To be a little downhearted that DD's primary school doesn't have school uniform?

[Rocklover]

We moved to Devon in June and I got her into a very good school (my 2nd choice), which I am grateful for. She is going into year 1 tomorrow, which is exciting for her, but I feel a teensy bit wistful seeing lots of other kids skipping along to school in their lovely new uniforms, especially as she had unifor at her old school.

I know dd loves not wearing a uniform, but somehow it feels all autumny and lovely when kids slip into their new uniform. I am being a tit aren't I?

I don't think you are being at all unreasonable. I would love DD to have one and so would she. We lived in Thailand for four years and she had a lovely one there, we moved to Switzerland and she didn't and now we are in Belgium and she still doesn't. IMO, it would stop the competitiveness around clothing. DD goes to a school where the children are extremely well off. Junior Dior and Ralph Lauren and the norm. She has H+M or C&A, luckily she doesn't notice, but the other mums have commented on it to me. Uniform would sort this out. Her school in Bangkok was the same, members of the royal family went there but as everyone wore the same, it didn't matter.

Blimey, kreecher other mums have mentioned it to you?!!?
How rude is that?
You should mention your royal connections in return.

YANBU I am soo excited at seeing my little girl all dressed up in her new uniform (and so is she).
I have even been lovingly ironing all her little shirts (so not me)!

Bunty, it was done in a 'oh your DD wears her old stuff to school to keep the good stuff nice does she?' sort of way. My response was something along the lines of 'we aren't all married to diamond traders'. The thing about that comment was it was made on the day that DD wore her new clothes to school.
Sadly, or not, we don't have any royal connections that we know about, although DD is still in email contact with a Thai princess.

Well, kreecher, I think very poorly of you if you can't work Princess Thingummy into the conversation somehow.
Aren't most of your little girl's clothes still at the palace after so many sleepovers or something?

Total highjack now, DD did sleep over at her house and we reciprocated. Sadly for DD, little prinny didn't live in a palace (she did have a rather gorgeous house though). We left Thailand three years ago, and as little as DD grows, doubt any of her old clothes would still fit her. Fuck the other mothers is what I say. At least my DD looks like a little girl, rather than a mini me clone. She isn't bothered by it all, she would much rather play on the slides and that really would spoil decent clothes.
Now back to uniforms. I do so wish she had one.

We didn't have uniform in our junior school and I loved that. I've never understood the need to look like everyone else by wearing ridiculously uncomfortable clothes.

Kreecher, you've just been unlucky in the school your DD went to. DD1 is now in her 8th school year in Germany (including preschool) with no uniform and I've never heard any of the girls talking or bitching about the quality of each others' clothes. It seems to be a complete non topic. DD gets a lot of clothes from C+A or H+M because that's all I can afford, but it's not a problem for any of them. The school is relatively posh in the state sector, but conspicuous consumption on clothes is not cool..

Girls in the UK at secondary age seem to complete to see who can look the most like tarts in the shortest skirts. The girls in Germany keep on wearing jeans, like they always did. I know who looks more respectable and mature.

I agree, the grammar school girls here wear really shockingly short shirts, their underwear is on display every morning on the bus.
The girls at the comp wear trousers, and are warm as well as decent.
I loved seeing mine in new school uniforms, though my 6' 2" son cost a fair bit in trousers.

YANBU - we are in Germany and uniforms just aren't the thing here at all. DD is only 7 months so I am hoping they come into fashion before she starts school.

Nothing wrong with C&A btw Kreecher and Herman - I was amazed that it still existed when I moved here and was pleasantly surprised with the clothes.

YANBU- I think they are a bit of a social leveller.

It's definitely a consideration for me in terms of which school to choose (we live overseas so the schools do or dont have uniform, depending on which nationality they are)

Psammead - I agree that C+A clothes are fine in terms of quality. But they're also remarkably cheap, and yet the brand seems to be totally irrelevant to the kids. Maybe that changes when they get to 15 or so.

Uniforms are NOT going to come back into fashion in Germany in the next few years. The nearest you'll get is that some schools have voluntary t-shirts they like the kids to wear on formal occasions. Some kids bother, others don't.

Uniforms are seen as too closely allied to militarism, and ultimately fascism, to be a good idea.

There are a few offbeat private religious schools that have a sort of uniform, but you wouldn't want that, would you?

I think the local international school has a uniform.

Religious school

"Uniforms are seen as too closely allied to militarism, and ultimately fascism, to be a good idea"

That's really interesting. I hadnt realised that is why German schools dont have uniform.

My kids have been out of uniforms since going to a Swiss school 2 years ago. I still quite miss seeing my son in uniform, but can't imagine my never-went-to-school-in-the-UK daughter wearing one.

And Herman's right about the secondary kids; the teenage girls are in jeans here too. Because it's more practical to ride their micro scooters that way. :)

Sorry I haven't been back, out all day today. I must admit, I find uniform so much easier, you know where you are with it.

I have to get dd some more school clothes soon and I just don't find it straight forward deciding what would be best for her to wear. The school she goes to is a teensy bit hippyish as well and in the summer term it was all dresses/leggings and croc shoes...I hate crocs so dd aint having them!

Ah well I will save that shopping trip for next week.

depechemodefanisback You spend lots of money on school clothes? What about the paint, the yougart, the mud, the holes, the school dinners etc? Surely they just get ruined? Sound like you have more money than sense!

kreecher That is disgusting, some people are such bloody snobs!!!