Balancing Quality, Ethics, and Budget in Kids' Clothing: Seeking Advice and Sharing Tips

[Richi]

Hey community!

I'm facing a bit of a dilemma: how do I choose clothes for my kids without sacrificing quality or our ethical standards, while staying within our budget? Between eco-friendly brands (which often cost quite a bit) and good deals (that aren't always sustainable), what's your middle ground? Do you have any tips or trustworthy brands to recommend? And how do you educate your kids about these issues, from the value of money to the importance of preserving our planet?

[88V8]

Charity shops.

V8

[GoSeigen]

We (my wife, actually) cultivated relationships with other parents at school and there was an active system of hand-me-downs. Our kids never complained and as we luckily lived in a prosperous area they were always well dressed. For items that had to be bought, we usually erred on the quality side, Next, M&S, etc but also Sports Direct for some items.


GS

[redsturgeon]

Hey community!

I'm facing a bit of a dilemma: how do I choose clothes for my kids without sacrificing quality or our ethical standards, while staying within our budget? Between eco-friendly brands (which often cost quite a bit) and good deals (that aren't always sustainable), what's your middle ground? Do you have any tips or trustworthy brands to recommend? And how do you educate your kids about these issues, from the value of money to the importance of preserving our planet?

Some questions:

What's your budget?

How eco are you?

How old are your children?

All you can do is talk to your kids reasonably but depending on their ages they are more or less likely to listen to the opinions of their peer either in real life or on social media.

I personally buy most of my clothes on Vinted these days, all the best brands but since they are pre-owned then you are helping the planet, eBay is another option for pre-owned reliable well made brands. Watch out for fakes though.

My daughter (who is 26) also buys all her clothes second hand, it is entirely sustainble and you can buy pretty much anything you want pre-owned.

[Gerry557]

Hand me downs
Second hand
Sales
Learn to knit
Buy a sewing machine and make your own.

The latter two cover the main issues unless you force your kids to do it. Still it's a life skill that over time pays for itself.

You don't get cheap, high quality, ethical clothes.