End of school uniform

[SkintSingleMother]

Seeing a lot of posts on my Facebook about the above, most expressing relief. I've got one child exiting compulsory education today and two staying in it and honestly the knowledge that I don't have to buy an extra set of clothes for the one that's no longer in compulsory education has massively reduced my stress levels and given me loads of money to play around with buying him clothes he likes, rather than not being able to do so because I'm coughing up £300+ for uniform.

Anybody else feel the same? It's actually really rather lovely.

Dd went to a non uniform school.
She didn't spend ages thinking what to wear, she just threw on jeans/Converse/t-shirt and hoody.
She does the same now at college, as does her BF at Uni.

@JoBrodie

I thought you might enjoy seeing the school uniform list (and other sundry items) for first term at a boarding school, Autum 1979...

brodiesnotes.blogspot.com/2020/12/a-packing-list-from-1979-for-girls.html

Jo

Why do the pictures have a photoshopped sticker saying Primary all over them. Did it say something different on the original?

I know how you feel , my third and final starts secondary just as my middle child has left . The relief that I only have to buy one set now is huge .
Obviously I will continue to buy clothes for my sixth former but it wont be a big layout in one go.

I don't blame you. I am all for school uniform for secondary pupils at least, but not branded expensive clothes as some schools have.

The 6th forms round here insist on suits/business dress, so fairly sure a couple of suits, five shirts, shoes etc are going to be over £300. Colleges where you wear what you want... trainers, several pairs of jeans/trousers, tops, hoodies etc, easily over £300 too.

Uniform is generally cheaper IMO.

@IHaveBrilloHair

Dd went to a non uniform school. She didn't spend ages thinking what to wear, she just threw on jeans/Converse/t-shirt and hoody. She does the same now at college, as does her BF at Uni.

My three too. We moved from a uniform school to non-uniform and I've found it so much less stressful.

@DappledThings Yes, it gave away the name of the Primary School.

Jo

I started boarding school in 1979, items included:

• 1 cloak with hood lining in house colour
• 1 straw boater
• 2 kilts
• 1 Sunday suit
• 1 lecture dress
• 3 skirts
• jeans / trousers (Wednesdays and weekends only)

Sticky bun to first person to 'name that school'

@TeenMinusTests My school's uniform was all kilts until Summer 1979 (a lovely grey uniform it was) but by the time I started there in September they'd begun the move to a miserable bottle green. Hated it. For at least a decade after I left school I couldn't cope with anything dark green haha. PE outfits were navy so it was a bit of a gloomy set-up.

She says, currently dressed all in charcoal and indigo ;)

Jo

We found uniform to be so much cheaper than clothes for college. 😬
Uniform cost over £300, that seems to be quite normal for a state secondary here. The PE kit with average trainers and football boots cost about £150, so blazer, trousers, shirts, tie shoes and bag easily takes it over £300. But still cheaper than clothes for college. I was glad when he finished school though, definitely time to move on. One down, one to go here.

Crikey Kaleaslayer
I didn't spent anywhere near that on Dd's school clothes.
Primark all the way, anything vaguely expensive was a birthday/Christmas gift which she'd have got anyway.

I wonder whether having slow growing daughters means I have found uniform considerable cheaper than those with faster growing DC?

i.e. School shoes replaced when worn out, not grown out of; DD1 only had 1 blazer in 5 years, DD2 had 2; PE kit bought roomy (and worn as little as possible) only needed replacing once; etc.

Sorry, put a typo in your name.

DD's high performing comprehensive has a uniform which was around £300 when all was bought new, incl. a very expensive PE kit only available from 2 suppliers. Luckily the grandparents stepped in for some items.

She is now in Y9 and luckily we didn't have to replace a lot but will have to do so this Summer. I was actually impressed with the quality of the blazer and skirt.

6th Form is all black, smart-casual trousers/skirt, shirt/top and black blazer and black smart shoes. You can buy whereever you want though. Only benefit is that at that age they don't grow that much anymore.

When we were in lockdown and she wore jeggings and T-shirts/jumpers each day I think I bought a whole new wardrobe to sort her out.

I like school uniform and just view the cost as something you accept when selecting particular schools. I just buy it when needed rather than lots at a time, so it never feels as if it’s a big expense.

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

We moved from a uniform school to non-uniform and I've found it so much less stressful.

I agree. I come from a non-unform country and I still don't get the whole idea of uniform.

But cheaper it is not.

I didn't spent anywhere near that on Dd's school clothes.
Primark all the way, anything vaguely expensive was a birthday/Christmas gift which she'd have got anyway.

I actually think girls can be cheaper. They can get nice tops in Primark and that seems to be ‘acceptable’ but the lads all seem to have to wear more ‘names’ to fit in. 🙄 But at least he likes the clothes rather than the uniform he hated.
We give him an allowance now so he buys his clothes out of that, much less hassle for me.

The only names really were the shoes.
Converse or DMs.
She would have had them for out of school anyway.

I'm glad to wave goodbye to the black nylon, but I reckon I only spent about £150 pa on it. I only bought shirts and tights and shoes last September- so I got away very lightly this year. I think if DD was staying at 6th form I'd have to be paying out for some awful business attire. I'm so glad she's doing a vocational course and will be able to express her individuality a little (even if she does conform to the teenage uniform of jeans and hoodie)

My DD1 deliberately choose as sixth form because they had a uniform.

And £300 is nuts.

Girls often don’t grow much at secondary. I left secondary wearing the same uniform I started in (I was very tall at 11). By contrast my DBIL grew four inches aged 14 in the space of six months!

That's interesting JoBrodie! What is "Cotton (boilable) linings"?

No more school uniform laundry after 20 years!!! Celebrated with take away

@Frogartist

That's interesting JoBrodie! What is "Cotton (boilable) linings"?

I think it's pants but not 100% sure. There's no other mention of underpants so it's probably that but we might need to check with a Pants Historian to be sure :-)

Jo

@TeenMinusTests

£300 for uniform is a hell of a lot. Was it gold plated?

Alternatively you may find now they aren't in the same clothes for 9 months of the year that they 'need' more variety of other clothes (and more expensive trainers).

Ds’s has lived in the same two pairs of jogging bottoms worn with one of his extensive collection of music t shirts and it’s cost a heck of a lot less than school uniform.