Where do you buy school skirts/trousers for your 14 year old girls?

[HMSVictoria]

DD is 14 and starting a new school in Sept. This will be her first time at school in the UK and first time in uniform.

The school has a strict uniform policy, most from school shop but trouser/skirts just have to be black, non-stretchy fabric, not too tight, no rivets or big buttons, and skirts must at least touch the knee.

We have found one skirt that she quite likes, but the trousers are all hideous.

Where should we look apart from M&S, Next, J Lewis?

[bigTillyMint]

M&S, but DD won't wear anything knee-length!

[cardibach]

DD wears trousers and I bought this year's from New Look. I have used M&S and Peacocks in the past.

[lljkk]

Ask the school if they know where most of the girls get their trousers, might be a local supplier you don't know about.

[HMSVictoria]

I haven't seen DD in a skirt for years. But she'd rather wear a skirt than nasty poly trousers. The one she's chosen just about reaches her knees and looks ok.

I'll investigate New Look and Peacocks, and ask the school if no luck

Do they tend to go for straight leg? She normally only wears skinny jeans but slim leg school trews all look v odd

[bigTillyMint]

DD would only wear trousers at primary school.

Now she will only wear skirts.

If you are getting skirts, get a million pairs of opaque black tights

[Startail]

Black trousers M&S for 14y (kids next for DD2), skirts school shop because they are a funny colour. DDs hate the official trousers, a big M&S gives loads of choice of women's black office trousers. Different lengths, fits and if you are lucky pockets. If you have to use the web, by the right size and a pair a size smaller. DD1 is a bog standard size 12 in every shop on the planet, but her M&S school trousers are both 10s

[Startail]

YY millions and millions of cheap opaque tights for winter and whatever the others wear in summer (here it seems to be opaque or shear black and neutral. Anything else upsets the uniform police).

[bigTillyMint]

Jeez! Just got DS (12) to try on the new uniform I ordered as he has grown out of his age 13 stuff. I got age 15 to be on the safe side, and it fits

[HMSVictoria]

Oh hell yes she's rubbish with tights, she even makes holes in thick leggings in no time.

Women's trousers - good idea. Probably better quality than school stuff and a better shape?

She's hoping summer uniform doesn't mean short white socks...

[BackforGood]

M&S here, for my dd - she'll only wear trousers though. You can get them from the official uniform supplier if you want to pay 4x as much.
The trousers are supposed to look "non-fashion" - that's the point of school uniform. If you go too far 'off-piste' you may find they are not acceptable as uniform, IYSWIM.

[Theas18]

Ours are from the school uniform shop. One style of trouser and one of skirt. Simples, though dd isn't enthral led lol

[dementedma]

New Look has quite nice school skirts for young teens

[HMSVictoria]

She gets the non-fashion argument, she just wants some that fit round the hips and don't come up to her armpits!

[NeverBeenToMe]

Check out 'office'- type wear in shops like New Look?

[Startail]

That's why we end up in Marks. The official school ones have a great wide waist band with two buttons on the hip.

DD1 has proper grown up hips. Apart from the fashion aspect, she has the devils own job doing up and undoing these stupid buttons every time she wants to go to the loo.

[bigTillyMint]

M&S used to do nice little pleated ones. DD is still wearing her age 10 one (she is coming up for 14!) - it's OK round the waist, but looks a bit short! It would fit any size hips with the pleats, but they don't do that style any more.

[HMSVictoria]

DD has hips too, I'll expand the trouser search to ladies depts.

I suggested a pleated skirt, but she isn't keen for some reason. But she isn't allowed short, they have to touch the knee.

[bigTillyMint]

The recommended school shop for the DC's school stocks long pleated skirts. DD has one because she can roll it up dead easy and pull it down quickly if a teacher decides on an adhoc skirt length inspection!

[Lancelottie]

DD has the opposite problem -- definitely apple-shaped with wide tummy but narrow little hips.

We've got away with stretchy jersey-ish skirts and trousers, or pinafores, for primary but our secondary similarly says 'non-stretch fabric'. Oh great. Nothing we've tried so far will both fit and stay up -- I'm contemplating braces...

Oh, and she's (ironically enough) too slim for 'sturdy' or generous kids' ranges, which tend to flap madly around the seat.

[Startail]

I know nothing about rolling up and down skirts

[HMSVictoria]

I'm glad about the skirt length rule tbh. I'd hate her to be one of the girls I see out in public in skirts that barely cover their bottoms.

I saw some trousers in ponte fabric that looked like they might be a better fit, but ponte is stretchy isn't it? Don't want to risk riling the uniform police in her first term.

[BanoffeeSplitz]

If your school uniform is black, then GAP sales can be good if you are lucky - plain black office type trousers for £10 but good quality.

I have a pair of these for DD (14) however what she & her friends actually wear are plain black jeggings from H&M, which look like drainpipe trousers but apparently fulfill the school criteria of being neither "stretch" nor "jeans style" (ie no riveted jeans pockets).

If the school was stricter about uniform (or if they have a crackdown) then the GAP trousers would be fine, otherwise I'd look in New Look, Peacocks, H&M, maybe Dorothy Perkins (maybe bit pricy) for office trousers about £10-15. Sainsburys, Asda (adult clothes) prob also worth a look.

[EvilTwins]

The students at the school I teach in generally get their from Tesco. Skirts have to be similar to that which you're describing - non-stretchy, knee length. We brought in a new uniform about a year ago and supplied it to all existing students - other than blazers and logo'd jumpers, it was all Tesco.

[BirdintheWings]

Why non-stretchy, though? DD could definitely do with stretchy or hers will fall off.

[EvilTwins]

When I said stretchy, I meant those hideous tiny black lycra tube skirts. Our girls used to wear those before we changed the uniform. Some of the 6th formers still try to get away with it.