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Baggy school trousers???? cotton ideally

10 replies

floofydoofy · 08/09/2026 12:04

Help please

My 4yo has always struggled with the sensory aspect of clothes and we are having a nightmare with school uniform. Thankfully a vest under the polo top works and he's happy with a cardigan instead of a jumper... but trousers. My god, the trousers. We had a lot of options to try in different sizes/styles/materials/fits as we had his brother and cousins hand me downs (as we anticipated it would be a struggle) but we've had no luck beyond shorts. He was very upset to go to school wearing shorts in the rain though as that isn't right to him. My search continues.

He typically wears very baggy or barrel leg cotton trousers at home. He doesn't like anything tight or restrictive. He doesn't like anything in a material that will make him feel sweaty like jogger material or polyester.

I'm having a hard time finding very wide leg or barrel style charcoal or grey (tbh would put him in black if I found them as doubt school would care) school trousers in cotton. I found some 'girls' barrel leg grey ones on ASDA which looked good but they're polyester and I know he'd hate it (but will probably still get some to try).

I just really want to fix this for him as he's so excited for school, he loves his teachers and is so keen to learn but the uniform is a real barrier for him. He isn't on any kind of pathway for ND or anything but I'm starting to think that perhaps this kind of reaction to clothes isn't normal?? I had to pick him up yesterday because he was so distraught that his shorts got wet (someone spilt their water on him at lunch) and the spare trousers school provided (we've been asked not to send in spare uniform ourselves) were too tight around his knees and he just couldn't cope.

Anyone got any good ideas for places to look for these unicorn trousers please?

OP posts:
KarmenPQZ · 08/09/2026 12:24

My son just wears shorts all year - he’s 9 now and quite of the boys also do this (not a fancy private school or anything).

it sounds like he needs a spare pair tho his bag - I’m surprised school didn’t allow this.

sorry I can’t help on the cotton baggy trainers tho I know my mum could knock up a pair really quickly on her sewing machine Can you see? Know a friend or relative with a machine? Presumably grey cotton fabric is easy and cheap to source

floofydoofy · 09/09/2026 12:53

KarmenPQZ · 08/09/2026 12:24

My son just wears shorts all year - he’s 9 now and quite of the boys also do this (not a fancy private school or anything).

it sounds like he needs a spare pair tho his bag - I’m surprised school didn’t allow this.

sorry I can’t help on the cotton baggy trainers tho I know my mum could knock up a pair really quickly on her sewing machine Can you see? Know a friend or relative with a machine? Presumably grey cotton fabric is easy and cheap to source

Hmmm, I can sew but I'm very rusty. I think I might have to give it a go - I hadn't considered it so thanks!

I was shocked they didn't want spare changes of clothes especially in reception, but no. They're actually asked not to bring a bag at all as they don't have anywhere to store them in EYFS (they have coat hooks but v close together no space for a bag as well).

OP posts:
Seawolves · 09/09/2026 13:19

Could you buy something like these and dye them grey/black?

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Seawolves · 09/09/2026 13:21

The other thing would be to look for eczema clothing, that might work too.

FusionChefGeoff · 09/09/2026 14:16

I would definitely look at assessing for ND as the clothes sensitivity combined with the rigid rules (rain = definitely not shorts) suggest something more is going on.

You can / should also think about other allowances that you naturally make for him that school might not know about. I’d ask for a meeting with the SENCO to ask for eg adjustments where he CAN have spare clothes of his choosing in school as part of a reasonable adjustment

Whaaaatszuuup · 09/09/2026 15:36

I’d look at pyjamas as the bottoms are often baggier and cotton.

Whaaaatszuuup · 09/09/2026 15:41

https://www.next.co.uk/style/sv062855/v70610

PTAevent · 09/09/2026 15:42

John Lewis has 100% cotton trousers. They have a loose fit. I have just checked and the small sizes are all sold out but hopefully they will have them back in stock.

Jembot · 09/09/2026 17:12

They might be happy for him to have non cuffed joggers

https://www.next.co.uk/style/st296757/b55725

If you can find non cuffed joggers in white cotton you could dye them school trousers grey. But I think black is a better solution, not least because the darker they are, the less obvious it is that they are joggers.

I do think this level of sensitivity is unusual, yes. My son is autistic. He found school jumpers tricky and wore knitted Next tank tops in infant school.

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