Uniform advice please

[Pico2]

Now that we know where DD1 will be going for reception, I'd like some advice on buying her uniform. Our priorities are:

1. DD is comfortable - so probably more natural fabrics.
   

1. An easy life - minimal ironing and enough uniform to not need to have a regimented washing schedule.
   

1. The right balance between cost and durability. DD seems to stain a lot of clothes at nursery, so we might not want to buy uniform to last so well that DD2 wears it too, but we wouldn't want it to fall apart after a couple of washes.
   

Can anyone advise on where to buy uniform and how many to get of each item? Also, when is the best time to get it? Will she need summer dresses in September or straight into winter uniform?

[soapboxqueen]

Firstly you need to find out the uniform policy of the School your dd will attend. It may even change for next year.

Many people talk of their favourite supermarket brands. I've bought sainsburys, tesco, asda, John Lewis, marks and Spencer, Morrison's etc. I don't think there is much between them. Marks and John Lewis have a better quality feel but durability wise they are pretty much the same. You may need to shop about to get a good fit for your child.

I personally have uniform for everyday since my ds wrecks everything but others wash and wear. I know of somebody who bought two weeks worth because they could only do the laundry every two weeks.

Summer dresses in September would be dependent on the weather unless directed by the School.

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

Straight into winter is fine. Generally only older kids, or ones with siblings they can have hand-me-down's from will start in summer stuff, even if warm. It's pointless to buy something they might wear 5 times and then grow out of.

Natural fabrics and point 2 are pretty much mutually exclusive IMO.

What you buy and where depends on the uniform and how much branded stuff you need. If you are allowed plain polo shirts I'd say 5 if possible, to avoid midweek washing. In reception, many kids will go through a t shirt and cardigan a day.

If there is a branded sweatshirt/cardigan, check out what the older girls seem to be wearing. At our school, girls very quickly only want the cardie it seems. Buy as many as you can afford. At least 2, 3 if you can stretch to it.

[Almostapril]

I have at least a weeks worth plus s couple. I do one weekly wash of it all that way

[PureMorning]

6 white tops (one for spare/photos)
3 bottoms
2-3 jumpers

All uniform is pretty much the same weather from JL or tesco.

[madamginger]

I like m&s uniform, but ive found no matter which brand you get the polo shirts shrink in the wash so i buy bigger. l
Last year Marks had a 20% off everything sale in May so I bought uniform then. We have 5 bottoms and 6 tops (as they come in 2packs) plus 3 jumpers each. I have 3 kids to buy for this year so I'm dreading the bill

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

Mine have to wear proper shirts. I always get M&S in the next size up. I get 6.

M&S for skirts, pinafores and trousers. A mixture totalling 5.

School logo cardigans x3

More tights than you would imagine.

[redskybynight]

for girls I think pinafores are more practical and more forgiving on spills - although you may want to have a pair of trousers for PE day if your DD is likely to struggle with tights (though I did and DD refused to wear them!). I'd suggest keeping an eye out around June time as shops often have reductions on school uniform before the school holidays. I wouldn't bother with buying a summer dress as most likely the weather won't be warm enough to wear it for long and it will be outgrown by summer.

I think we had 4 tops and 3 pinafores and a couple of cardigans, but it does depend on how often you want to wash. I'd also say that sponging off the worst of the stains is totally fine on a day by day basis or you may go mad (DD who spilt everything down her).

[MandMand]

If your school allow polo tops/shirts in any colour other than white, buy the coloured version. Your reception child WILL come home covered in pen/paint/lunch/mud and white tops invariably end up stained or grey after a few weeks.

Other than that, buy large, and buy lots!

[SoonToBeSix]

Don't put dd in summer uniform even if it is sweltering in September. She will be the odd one out.

[Iwantacampervan]

Check whether the PTA sell second hand uniform - ours have it on display on the information evening. It's very useful for spares.

[Pico2]

Great - lots of things to think about. It hadn't occurred to me that they might change the uniform, but they could.

I'll have a look at the girls coming out of school to see whether they prefer cardigans.

[HaplessHousewife]

I disagree Soon, my DD started in summer dresses and was by no means the only one... She usually wears summer uniform more or less all the way to the October half term although some schools have rules about when summer uniform can be worn.

But I buy the John Lewis ones and they were big on her but could be tied at the back so you can get away with it.

[Theas18]

Buy big, buy cheap and buy lots! Chuck it when manky. If you can get plain colours not logoed do that- they are loads cheaper and generally better quality.

Oversized might look a bit funny to you but is easier to get in and out of and they do grow.

Label everything well but equally expect it to get lost/borrowed so don't take nice coats in etc. I don't think you can be too cross with reception for losing stuff - by year 3 yes but reception no.

