Designer kids leave parents behind in fashion stakes

Credit crunched parents are cutting back on their own clothes spending in order to buy their brand conscious children the latest designer fashions.

According to new research by Sheilas' Wheels home insurance mums and dads across Britain are reducing the amount they spend on themselves so their kids can keep up with their peers in the fashion stakes.

While mums and dads trade down to stores like Primark, TK Maxx and Peacocks, their clothes-obsessed children continue to get their wardrobes from high end, designer brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Jack Wills and Lacoste - paid for by their parents.

Designer brand t-shirts, sweatshirts and trousers can cost up to £60 each from some of these must-have teenage makes, while Primark t-shirts cost as little as £3.

It means recession hit parents are coming under enormous pressure to ensure their children are kitted out in the latest fashions, while they just ‘make do' or buy cheap replacements.

According to the research, over three quarters of parents (76 per cent) polled are cutting back on their own clothing spend.

However, when it comes to reducing what they spend on their children outfits, 43 per cent of parents polled refuse to make any cut backs.

Half of parents surveyed (51 per cent) said they have traded down from designer clothes and fashion brands of clothing over the past six months so they do not have to cut back on what they spend on their children's clothing and related items.

One in five parents (20 per cent) confess to spending between £500 and £1,000 a year in order to keep a single child in the latest clothes and accessories. This includes coats, tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, hats, scarves, trainers and accessories like jewellery.

Five per cent of parents questioned said they spend between £1,000 and £1,500 a year on their children's clothing and one per cent spend £2,000 plus. However, when it comes to spending on their own clothing, 86 per cent of parents spend less than £1,000 a year on their wardrobes.

Nearly eight in ten parents (78 per cent) questioned said they prefer their children to be better dressed than themselves and 62 per cent of mums and dads said they feel pressurised to spend more on their children than themselves.

Nearly seven in ten (68 per cent) of those surveyed said they feel their children are under peer pressure from friends into wearing the latest branded or designer clothes.

The study of 1,010 parents found that more than half (54 per cent) said their children became fashion conscious by the tender age of 10.

Fifty-three per cent of parents said their children regularly refuse to wear items they have bought for them, adding more pressure on hard-stretched household budgets.

Jacky Brown at Sheilas' Wheels, comments: "Clearly today's parents are feeling under a lot of pressure to buy top-end clothing for their children. This has almost led to a two-tier family shopping experience with kids coming out on top when it comes to brand names and parents cutting back on their spending. Whatever the strain on the household purse-strings, peer pressure and wanting your child to look their best is driving what parents spend on fashions for the whole family.

"It's crucial not to underestimate the cost to replace a child's wardrobe as the value kids clothing and accessories really does add up That's why it's important to have ample contents insurance."