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Original poster

School Uniforms?

55 replies

manhattenrain · 21/08/2021 10:38

I'm wondering how many school uniforms do most people buy?

My children have three sets of uniform and I do the uniform washes on Wednesdays and Fridays. After watching a few videos on YouTube looking for ideas on school uniform organisation, I've noticed everyone else seemed to have a set of uniform for each day. Is that the usual thing?

OP posts:
wendz86 · 21/08/2021 12:21

Usually 2-3 cardigans / jumpers / trousers / skirts etc but I sometimes get more polo shirts .

SellFridges · 21/08/2021 12:24

Mine have always had six sets. One for every day and a spare. That covers us for busy/away weekends. I don’t replace uniform unless it’s too small or (in the case of polos) too grubby.

Life is too short to wash every day. And we work full time so have enough chores to do in limited time tbh.

GlaskinsPerpetual · 21/08/2021 14:02

I find it better to buy more so you don't run out. Especially as I don't have a dryer. You know it'll get plenty of wear. Dd2 now has dd1s as well, now dd1's in the sixth form and it's great knowing I'll never run out between washes

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liveforsummer · 21/08/2021 14:29

5 shirts and 4 jumpers/skirts. Friday is a half day so a previous days jumper and skirt will do

bridgetjonesmassivepants · 21/08/2021 14:39

5 sets of everything so they have a fresh new set of uniform for each day. I cannot be faffed washing things midweek.

Also have two sets of PE kit as they have PE twice a week.

MrsPumpkinSeed · 21/08/2021 14:43

For the first 2 or 3 years I think they need a fresh uniform everyday and also with it washed so much I think it's better to have plenty so it doesn't wear out too much. I buy supermarket brands.

However my nearly 8 year old doesn't seem to get as mucky now so I have two full sets and a tracksuit.

SageRosemary · 21/08/2021 14:53

At primary school, my DC wore uniform on 3 days and school tracksuit on 2 days. So got away with 2 shirts, 1 pinafore, 1 cardigan, 3 tights, 1 tracksuit and one school rainproof fleece-lined jacket. Pinafore was very spongeable. We lived close enough to school to come home and change before doing other activities and I would send a change of clothes to a playdate. She had a full coverage apron at school for arts and crafts work. Uniform came from a uniform shop, pricey but not exorbitantly so, really good quality and was passed onto next DC. We're a household of 4 so it would never be a big deal to have to wash uniform mid-week, there would always be more clothes to go in with it. I'd hate to be dealing with washing, ironing and storing 10 shirts. Just buy the least amount you think you can get away with.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 21/08/2021 14:57

Our son is at an SEN school, he has 6 sets of everything. To be fair, he probably gets messier than the average 12yo child. I still do a midweek wash, but that's to spread the workload. None of it gets ironed.

LadyDanburysCane · 21/08/2021 15:11

My DCs always had six blouses / shirts (because they came in packs of two), two skirts / trousers (yes DD could only wear skirts in primary & secondary), two jumpers / cardigans, two ties (because they were easily lost), one blazer. They had clean shirt / blouse everyday and their “bottoms” and jumpers usually were fine for a week, especially in secondary but as they were washed every weekend there was always a spare if needed. They did change out of uniform after school everyday.

reluctantbrit · 21/08/2021 15:37

A set per day. I didn’t want the hassle of washing under the week as a default setting.

DD was also at a childminder until 6pm, so that was another chance of stains and no time in the evening to sort out sponge cleaning

ExpatForLife · 21/08/2021 16:05

We buy the minimum (1 blazer, 2 shirts, 2 pairs trousers) new, then stalk the school's used uniform sales like vultures.

Original poster
manhattenrain · 21/08/2021 16:15

@ExpatForLife Oh I love the second hand sales!Grin

OP posts:
lunar1 · 21/08/2021 16:24

2 sets of uniform l, one blazer and one set of pe kit. Anything lost/damaged after September gets replaced from the school second hand shop.

My boys are at a private school when the uniform is crazy money.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 21/08/2021 16:25

We are very lucky in that DDs school uniform is black leggings and a plain white tshirt with a royal blue cardigan/jumper and nothing has to have a logo on. So she has a pair of leggings and tshirt for every day then 3 blue cardigans as those can be worn more than one day.

