Wayzata school clothes and cars to fit in? (Minnetonka, Marshall: mortgage, home)

[IMN]

I'm relocating very soon to the area and very curious as to what is considered the norm in Wayzata in regards to fitting in with school clothing, first cars, etc.

I'm not concerned with a particular budget but I know each area has the so called parent spending limits.

Are children in MN very designer conscious and shopping at Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Ave, Bloomingdale's, Barney's, etc. Or just the usual school age traditions Macy's, Abercrombie, etc?

I don't want to go overboard but fashion is very important to us.

What percentage of the students are driving new Mercedes and BMW's, and is that the norm as well?

I read things such as the following and even though I know it's written jokingly, I'm not familiar with the area and have to ask.

You Know You Go to Wayzata When... | Facebook

[StilltheSame]

This is a joke - right?

[Slig]

Yeah, I don't really understand why you'd be asking a question like that here. The members who contribute in this forum do not make up the top 2% of wealth and would find alot of difficulty relating to your lifestyle. As a poor grad school student, I am insulted by the notion of considering Macys and Abercrombie "usual school age traditions." I buy less than 10 articles of clothes per year and most of it is done at places like Old Navy and Marshall's or clearance racks at other lower/middle of the line places.

If your husband wants to bring the corporate office of his company to the Twin Cities I welcome you with open arms, but my modest lifestyle in me has a major problem with any forms of what I would consider "overexaggerated materialism". To put things in perspective, I came from an upper-middle class upbringing in the suburbs and my high school car was a 6 year old Geo Prism, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. After all, alot of kids I knew didn't even have a car to drive.

[uptown_urbanist]

I don't think we have any Wayzata regulars on here, so I'll make a stab at it. I'd wait before going too overboard on the shopping; the Wayzatas and Minnetonkas of the Twin Cities have a reputation for being the ritzy suburbs (and a bit snobby), but it's still Minnesota. It's been my experience that overall Minnesotans often are still a little embarrassed by being extremely flashy with their wealth; that's certainly not the case for everyone and every place, but overall I still think it holds. It's been awhile since I've been in school (and my son is nowhere near high school age, and we don't live in Wayzata anyway) but when I was younger it seemed that the kids I knew from the Wayzata area dressed in the equivalent of what is now Abercrombie, etc. I could be totally wrong, but I doubt you'd feel any pressure to do all the shopping at Saks or Neiman Marcus (and no Barney's in MN, for what it's worth.).

I have several very non-designer conscious friends who live in that area, so even if some kids really are fully equipped with brand new Mercedes and are going on shopping jaunts to Beverly Hills or NYC every semester it certainly doesn't mean that every, or even many, kids are doing so. There's probably more pressure to wear expensive, or at least fashionable, clothes there than there are in many Twin Cities schools, but I don't think it's going to be as extreme as what you might find in some cities. (of course could be totally wrong, so with luck someone with current experience with Wayzata schools will chime in.)

[uptown_urbanist]

Relax, everyone; it's not my style, either, and I certainly do my shopping on the cheap, but I've lived in or near places where this sort of thing DID matter (I briefly worked with one high school kid in an upscale LA suburb who crashed THREE brand new mercedes in one year), so let's assume this is a valid question. No one wants their kids to be ostracized. One of the things I like about Minnesota is that there isn't that sort of pressure, and that it is seen as in poor taste in many circles (even among the wealthy) to flaunt money in that way. That's useful information for the OP to know, and presumably she'll be happy to hear that her kids won't risk being social outcasts if they don't dress head-to-toe in the latest runway fashions.

[StilltheSame]

Here is the thing - I am hoping to continue to instill in my children that they are leaders not followers. To the OP I suggest let them purchase what they like and what they feel comfortable with - its not even a matter of economics, it teaching that we are all entitled to enjoy what we like. Let the children go to school and then determine what they need to fit in. Let them drive that conversation with their parents and not vice versa. I will withhold my other thoughts on why we as parents would encourage bowing to peer pressure.

Having moved from materialistic South Florida and expensive private schools - I find MN refreshing and relatively unspoiled in comparison. I know what its like to have my 8/9 year old beg for Juicy and Ed Hardy shoes before they became mainstream. Ridiculous!

[insert_name_here_00]

No, I have not heard of a "parent spending limit." I have heard of a budget though...

Lady, seriously... no one in Wayzata gets picked on for wearing shirts from Neiman Marcus.

And no kid in high school has ever been turned down on a date for driving a Mercedes.

[golfgal]

Most teens shop at the normal teen stores like Abercrombie, Hollister and H&M. Most teens I know wouldn't be caught dead shopping at Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdale's--they are old folk stores.

If you really want to live with the upper crust, Medina, Long Lake and some points around there would be more to your liking. Also, depending on where you are coming from, those areas may be out of your reach too.

As for cars, if you really want your kids to hang out with people that are only your friend because of the car you drive or the clothing they were by all means buy them a BMW.

