So it finally happened. No, not the itching from my recent foray into hair removal. But my eldest son is starting to emerge from the hoodie and track pant culture to actually start to think about how he looks in other clothes! Huzzah! Oh wait, hoodies and track pants are easy. Now comes the hard part.
We have a wedding to attend this weekend. Our second event where our boys can actually attend and participate in the romance and fervour of a two people dedicating their lives to each other in front of drunken friends and family.
The last wedding they attended, of one of my oldest friends, we matched them in black pants, white shirts, skinny ties and Chuck Taylors. But, as Hudson is growing like an angry Hulk, he decided the whole cutesy wutesy dressing up like his brother era is now over, and frankly I don’t blame him.
So, desperate to not break the bank, fully knowing this clothes purchase may have only one use to it, we ventured out on Sunday to one of the many discount chains that hoard just out of date clothes and push them on the masses.
Let’s face it. Sometimes our kids are like our little dolls. We want to dress them in clothes that we think look super cool or trendy. We want them to enter a room and have people fawn over them and wink at us because we have raised such dapper fashionistas.
I personally like to dress my boys in clothes that I can no longer get away with. Skinny jeans, faded A&F shirts and sockless penny loafers is a look I can no longer pull off, but Hud certainly can. So when we showed him some of the suit options, he scoffed at our contemporary sleek and preppy cuts and went right to the classic waiter three piece suit with tie that actually has a zipper embedded in it.
“I look like I am going to work!” Hud explained with glee.
Yeah, parking cars at Centro, I thought.
I know, I know, I am shallow, hairless man.
He does look pretty snappy though.
How do you deal with the occasional need for really nice clothes? With kids growing so fast, how do you balance the value and the quality?
Gorgeous boy. I love second hand shops for me and for them. Borrow and lend , buy a few good things a year, hem with fabric tape ???.
I am a bit like my mom and love it when we all look our best
vs
when we look like orphans (sometimes)
so it requires a bit of shopping (UGGHH) and time and dough. BOO on all three
dresses for girls are my kryptonite! the boys at that age must be difficult to dress but i’ve found that fancier stuff doesn’t get worn or worn out as much and i’ve found fantastic things at value village.
Hand me downs for sure! My cousin’s little girl (who isn’t so little anymore – she’s 7!!! Eeeeek! When did that happen?!?) gives hers to my little Missy & truthfully, she has gotten some SWEET dresses & dress shoes!
Because they aren’t her older sister’s (she lives with her mom) they are “new” to my girl! There will be a time however, when she is wearing some of her sister’s dresses as we buy things for her & keep them at our house for her.
Sometimes, I do breakdown and see something that I absolutely HAVE to buy her. Those are usually Easter dresses or Christmas dresses so she does get something new, but I get them on sale!! 😉
He is so gorgeous!!! How do I handle it? Just like I did this am – I put an email out to friends saying HELP do you have a …….
First of all, Hud is going to be an absolute heartbreaker. Great looking kid with charisma oozing out his pores!
My eldest son is in his 13th year, and though we’re not Jewish, based on our mailbox and calendar these days it appears that the majority of his friends are. He’s heading to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs weekly..sometimes two in one weekend…(occasionally two in one day) and I’ve been trying to keep up with his social life and growing physique with dress pants and shirts. It’s amazing how he can pull a Bill Bixby/Incredible Hulk thing between one week’s celebration and the next. My advice? Make friends with a family that has a son about 2 years older than yours, and about 2 sizes bigger. Hand me downs are your best friend (especially in the dress shoe department!). If my own “hulk” didn’t have a “little” brother breathing down his neck, I’d offer the hand me downs to your dapper guys!