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...?)

well that is a school cardigan. never been an option for mine as we have a strict uniform policy
primary was school logo sweatshirt, logo polo and grey school trousers, zip up logo fleece for outawear and black coat. Socks had to be black or grey.
Girls same as boys but with the addition of the option of a skirt or summer dress.
Secordary is even stricter with ties and blazer.

I like a good strong uniform policy from a school.

My DH wouldn't be bothered with other men's comments. He loves clothes so much that it's his shop that the offending shirt came from.

Some customers are as adventurous but most fear being singled out for their clothes so he caters for both types.

That's just the way it is.

Hurray for adventurous spirits!

Oh, yes. Incredibly adventurous! A school cardigan- what a rebel!

In the circumstances you describe, of course you are not being unreasonable.

But you did say at one point something along the lines of "I do like him to look a bit different"

It's this attitude I find difficult. It's up to him whether he wants to look a bit different or not. He may want to blend into the background at school for a while. It's a perfectly valid option- and I don't think you have a right to take it away from him. I hate anything which takes a person't choices away from them- and this is what you are doing, albeit in a small way.

So, answer my question from earlier. What criteria did you use to choose your children's clothes when they were little? You used YOUR taste of course.

Yes, I did, but obviously your taste isn't exclusively cardiganny, because you also bought some jumpers!

I love the idea of a cardigan as a badge of adventure and rebellion. Might buy dd a pipe and slippers to encourage her to be a free spirit!

Not when it came to their school uniform I didn't- I got precisely what was on the list. I left it to them to "individualise" it when they decided they wanted to.

OMG!!! you don't mean this do you

www.littlewoods.com/top-class-boys-fashion-cardigan/1109662711.prd?browseToken=%2fb%2f12491%2fs%2fbestsellers%2c0&trail=2249-2278-12486-12491

what a big-girls-blouse, cissified plonker he looks!!

I don't think I ever said a cardigan was adventurous. It was a direct response to another poster.

Jumpers are better for covering up paint stains on shirts. Well, IME pinafores are best for this purpose but that wouldn't be to my taste.

Seeker,I think our experience of "the list" is very different. Yours must ave been prescriptive, ours isn't so a parent has to choose.

Definitely not that one ariadne!!
I wanted something slouchy but it is not to be found, so I have bought this 'Tis hardly revolutionary but there are many very anxious that he will be scarred for his whole school career!!

Agree with seeker you can't create a free spirited rebel, and if you could I very much doubt a cardigan would be the way to do it!

You buy whats on the list and they will customize it if and when they are ready to.
Leaving that choice to them is allowing their free spirit space..........

It wasn't really an issue when mine started school, because at that time not many children wore the logo sweaters - there were children in grey, navy and royal blue cardigans and jumpers, and grey, black and blue skirts. In fact when dd1 started, quite a few didn't wear uniform at all, and we used to do 'dress down Friday' when I'd send her in what she liked.

Over the last few years the head has gradually subtley enforced the logos ('oh isn't it lovely to look down in assembly and see a lovely sea of blue!'), and more and more children wear it. So my dd, who started in navy pinafore, white blouse and navy knee socks has gradually had them replaced with black skirt, school sweater and polo shirts, with black tights and plimmies, because that's what she wants. However she was adamant in year 4 she didn't want a bag like everyone else's and saved for a satchel, which she still uses, so I don't think she's particularly being a sheep either.

The list:
Sweatshirt, jumper or cardigan : plain red or navy
Shirts: long or short sleeved or polo shirt
Trousers or shorts: grey, navy or black
Skirt or dress: grey, navy or black
Summer dresses: checked or striped, red or blue

Etc etc.
So, seeker, what criteria would you use to choose, given that cardigans for boys are not unknown in Y5 and y6?

Have you thought about knitting him a cardigan? I never, ever had the piss taken for wearing a hand knitted school cardigan.

Or, get him the uniform jumper/ sweatshirt but sized up so it's easier for him to take off/ put on.

That's nice Clem, I wouldn't class that as being designed primarily as a school cardi though .Fine to wear though.

ds wears his logo sweatshirt to school as per uniform and takes it off as soon as he gets to school as finds it too hot. Am thinking of the school fleece as I think it would be more versatile for next year.

Will still have a sweatshirt or two for photo days etc. DD will only wear a cardigan its not on the uniform list but still looks good. Am going to get them embroidered with the school logo over the summer at the school outfitters. Only cost a few pounds each one and then she'll be within the uniform !!

Am also bidding on this though just in case

You know that's black, right?

Tufty, in my knitting bag is the jumper I started knitting for DD when I was pregnant with DS. I am not proficient enough. Funnily enough he has some HORRENDOUS tank tops knitted by his great aunt and has been known to wear them to nursery...

I will just dye it Steaming...

On the strength of what the people around you have said, and the views of ( I think) the majority on here, I would ask the Reception teacher whether lost of boys wear cardigans and if they do, then, if I wanted my child to wear a cardigan I would get him one. If the teacher said that generally boys don't wear them I wouldn't get him one. Simple.

In our school the uniform is either white or royal blue polo shirts. For some reason, generally the girls wear blue and the girls wear white. Not official, but established practice. If a new parent asked me what colours to buy I would tell them that. It doesn't actually matter hugely in the scheme of things, but it just makes things easier. And anything that makes starting school easier is a good thing in my book.

tuftyFinch- I've heard that hand knighted swimming trunks go down well too.

Yes, dd rapidly stopped ever wearing her blue polo when it became clear boys wore the blue usually and girls the white. I bought one of each when she started, but that little nugget would have been useful!

Your hand knitting must be on a par with my quilt making. I started a patchwork quilt for DS (5) when I was pregnant with him. I have managed a quilt big enough for a small doll so far.
But. Do you really want him to stand out from his peers at 4? Teaching them individuality is fine but I think getting him settled in, feeling happy and secure in his new environment is the most important thing. Do you really want him casting his eye around the classroom and noting he's the only one in a cardigan? As someone said ^ they'll individualise themselves anyway. If they want to. DS frequently tucks his trousers into his socks with his socks pulled as high as possible. It's just the look he wants to go with at the moment.

I love knitted tank tops. Especially a nice Fairisle one. Boys and girls.

I have a strong aesthetic objection to white socks, white socks with black shoes, girls' school trousers (especially with sweatshirts), and white socks with black shoes with girls' school trousers.

However I'm aware I may have to get over this at some point, and I guess if dd2 wants to wear that and everyone is, I'll have to let her.