[IMN]

Thank you to all of those that responded. However, after reading all the posts I must admit that I'm in shock at some of the answers.

If you're not from the area we are moving to and do not have direct knowledge, why would you feel it is appropriate to attack me because of our lifestyle differences and not even answer the question?

I thought my question was very valid and others moving to the area would benefit from a real answer as well.

My children are actually my step-children who are moving with us because their mother has moved to Europe with her new husband. She would send them off to a boarding school in CT.

Our kids already desire the best and most current fashions, just as their current friends do. If they wanted to shop at Walmart of course we would let them, they just prefer the best and we have no reason to deny them anything but the best. I also take joy in teaching them about designers and the industry. It should be looked at as an art and not just a $10,000 handbag, if you're purchasing quality.

I just wanted to refrain from looking like the over obnoxious new money family from NYC in a mid-American frugal enviroment, if that is the case as some of you pointed out MN is. lol We will still vacation to Palm Beach, FL time to time where at least there my concerns are real.

I'm personally coming from the Upper East Side of Manhattan where friends and relatives children will wear nothing but the latest fashions, and parents are spending upwards of $250,000 a year on their childrens clothing when gala and party attire is added.

I've come to realize that this forum has a limited number of users who can relate to our circumstances. It's a shame but even after reading similar posts in other cities I find nothing but pure jealousy and hatred towards those more successful.

Last, GOLFGAL, you must be the leader of the jealous wolf pack here. How do you even have the nerve to tell me what we can afford and then make a laughed at disaster of an attempt to imply that some old wealthy residents are better citizens than we are? We have worked extremely hard to get where we are and not that it matters but the home we sold in NY closed for more money than all but three single family properties currently listed on the Twin-Cities MLS. And no GOLFGAL, the building it was in didn't allow financing above 50% so we didn't have a mortgage and will not in MN either.

Alsom GOLFGAL, perhaps my husband already knows some of your "special people" on the Lake we are moving to as well. He just returned from the Jackson Hole exec confrence and said there were many Twin City execs he met there. Hope to meet you and your special residents (our neighbors) when we settle in!

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by IMN

Thank you to all of those that responded. However, after reading all the posts I must admit that I'm in shock at some of the answers.

If you're not from the area we are moving to and do not have direct knowledge, why would you feel it is appropriate to attack me because of our lifestyle differences and not even answer the question?

I thought my question was very valid and others moving to the area would benefit from a real answer as well.

My children are actually my step-children who are moving with us because their mother has moved to Europe with her new husband. She would send them off to a boarding school in CT.

Our kids already desire the best and most current fashions, just as their current friends do. If they wanted to shop at Walmart of course we would let them, they just prefer the best and we have no reason to deny them anything but the best. I also take joy in teaching them about designers and the industry. It should be looked at as an art and not just a $10,000 handbag, if you're purchasing quality.

I just wanted to refrain from looking like the over obnoxious new money family from NYC in a mid-American frugal enviroment, if that is the case as some of you pointed out MN is. lol We will still vacation to Palm Beach, FL time to time where at least there my concerns are real.

I'm personally coming from the Upper East Side of Manhattan where friends and relatives children will wear nothing but the latest fashions, and parents are spending upwards of $250,000 a year on their childrens clothing when gala and party attire is added.

I've come to realize that this forum has a limited number of users who can relate to our circumstances. It's a shame but even after reading similar posts in other cities I find nothing but pure jealousy and hatred towards those more successful.

Last, GOLFGAL, you must be the leader of the jealous wolf pack here. How do you even have the nerve to tell me what we can afford and then make a laughed at disaster of an attempt to imply that some old wealthy residents are better citizens than we are? We have worked extremely hard to get where we are and not that it matters but the home we sold in NY closed for more money than all but three single family properties currently listed on the Twin-Cities MLS. And no GOLFGAL, the building it was in didn't allow financing above 50% so we didn't have a mortgage and will not in MN either.

Alsom GOLFGAL, perhaps my husband already knows some of your "special people" on the Lake we are moving to as well. He just returned from the Jackson Hole exec confrence and said there were many Twin City execs he met there. Hope to meet you and your special residents (our neighbors) when we settle in!

You asked a question, I answered, simple as that. I never told you want you can and cannot afford. What you will find in MN is that spending $250,000 on a child's wardrobe is not going to go over here, nor is a $10,000 handbag. If you have $20,000,000 to put toward a house, have at it. It is just not something that is looked upon as favorable in MN. Most of the most wealthy people here will live in a modest house, drive a modest car and you would never guess in a million years they are worth millions. No one here is jealous of you, you started posting about buying BMW's for your kids to fit in and we told you that wasn't necessary. I don't have any idea what you are talking about with the "special people" on the lake??? Like I said, the area you are looking in is probably not what you expect and it sounds like you will be more comfortable in Orono, Medina and the area.