I don’t know about you but I like my son to look decent when we go out and about. I am not that mother who just lets her kid throw on anything if I am going somewhere other than the reg grocery store. I like my kids to look decent and match. My son is 12 years old and wears a medium in men…grown men. He wears 32 waist pants. I get them in the length of 30 (I think) because he is short. We also wear the same size shoes but that’s a story for another day. Today let’s talk about some of the places I buy my sons clothes from that’s not the regular spot like Old Navy because while I love them I am tired of them so I love to buy from other places. First, though I want to give you some tips on finding the right clothes for preteen boys and why you can be that cool mom that gets major points for picking out the right clothes.
Finding the right clothes for preteen boys
- Look at what they look at when it comes to videos on youtube and social media accounts. My son has an Instagram account so I notice what he likes on there. That gives me an idea of what he likes to wear and his style
- Ask him what he likes and make it a game. If I dress you and you like it you let me buy 3 outfits I like and I will let you buy 3 that you like. That way I have a little control of what he wears for now
- Shop the new styles and make sure you are up on them. I didn’t know that ripped jeans were in for boys….for boys. So I saw a few guys wearing it and bought a pair for my son he was like wow mom you are cool (brownie points)
- Shop at hip and cool places. My son likes old navy but thinks it’s regular he wanted to up his game at a more cooler place so we checked out Hollister which he loved!
- Carry them with you during each season so they can try on clothes…they grow. Thankfully my son has not hit his growth spurt as of yet so he has been the same size for about a year now which I am truly happy about. My son hates trying on clothes so to make it less painful I only let him try on one pants and one shirt so I can see if I need to go up or down and then guestimate from there. As long as I have a size to go off of I am cool and he is happy he doesn’t have to keep trying on things. I know most stores fit differently but I have had no problem with the fit if I am getting the same size
- Buy good durable clothes. You don’t have to buy a lot for boys. Honestly, I buy him 2 pairs of jeans, 2 sweats, and 8 various shirts and that’s it for the entire winter
Now here are a few of the cool stores I shop at for my son
The hubs loved this store! As a matter of fact, when he passed away I got a package in the mail the next week with a few orders of shirts from them. I am keeping it to give to my son when he gets older.
I only shop here if it’s on sale. I bought 2 pants for him and 2 shirts for about 50 bucks total on sale.
This spot is on the cheap side. I like it but I don’t love it. I let him buy a few pieces from them every now and then
Y’all can ban them if you want but their clothes still hold up well for boys. I bought him a pair of jeans from here that I have washed countless times and it still looks brand new. So I will still be shopping here. No banning them because guess what Walmart, Target, or any other store can do something Y’all don’t like. What will you do stop shopping everywhere?
A few honorable mentions are
- JCPenney
- Levi’s
- Amazon (I have actually bought a few things from there for my son)
- Y’all know about Old Navy and Gap
- Burlington
- Marshalls/TJMaxx (I get all of his Polo stuff from these stores)
- Walmart (for around the house)
So tell me where do you shop that’s not on the list? Do you have a son that’s in men clothing yet?
30 Comments
candy
November 12, 2018 at 12:58 pmThink you found just the right clothes for any pre-teen young man. They all look comfortable and something they would enjoy wearing.
Kenya G. Johnson
November 12, 2018 at 1:14 pmYes ma’am mine has been in men’s clothing. I think you have one more year and your son will care what he’s wearing. That seemed to happen overnight. I’ve been the one to throw on something to go to Walmart and I ask him what he’s getting fancy for. We also shop at H&M. We don’t have some of the others you have on your list but we do go to Old Navy. We also try the hot or miss places like Ross and Marshall’s.
Jeanette
November 12, 2018 at 1:23 pmThis is definitely something I have a hard time with too! My preteen is getting more picky as he gets older. I am definitely paying attention to what he likes to try to buy what he loves to wear it. I really like what you have here for ideas.
Amber Myers
November 12, 2018 at 1:29 pmMy son never cared what he wore so I could bring him home whatever and he’d put it on. So long as it didn’t feel funny, because he has sensory issues. My tween daughter on the other hand? Now that’s tricky. I usually have to bring plenty of Tylenol and patience when I shop with her.
Andrea Eisen
November 12, 2018 at 2:45 pmIt’s so hard for me to shop for my daughter because the child won’t stop growing!!!
So I can relate to this and I love the stuff your son is wearing in these pictures.
My kid is only in ripped jeans now. It’s like all the other jeans no longer matter. Sigh.
Shoshana Sue
November 12, 2018 at 5:17 pmSo glad to hear that you have kept the shirts that your late husband ordered before he passed on, that is so thoughtful and sweet and your son will appreciate it greatly I’m sure. I don’t have boys but H&M has good pieces for my girls.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy
November 13, 2018 at 12:10 amI can see why it’s challenging at times to find the right clothes for boys. I think it’s important to let them express their own style as long as it’s age and weather appropriate.
