AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH - Winter Coats!!!

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Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH - Winter Coats!!!

Post by Snowdrops »

This is driving me potty I have to admit.

I bought DD a gorgeous rain mac a couple of months ago on the basis that it would do for school. When I bought it I had to seach high and low for 'the right one' and found it in Debenhams. However, I had to purchase it on-line as my local shop didn't stock that particular style and I spent a long while on the 'phone with the sales assistant who very kindly measured the sleeve length, overall length of the coat and of course around the chest.

The coat duly arrived and she was thrilled with it, indeed all her friends were thrilled with it and wanted one too. But we quickly found dd decided to have a growth spurt and whilst it still fits (just) to wear out socially (ie, can throw on a t-shirt and jumper) it is no good to wear with her school uniform as she has to wear a blazer and it won't fit over the top.

Now we come to the problem!!

As the coat won't fit OVER her blazer, there's no point in taking the blazer off and wearing just the coat, she may as well just keep her blazer on. I am however becoming more and more concerned that it's getting colder as we move further into winter and feel exceedingly guilty about poor dd and the cold.

She has a few minutes' wait in the morning for the bus then a 15 minute walk to school which is where the guilt is coming in. I tried to tell myself that a good walk soon warms you up and then toyed with the idea of making her wear a vest (yeah, you can see THAT happening can't you!! :shock: :lol: :lol: ) but it's no good, I can't let my baby go through winter without a proper coat!!

I asked her what the others do and she said they just wear their blazers (compulsory for them) but I did see a couple with coats this morning (she missed the bus and I had to take her to school this morning :shock: - actually it was early, I know it was, it goes past our house and she was ringing me 2 minutes BEFORE it should actually have left.

Anyway, I've looked and looked and looked and cannot find a decent 'teens' coat. Loads for lovely little cherubby babies. Millions of puffball type coats for 7/8/9 year olds but nothing, literally nothing for a 12 year old who likes to dress befitting her age and not some primary school kiddy.

I want a proper wool coat of a decent length - why is it so hard????

What do you all do/where do you all shop???? I've googled and looked in all the shops but really cannot find anything, and the girls I saw this morning had some stunning coats :cry:
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Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

My son wears a long woollen coat over his jacket on cold days like today.

We got it from the supplier who stocks his uniform, but it has no logo or anything. So there would be nothing stopping you from finding shops which stock uniform/coats for others schools and going in there.

Oddly, I just went online to look at Salters (Rugby) but no mention is made of coats! I was going to post a link.
Tree
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:19 pm
Location: bucks

Post by Tree »

I've given up with this my daughter would rather die of hypothermia/pneumonia than wear a coat her only concession to winter is she wears a vest (abercumbly and ditch-what else!) and shivers what can you do!!
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Post by solimum »

Well over many years I have tried in vain to get any of mine to wear a coat over their blazers anyway - it doesn't help that the school rules for outer coats are unbelievably restrictive (plain black or dark green, no logos etc) that they won't be seen in them (in both senses of the word). Also they have very little secure locker space or cloakrooms to keep a bulky outer coat in during the day. Occasionally if desperate a lightweight cagoule will be taken to keep out the worst of the wind/rain (this is a 40 min walk). Otherwise the trend among boys is to wear a t-shirt under their shirt (ideally with a logo etc to prove it's not a vest) and/ or a lightweight fleece under the jacket. Girls wear strappy t-shirts (£1.50 in Primark, definitely not a vest!), two pairs of tights, perhaps an extra jumper under the blazer, plus scarf ( non-uniform so has to be hidden before getting to the school gate) and umbrella. If it's my day off I may take pity on DD and run her / fetch her half way to a friend's convenient drive....

You are probably also hitting that awkward time in the teen fashion market where the clothes in the 9-14 ranges in M&S, BHS etc are not always quite trendy enough and DD will be looking longingly at the size 8 women's ranges in Jane Norman, Top Shop and other havens of teenage bliss. A cheaper option is to foster a love of charity shops!
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Post by Looking for help »

Tree wrote:I've given up with this my daughter would rather die of hypothermia/pneumonia than wear a coat her only concession to winter is she wears a vest (abercumbly and ditch-what else!) and shivers what can you do!!
My girls layer these vests and just wear their blazers. Neither son ever wears a coat unless there is an obvious sign of frost bite in a close family member or friend. In fact yesterday we had to pick a friend's son up from a footie match (my youngest doesn't play football) and I forgot to mention that a) footie matches always run about an hour behind schedule and b) he would be cold while we waited unless he put on his coat. Well he was wearing cut off trousers and a light jumper and stood there quite happily for about 30 mins in the bitterest wind I've felt for ages. There I am in my long eskimo type coat with my hood up to keep ears from falling off, and he's out looking like he's going to a summer evening picnic.
I was a bit embarrassed :oops: by the looks he was getting, but his hands were still warm when we got back in the car. He does not feel the cold at all. Some children are like that
Hope
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:16 pm

Post by Hope »

Hi

I had to give in last year when my DD started senior school, I tried in vain to get her in a 'sensible' coat but she was having none of it :roll: we ended up in H & M and brought a size 8 black coat. It was not too expensive and she wore it every cold day last winter and has happily worn it again today, so really it was a good purchase :lol:
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

Have you tried Sainsbury's??
They have quite nice clothes , which seem to be really good quality. I/m sure they had some plainish cots a few weeks back.
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

I'm little, about the same size as most 12 year olds (!), and bought a black winter coat from Sainsbury's a few weeks ago. I'm really pleased with it. It's warm, plain and smart.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

plainish COATS...
my typing is getting worse by the minute!
Tree
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:19 pm
Location: bucks

Post by Tree »

getting a coat from sainbury's would be wonderful however this would only work if for my daughter if sainbuys

Was full of beautiful but incredably stupid assistants who pose around the shop looking beatiful but who if you ask them anything look at you as though you are mad and say helpful things like " i dunno "

Was so Dark you can't see the clothes properly

Wasn't a supermarket

Had loud abnoxious music playing

Charged 80 quid for a t shirt

Had 1 size only ie for the perfect body no fatties or tallies allowed

printed the name of the shop on the front of the clothes

Then i might stand a chance of her buying anything
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