When she goes to secondary and the uniform costs more to buy we'll have to plan to do washing more often 😂

BiBabbles · 21/08/2021 16:36

My DDs (going into Y10 and Y8) each have 2 blazers, 2-3 skirts (same with trousers but they barely wear them), and 5-6 white shirts - I've bought them each 2 new ones for this autumn - the much begged for short-sleeve option, not sure how much use they'll get - and I think they each had 3 or 4 long sleeve ones from last year that shined up well enough that they were happy to keep them (I'm more mixed on a couple of them).

I do laundry Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday though at the end of each half-term or term, I do a soak and long wash particularly of the white shirts to try to keep them going which I look forward to one day not doing ever again. I do not get the appeal of white button ups for secondary schools.

BogRollBOGOF · 21/08/2021 18:53

Loads... but I have 2 DSs similar enough in size that they share the same stock and I don't auto-replace each September.

DS1 has dyspraxia so gets food and pen everywhere. I tried to be a bit thrifty when he started school and rapidly ordered more by Oct half term Grin

Antsinyourpanta · 21/08/2021 19:02

Both mine are at (or starting) secondary.
They both have 6 shirts (mainly cos they were better value in packs of 3) DS has 4 pairs of trousers (2 x 2 pack) DD has 2 skirts because they are the most expensive to buy £24 each. DD started secondary with 2 jumpers but after she survived the beast from the east winter without ever wearing them, I gave up and didnt buy any more. They have 1 blazer each.

MyDcAreMarvel · 21/08/2021 19:08

So many people are incredibly wasteful. Thankfully my dc just wear normal clothes. Many years ago when at school they just had a cardigan , two pinafores and two shirts. Clothes rarely need washing after every wear , just sponge the stain if any.

BastardMonkfish · 21/08/2021 19:11

3 t shirts, 2 jumpers and 2 trousers, the woman in the school uniform shop told me that's what most people get (4 year old just starting school this year!)

Antsinyourpanta · 21/08/2021 19:12

So many people are incredibly wasteful. Thankfully my dc just wear normal clothes. Many years ago when at school they just had a cardigan , two pinafores and two shirts. Clothes rarely need washing after every wear , just sponge the stain if any.

I think it depends on the age of the kids. My teen DD likes to wear a new shirt every day. Especially in summer, they get hot and sweaty especially as they have to wear the blazer all day too.

reluctantbrit · 21/08/2021 21:19

@MyDcAreMarvel

So many people are incredibly wasteful. Thankfully my dc just wear normal clothes. Many years ago when at school they just had a cardigan , two pinafores and two shirts. Clothes rarely need washing after every wear , just sponge the stain if any.
As a infant school child, yes. Older primary needed a new shirt each day as they started to smell after a full day in a hot classroom.

In secondary: even with morning shower and strong deodorant DD smells thanks to the lovely dry clean blazer and polycotton jumper and shirt.

Washing is not wasteful of yiu have the machine on full load. Hence me having a set per day so it got washed with other dark or white clothes and not as a mini wash inbetween.

And outgrown clothes ended in the school second hand sale.

carolinesbaby · 21/08/2021 21:36

For my secondary age DC, it's one on, one off and one in the wash, so 3 of everything, with an extra shirt and tights because they come in multipacks.
Primary age DC is the same but he needs a clean jumper and trousers every day.

idontlikealdi · 21/08/2021 21:38

In reception / y1 we had a full set for each day. Now going into y6 they had a shirt for every day, three cardigans and three shirts.

Lipsandlashes · 21/08/2021 21:41

My DDs are in primary school so they have 5 white shirts each, 5 pinafores each, 2 cardigans each and 1 tie each. For summer uniform they have 5 summer dresses each.

liveforsummer · 22/08/2021 06:38

@MyDcAreMarvel

So many people are incredibly wasteful. Thankfully my dc just wear normal clothes. Many years ago when at school they just had a cardigan , two pinafores and two shirts. Clothes rarely need washing after every wear , just sponge the stain if any.
It's not wasteful if it's getting worn then recycled. Most of dc primary uniform is sourced from the school uniform sale in a generous size then worn for a couple of years by dd1 then passed to dd2 who will wear it for a couple of years then it will go back to the sale. Surely it's more wasteful to run the machine all the time. You may have tidy, clean dc but mine are not and always come home filthy and sweaty which means shirts need washed even if they've been covered by a jumper that's taken the hit paint or dirt wise. Dd2 also leaves at least one cardigan, if not 2 per week at school and it can take a few days to get back, worse now as we can't go in the playground to ask or enter the building due to covid so we need a supply
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