Ashley
November 13, 2018 at 12:23 amYour son has some style! Mine isn’t there yet for preteen or teen but he loves to dress “handsome” as he calls it.
Pam
November 13, 2018 at 1:32 amShopping gets so much harder during the preteen and teen years. Hollister was popular when my daughter was in high school too.
Kim
November 13, 2018 at 2:14 amShopping for boys, whether a baby or pre-teen is hard for me. Give me a girl any day! Teen boys please… with trying to be cool & keeping up with trends/brands I couldn’t.
Jenn
November 13, 2018 at 2:47 amI think dressing any kids at this age can be a challenge. We have two daughters and I remember doing a lot shopping.
Tasheena
November 13, 2018 at 3:18 amThese are wondering tips Kita. American Eagle and Abercrombie are two of my favorite stores to shop for my son.
Tabitha Blue
November 13, 2018 at 3:46 amGreat outfits and love those jeans. I find preteens are the hardest to dress!
Terri Steffes
November 13, 2018 at 4:29 amI cannot imagine how difficult it is to find clothing that isn’t too “mature” without being too childish. I think you have some great ideas here for dressing a preteen boy!
Ricci
November 13, 2018 at 4:32 amOh gosh, shopping for pre-teens is so hard! They are so opinionated and most of the time are riding that line between junior sizes and adult and finding appropriate things is just hard!
Petra
November 13, 2018 at 7:18 amI think your blog post is so helpful for those who have pre-teens. I don’t have one yet but I can imagine how hard it can be. 🙂
Cathy Mini
November 13, 2018 at 12:20 pmThese are great tips to choose clothes for pre-teens. So difficult to find one for them but I’ve got those very useful and I can save money too.
Amanda
November 13, 2018 at 12:49 pmGreat article!
For my teenager I usually let him pick out his clothes. His grandmother does the same when she shops for him. She loves JC Penny, Old Navy and Sears for jeans and joggers. I shop anywhere! He’s 15 so he’s at an age where he likes what he likes and as long as it’s not terrible I go with it. I find him nice button downs at the thrift for about $2-$5 bucks. I cannot beat that because he’s a big boy. His shirts are XL and pants are 38/30 in men. He wears the same size as his dad and did I mention he’s only 15..lol
Heather
November 13, 2018 at 2:39 pmThese are great options. Having only girls, it’s equally as challenging to find age appropriate clothing.
Jaye
November 13, 2018 at 3:05 pmI had a girl but I always thought that boys had the best clothes when she was a preeteen. And while it was about shopping for a young man, I think this is just good advice for buying things for people in general.
Laura Dove
November 13, 2018 at 5:02 pmI have a 14 year old but I know when he was 12 it was so hard to buy him clothes as he was in a real in-between stage. Now he shops in the mens section!
Farrah Less
November 13, 2018 at 5:08 pmI have a nephew who loves to dress up as possible. He has this specific clothes for pretty much every season and in every occasion. I would love to share this post to my sister so she can read it.
Swathi
November 14, 2018 at 4:43 amMy kids are not yet pre-teen still shopping dress for them is not that easy. They may or may not like the design, color etc. If I take them along with shop then it will be war zone.
Jona Shares
November 14, 2018 at 5:26 amI don’t have kids yet but I have already many teen nephews and nieces. This would be totally a good post that I could share to my sisters so they can consider.
Carissa
November 14, 2018 at 4:55 pmMy son is probably going to follow the same path, he’s 4 but he currently wears a 6 in boys clothes. The Doctor has projected him to be close to 7ft tall! I love the “Ball is in your Court” sweatshirt!
Monique Tillman
November 14, 2018 at 7:18 pmI’m like you. My kids need to look decent and put together before walking out the door because thats a reflection of you in my opinion. I like his style. I just want my son booty to grow into his pants and him to stop getting taller.
Tanay
November 14, 2018 at 8:24 pmI dread the grown man days haha. My sons are only 4 & 1. I get most of their clothes from h&m and target because I love cat and jack. And we still do Carters when they have a good sale.
Elle Cole
November 15, 2018 at 1:38 amHe looks so handsome in his clothes. They also look age appropriate and comfortable.
ShaBree Henry
November 15, 2018 at 3:39 pmI haven’t shopped at Hollister much. I’ll check it out. My son is 13 . . . trust me, I know the struggle is real.
Kasi Perkins
November 26, 2018 at 4:41 pmYou do a great job, he definitely looks like a stylish pre-teenager! You can never go wrong with H&M! The other places are great choices too.