden prices. www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Baby-0-3yrs-Rompers-Play-Sets/71398/Baby-0-3yrs-Supersoft-Stripy-Romper.html
This was £30 for a romper suit. I know there is cheaper stuff but!!!!

Toddlers need to be able to play outdoors without worrying about their clothes.

No I would never consider buying expensive clothing to be grown out of in a few weeks. It's the fact that they rarely get the wear out of them when they are so small. I would far rather spend the money on something more practical for them than designer clothes.

Just who is it trying to please for the under fives?

Specialist shops such as Jo Jo Maman and Mamas and Papas are too expensive and have limited choice. I've only bough here as a special present for first babies.

Mothercare is more reasonably priced and has more choice. I did buy quite a bit here when they were younger.

Something I do buy however, I don't think this has been mentioned is specialised clothing such as cub uniform, fencing breeches, football kits, ballet cardigans, etc.. as hobbies do come expensive.

Hope that helps.

I buy all the school uniform, almost all the shoes, slippers, boots, about half the underwear and probably three or four other outfits each season for my DGD, aged 9. Shopping mostly done in John lewis, Ma&S or a specialist school uniform supplier or children's shoe shop. DGD's mum is fairly short of money so it's my way of helping out.

DiLs give me links to Next or M&S and I buy accordingly. But GD (12) prefers to have the money and buy her own - often from Primark.

mile24 - we haven't got either of those shops, or any other specialist baby shop anywhere near us nowadays (used to have a Mothercare but it closed down years ago), so not an option.

Their mother buys the cheap-o Asda stuff.

I buy the odd garment or two from Boden.

I don't often buy them clothes - I have 3 aged 9,7 and 3. When I do it is usually because they are into a film such as Star Wars or Frozen or when my grandson asks for 'an orange t-shirt'. These come from Maralan, Primark, BHS or H n M.
I take the 9 year old clothes shopping for her birthday and she likes Next but has to wear age 6-7 trousers as she is so slim

We have bought equipment from both, but my clothes buying for GC is mainly on a whim and that means buying in shops I am already in for other reasons; like supermarkets here and in France.

Thank you so much you have been very helpful!

can I ask you, What do you think about specialized retailers like Mothercare or mamas and papas, have you ever bought something from there??

I buy them shoes. A pair of school shoes each at the beginning of the Autumn Term, and a pair of casual summer shoes instead of an Easter egg.

Mamacaz my sentiments exactly. Designer clothes are fine for a big occasion, but the price and the speed with which the littlies grow out of them makes it a bit of a waste.

I would be worrying about them playing in outside in expensive clothes that will get muddy or painty, as small kids should be doing.
Places like ASDA sell some good stuff.

I have bought the DGC (age 2 & 4) very few clothes. They already have enough clothes in their wardrobes to see them through the next few years if necessary. A lot of it is second hand, passed down from family and friends, but is of good quality and still in great condition. They don't need any more!
I've seen new clothes given for birthdays/Christmas go unworn, so although I'm very tempted every time I walk through the children's clothing section of a shop, I'm not going to risk buying something that isn't needed and might not be used. I don't have the money to waste.

The only clothing that I recall having bought for them in the last two years have been brand new underwear (supermarket) and slippers (in a sale), to be kept at my house as spares (I look after them here for up to three days a week), and second-hand coats and wellies from charity shops, also to be kept here.

I wonder why it is that some of these student requests are met with derision and others get so many helpful responses?

I buy in Next and the exceedingly good IMO George @ Asda.

I look for quality and comfort and of course value for money.

Yes of course I check what mum and dad need but I like to do buy treats like a beautiful pink cardi with bunnies on from Next for my 13 week old DGD.......

I buy for my DGC, style being the most important thing.

I am very careful what I buy, it has to be in line with DILs choice of clothing not mine. I will happily buy for the newborns but for older grandchildren I try to keep to the style mum likes and always always give her a receipt to change things

I buy for a GS who doesn't live in the UK so anything which is different from what the other children where he lives wear.

I like buying from small shops, not the big chains, when I buy special clothes but get everyday things from the chains.

For the other who do live in the UK I only buy special clothes they can keep at their father's house because their mother only sends them to him in their worst things! If they take anything we buy back to their mother's house she either 'loses it' or it gets 'damaged'.

I do think that if children are nicely dressed they get more compliments and that helps if they have low self esteem as in the case of one of my gc.

I buy novelty things that I know they will like, for example my 3 years old grandson is in love with tractors, so any thing with tractors on, where as granddaughter is in her 'princess' stage so pretty flouncy things. But I also knit character sweaters. Mother owns a children's clothing trade business so anything practical is already covered.

for the littlest who will 3 in August If I se a bargain and I have some money will get for her normally Tesco whilst shopping,older GD who is nearly 17 likes designer sports clothing and has done for many yearsso will either give her money for xmas/birthdays to buy ,general leggings etc primark..

My DGS's have sensory problems and need really soft clothing. I tend to buy sweaters from outdoor stores, really soft fleecy fabric. Otherwise I buy from large supermarkets eg Tesco and Sainsbury's, as they are very reasonably priced and I have 4gc.

I bought for DGD until she was 5. At that point she developed very firm ideas on what she would and wouldn't wear and as I could not keep up with these, I stopped buying her clothes. I buy less for DGS, simply because boys clothes are so similar and I buy what takes my fancy.

My DS and DDiL were the last in their peer group to have children so were inundated with outgrown children's clothes from all their friends. Any clothes I bought, therefore were special extras, not necessaries. In which case I bought on a whim and on style - and price, most emphatically, I have never believed in buying expensive clothes for children, who wear them for such a short time before they are outgrown.

Where did I buy them? Mainly in France, mainly at Leclerc, a supermarket chain equivalent to Sainsburys, mainly because that is our local supermarket there. In the UK mainly at Sainsburys, because of the design.

Hi I buy clothes regularly for my 6 year old twin granddaughters. They often wear the same or similar outfits in different colours or prints. They have been the same size for a long time but recently one is a size bigger. I buy in M&S Next and Gap kids mostly if I buy in stores but the bulk of their clothes I buy online at Boden which is unusual and good quality (which I think is very important) but is pretty expensive so my daughter and I try and earmark what we like and buy in their flash sales which they have often. I started a tradition when they were born that I bought them a new dress each for their birthday and Christmas Day. I used to also buy for them at Jo Jo Maman Bebe but unfortunately their clothes, which were lovely stop at size 5-6 so are now too small for them, we would still buy from there if they had bigger sizes.