PSA - haul out your kids' school uniform now!

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We had to film a video for the DS's school yesterday and it had to be in school uniform - we could barely find anything that fit, and now they're going back in two weeks!

It's worth having a try-on of everything now, in case you need to get next sizes up...

This is exactly what we plan to do this afternoon. I'm hoping most stuff fits but already know I need to buy dd1 something to go on her feet.

Ugh yes shoes!! Mine have worn nothing but wellies since December...I'm not even sure where the school shoes are and if we need new ones it's going to have to be through the post I guess. At least in August we could go into a shop and have them fitted.

I ordered shoes a few days ago and I need to check uniform. It looks like it will all fit but best to get dd to try it on. I think she will need some new polo shirts.

School uniform is going to be really low stock everywhere I reckon.

I've got summer dresses I bought huge that should fit well enough - school shoes might be a different matter and I'm sending them in in trainers as I'm not sure they'll stay open long enough to justify buying new ones if they're outgrown.

Ooh I didn't think of stock being low. I'm going to need more shirts for sure, and school shoes

Funny, I had two emails yesterday about back to school: one from Schuh and the other from Sainsburys. DD doesn't have uniform but she does need some bigger clothes

We went through shoes at the weekend, so depressing knowing how little use they've got out of them before they need replacing again.

Shoes. PE shoes. All the shoes.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with haircuts, mine have gone feral and I did an unfortunate Cadfaelesque chop on DH last lockdown and they've all refused me any access since.

My DS needs new PE kit in next size up, shoes, trousers and shirts. And a haircut!

It’s a shame that the kids haven’t had a chance to wear their uniform and now they’ve grown out of it. Dd10 doesn’t grow very fast so hopefully she’ll be ok. Dd16 will have to make do, I’m not getting anything new just for a few months.

Am I hell buying anything new for a few months.
I have awful trouble getting things to fit dd2 13 as she's 5 foot 7 and a curvy size 12. Things need to be tried on in the shop and obviously that's impossible at the moment. Stock in the super markets is virtually non existent so she will have to wear leggings or her only pair of black jeans to school for now.
Luckily dd3 is OK

mine are going back in trainers if their school shoes don't fit. I will get them new ones but it's not exactly top of my list. Everything else should fit (I hope!)

Discovered at the weekend that DSD9 had thrown her school shoes away (one week of wear £50 Clarks jobs, sob!) as they felt a big tight.

Course they do, you've worn slippers and wellies for weeks! 😫

How she magicked them into the bin under everyone's nose I have no idea. I'm hoping Sainsbury's will come good, I can't bring myself to spend another £50 while her feet are growing at this speed 🤦🏻‍♀️

We tried uniform on this morning - one needs trousers lengthening but bought the M&S ones so easily done. Completely forgot about shoes, so thanks for the reminder.

Our school emailed and said they were making uniforms optional for the rest of the year. They were also optional in September, our head is pretty sensible and she thought it would be a waste for parents to shell out on uniform when the threat of school closures was still about.

Can I add something - if you have any outgrown uniform please consider donating it to a uniform recycling project that provides uniform to families on a low income. My local one is currently inundated with requests.

Or the school, particularly primary schools, may want it for spares?

I ordered new on Sunday night as I thought there may be stock issues if I waited.

I’ve managed to dig out his outgrown uniform, all washed, dried, ironed and bagged up for the school shop.

Eeek!

Thank you very much for the reminder OP. New shirts and trousers have been ordered post haste.

My DS won't be back until after Easter (Wales, Y9) but he's had a huge growth spurt and I know he'll need new trousers and shoes. I refuse to buy him new jumpers for one term's wear, as he needs different ones in September for upper school.

We got similar email from the kids school about ensuring uniform is worn on first day back too. Tried it on, youngest is fine, but must admit the older two could do with new shirts as neither can do up the collar now, but with only one term left we're at a bit of crossroad as to what to do.

I think we should get new ones as we've always made sure the kids were immaculate for school, but DH thinks we should just make do until the summer and just let them wear their ties a bit loose (as they have been doing on their class zoom stuff) as its not exactly the most important thing at the moment. Not sure, monies tight though if im honest.

We've now had an email from school saying they know kids have grown and shops are still shut - do what we can and pop a note in planners. I'm not buying more at the risk of schools closing again.

As for wasted... I'd bought summer dresses at the end of summer reduced a year or so ago with the intention of getting the final year of DD in the infants out of them as the juniors had a different uniform. Never got to bloody wear them cos of fucking Covid. Someone got some good pickings in the charity shop that day.

Sending mine back wearing trainers and quite likely I won't bother replacing them when shops reopen (our school gives minimal shits about uniform anyway).

Did it Monday. All fits fine including shoes. I’m not buying new shoes before September so trainers would have to be fine. They were wearing PE kit for half the week anyway.

Ds needed shoes which I ordered from Next, they came yesterday. Rest of his stuff is ok.
Dd needed new PE bottoms but that’s ok as it’s black joggers/shorts and will get wear from them out of school too. For Y6 I’m refusing to buy anything else new now!
If she desperately needs skirts before September then we will at least know secondary allocation next week, if she get 1st choice then black will carry through for those. She’s quite slow growing now though.
Definitely check this week! So many things were selling out and the people offering outgrown things in Facebook groups are getting so many messages already.

We are having a look this weekend, doubt the shoes will still fit even though they have hardly been worn due to isolation
If anything else doesn’t fit I dint know what we will do as the uniform shop is closed and we can’t get it anywhere else.

Did it this morning. Everything fits, including shoes. It will have to last till at least April as we are also awaiting school place allocation and if we don't get first choice it's a complete change!