If you buy a load of largge stuff and it's really too big in sept you can pick up one or 2 smaller garments then to keep them going. Pinafores are again more forgiving or being a size to big than skirts!

[MrsChocolateBrownie]

We have
3 trousers (next as slimest fit I could find, washed well and hopefully could be ok for DS2),
5 polos (only white wash once a week)
2 jumpers but I will get 3 for next year.
Plus a spare uniform (cheapest I could find and no logos) in school at all times.
2 PE kits, but could have got away with one as it only comes home at half term and end of term.

Quality - doesnt really matter, but tesco/adsa/sainsburys value polos good as reception children are prone to coming home with paint splats

[SoonToBeSix]

Maybe it's a local thing then Hapless.

[MrsHathaway]

M&S quality is worse every year. I only go there for mid-year top-ups when nobody else has any.

By contrast I've found Morrisons (Nutmeg) brilliant. Polos, t-shirts, trousers, even PE pumps.

At our school they must have a logo jumper but everything else can be plain.

I'd recommend six polos, two or three jumpers if possible, and at least three bottoms. In Reception mine was filthy every day - play based learning plus inaccurate eating - and I washed twice a week.

Agree with everyone else about buying big or late, at least one summer dress for September when it's often baking, and PTA second-hand sales if they exist.

Which reminds me... I must organise our PTA second-hand sale!

[SirVixofVixHall]

I bought Summer uniform for the start. Generally if September is warm the children are in Summer uniform until half-term. I try to only buy natural fibres but the school polos are something like 65% poly Lord knows why, they would wash and wear much better in cotton, which fades nicely too, rather than poly which discolours and bobbles. Finding cotton stuff is really hard. Ditto wool for knits. I hate school uniform as I won't buy Teflon coated polyester anything, so it is all so expensive, and it means their clothes cost me double, as they also need out of school stuff. Also uniform colours are...uniformly ghastly.
Agree lots of tights, and buy the best quality you can afford as otherwise they last weeks. My dds have everything clean on every day, bar a wool cardi or jumper which does for longer. I buy at least five of everything as then if someone is ill, or I am madly busy, I still have enough for the week. Pure cotton Summer dresses take literally one minute to iron and are much nicer on a hot day than synthetics. I iron them all on a Sunday night, but if i haven't been able to then it only takes a moment in the morning.

[NotCitrus]

See how much is logoed and needs to be ordered specially, then order at start of summer. Find out if the school care about polo shirts being official ones or if supermarket one's are fine.
Don't bother ironing except for school photo day (try to keep one set of uniform less worn!)

Some children need clothes washed daily, others almost never. Probably similar to when they were at nursery.

[Sirzy]

DS is in reception. I daftly started of with enough uniform for it to last 2 days - ha I was buying more by half term as I was constantly washing! I have given up hope of making a uniform last more than a day!

I have found next before for his trousers as they do a slim fit, asda polo shirts are cheap and wash just as well as others (as pp said though all polos seem to shrink).

[Sirzy]

And make sure shoes are simple for her to get on. Velcro is the best but no buckles or laces until she can do her own!

[KnockMeDown]

DD is currently in reception. Once we were on the school system, we were invited to an after-school cake sale / getting to know you type thing, where there was second hand uniform to buy. Picked up a brand new summer dress for 50p. And she did wear it in September, as did others, so no issues there.

There were also trial days and induction evenings, where the cardis and jumpers with logos were available for sale.

I though M&S would be best quality, and bought 2 skirts from there, but was not too pleased with how they washed, also found they looked scruffy, as DD's tops would always pull out. Bought 2 pinafores from Sainsbury, and have been very please with these. Warmer for winter, look much smarter, and stop her white polo shirts getting quite so grubby.

Polo-shirts, agree with PP to buy lots - most supermarkets do a pack of 5 - ideal.

Also, don't worry too much - it's all readily available from all the supermarkets, so you won't be stuck.

One more thing, though - school shoes !!!!! You may wish to avoid the end of holiday rush and but these early, but don't buy too early, or she will grow out of them before the first half-term break . And they really ARE expensive!!

[redskybynight]

... and check what she needs for PE. DD's school didn't even bother getting them changed for PE until after Christmas so there was no rush in getting PE stuff!

[Pico2]

SirVixofVixHall - where do you go to avoid teflon coated polyester?

[TagineKaput]

I wouldn't buy it yet. M&S tend to do a discount week for school uniform with (I think) 20% off later on it the year. Not sure if other places do the same.

Also check the policy for PE at the school - at my DS's school, they go in in their PE kit twice a week (and stay in it the whole day) for the whole of reception, so they only wear normal uniform three days a week.