To buy my son a cardigan for his school uniform

[clemetteattlee]

I was asking some friends about this last night and was surprised at the strength of some reactions so I thought I'd ask the Mumsnet jury.
My son is 4 and due to start full-time school in September. i have started to think about which bits of uniform to start getting him and thought I might look around for a boy's cardigan for him. In my head this is not that different to the hooded cardigan things he wears now, it just wont have a hood. It would be easy for him to get on and off, and might look quite cute.
Anyway there were lots of raised eyebrows when I suggested this last night.
Would you buy one (actually this would be tricky as no-one seems to sell them, but in principle...?)

Quite the opposite, proper fashionistas!

For info, I think I remember seeing zip up cardis in our local Sansbury's.

Can you be a male fashionista?

I agree , all the men I know who wear cardigans are Hoxton /Soho uber cool types. And rather lovely they look too..

clem next and new look he would wear a waistcoat and insists on shirt and tie for parties and matches his socks to his pants

That's fantastic.

I really hate polo shirts (despite seeing the practical benefit of them).

YANBU. Can't think of anything wrong with it.

I have never seen a boy in a cardi around here and wouldn't do it as it wouldn't be fair to them. Sounds more common in other areas though

I am a supporter of free expression within uniform too. For children. I am not in favour of parents showing their own individuality through their children. If he wants to wear a cardigan, fine. His choice. But it isn't- it's your choice.

Fair enough, but when I asked him if he wanted one he said "ok". This isn't a ringing endorsement but it is the same response he gave to shorts/shirts/colour of jumper. He doesn't care enough to have any preference so of course I have to choose for him. I have to choose which style of trousers and whether he should have shirts or polos etc etc. For DD I HAVE to choose non patent shoes although she is desperate for patent. Is this any different?
My question, before you decided I was some sort of crazed maverick, was is there actually any PROBLEM with boys wearing cardigans? Opinion is mixed but I am reassured enough to feel he will be OK!

I bet the uniform list doesn't specify that only girls are to wear frocks, either. Send him in a nice gingham dress!

Hmm. He does enjoy dressing up as Belle (with a light sabre as well). And he is very keen on his sister's Brownie "skorts"

Ok. Inhale had a lot to do with primary school children over the years, and I have never, ever seen a boy in a cardigan. Just so you know. And of chores he doesn't have an opinion, he's not yet seen what the other boys are wearing!

And hoes, of course, in an ideal world anyone should be able to wear anything. And when they are a bit older, then they are able to choose. But at 4, when he has never been to school before, you want to make sure that he is the same as anyone else. Then support appropriate individuality as and when. Honestly, I'm right on this one!

I really don't think that it should be done so that the mother thinks he looks 'cute'.

The best advice that I was given on uniform was after you get the list look at what they actually wear. I have never seen boys in cardigans.

I am grateful for your opinion (even if you did seem unnecessarily antagonistic earlier). He has seen what the others wear because he spends quite a lot of time in the playground waiting for his sister. I do feel reassured that he will be fine with a cardigan as others on the thread have been.

My experience in education is with older children which is why I asked, but I generally do disagree with you that he NEEDS to be the same as the others when he starts. I think he NEEDS to understand difference as he is going to a school where there are disabled children, children who don't speak English, children with same sex parents, children with no parents, children with a whole range of different needs. The school celebrates difference (this has nothing to do with the cardigan but just interests me). It saddens me that we would try to force our children not any mould for fear of bullying/teasing.

By the by, a quick canvass of my daughter's male friends this evening revealed that they had no opinion on cardigans but their mothers certainly did!

He is quite cute anyway. He has that sort of face

Seeker DS has never had anything said to him abut a cardigan. Every child in his class had something a bit different in their uniform. Some wore polos and a swear shirt, some wore shirts and ties. Some wear shorts. The only stipulation at our school is grey trousers or skirt really.

Cardigans are really popular just now as a fashion item. A lot of teen boys and school boys wear them here.

I've never even thought about this before but I don't think I've ever seen any of the boys wearing a cardigan in the 8 years I've been going to our primary school.

The boys all wear the logo sweatshirts and the girls wear either the sweatshirts or cardigans.

I like the idea of tank tops which, again, I've never considered before.

I have just bought a tank top from the M&S 20% off offer.

Still not found one though!

Primary Head - loads of my boys wear cardigans. I tell them they're my One Direction team and they hate love it!
I think they look great.

Hurray hurray. Straight from the horse's mouth (so to speak). Thank you.