To dislikethenotion of 'school run' outfits

[Sleepyfergus]

Sets my teeth on edge when people describe outfits as being suitable or appropriate for 'school run' like it has to be of a certain standard or type to be deemed ok.

I think it's a bit sad that some folk might feel pressurised to look or dress a certain way before they can drop off or pick up at school.

School run dress :
Do I need to get changed for the school run?

1. yes because I have been doing X Y or Z activity and what I'm wearing is dirty, scruffy or inappropriate. Something easy to put on would be good.
2. Nope. I am wearing something that is decent be that work wear or something casual.

Seems fairly inclusive to me.

That's kind of the point for me, often I will decide to go out with DS and friends straight from the school gates, or dd will want to go to a friend's house after school or whatever so it makes life easier if I am dressed for going out in public!

I only think about it in summer when I'm not wearing a coat.

To me, its just what is easy, one item and no effort and not too many components that an outfit requires.

As I get older, the more I like the idea of one item of clothing that does not require much thought like Kirsty Allsop!

But the dresses on the thread don't look easy to wear or practical.

I think some confusion is justified.

There are blogs devoted to this, I think one of them is called school gate styles or something

Soupdragon you're just arguing for the sake of it now! Of course "school run dress" does not encompass all kinds of clothes worn to school, it means a very specific type of casual-but-pretty dress that would not be worn by many, many workers as suitable attire.

The SRD was Cods thing no? It was the dress you threw on after lying in your easyup pool all afternoon and you had to go grab kids

"Of course "school run dress" does not encompass all kinds of clothes worn to school"

At last! The penny is dropping that the MN school run dress is nothing to do with an actual school run.

School run attire round here consists of scrapped back ponytail, baggy t-shirt and too tight leggings. Ankle or arm tatt popular but not compulsory.

It's the dress that you would throw on to do the school run if what you had on immediately beforehand wouldn't be suitable and if you give a monkeys about your everyday appearance (some do some don't some vary from day to day, all 3 positions are legitimate).

I occasionally change into an SRD because I've just got home in a tailored suit and heels, and for once I do miraculously have 2 minutes free to change in. I'd rather not do the school run in full work drag especially if I'm then going to go to the playground/take DS to buy new shoes.

Oh dear, I think I have lower standards than most. What's being described as a school-run dress on here sounds like what I might put on to get dressed up for a nice meal out if I didn't have any clean jeans...

Disclaimer: I'm long past the school-run stage and I work from home.

My child is only a baby but I will wear what I will be wearing for he day on the school run. Work clothes or my normal every day clothes. I always laugh a bit at the idea of a school run dress!

Surely if your clothes are messy and you need to get changed you don't need school run attire, you just get changed into something else from your wardrobe that you like? The school run shouldn't be an event that needs special clothes.

NerrSnerr that's a bit like saying "it's so pretentious to talk about workwear, I just wear clothes to work" or "how can people waste time on wedding outfit threads, I just pick something suitable from my wardrobe".

The SRD is the something else in your wardrobe that you like. In particular it's a dress rather than separates which makes it quicker.

Yep NerrSnerr - it's just a way of explaining a dress that's not really suitable for work, or going out, or really a beach dress, but a casual dress.

When you say "the school run shouldn't be an event that needs special clothes" - would you continue to wear suits and heels if you weren't going ot the office before/after the school run or perhaps would you think that having a "SAHM wardrobe" is a reasonable idea? I have "special clothes" for going to toddler groups /taking DC1 to school, they are the ones that I wouldn't buy when I was working full time as I couldn't wear them to work or going out as they'd be too casual, so didn't have an extensive range of casual dresses I do now.

It's been said over and over, it's not really an outfit worn exclusively for the school run, it's a shorthand for an outfit for being a SAHM/working from home mum, although you might get changed if you'd been sat in the paddling pool on a hot afternoon in your bikini until 5 minutes before you have to leave for the school run. (I might not be the most stylish of woman, but even I draw the line at doing the school run with my stretch marks on display)

Anyone who invests that much thought in what to wear to drop their children off at school really needs to find a hobby or interest in life.

School run outfit for me is whatever I'm going to be wearing that day. Only possible exception is if I've been painting or doing other messy work then I'll get changed out of work clothes into something clean. I always look presentable I don't really have anything I wouldn't be haapy to be seen in public in. Why would you bother wearing clothes that don't make you look or feel nice.

I thought this was an online-only phenomenon until a good friend agonised to me one evening that she didn't know what to wear to take get child to preschool the following morning.
It's not a posh school. Quite the opposite.
I almost fell over.

Then again, she's a completely different person since giving birth to her kids.

I like to have a little makeup on, little eyeliner and quick flick with mascara brush, and quick powdering with nude bare minerals.
I'm very dressed down. Traccy bottoms if walking that morning. Otherwise jeans. topped off with a dark cherry coloured rain coat and a pair of ASIS black runners.
I always try to remember to brush my hair, but had to content with running fingers through it on occasions. And sometimes we need to run before the makeup is on.
But thats perfectly acceptable at our school.

At pick up, we get a share of well dressed ladies who were in exercise clothes in the morning. On rare occasion I may even be one of those ladies, if I had been out to a nice lunch.

what the heck? Does this actually happen?! I've been known to drop my neice at school wearing pjs and a coat on top in the winter! Seriously... who cares what someone is wearing especially dropping their kid off! As long as you are not naked I wouldn't even think to be looking at what anyone was wearing :-S

gamerwidow - I do sometimes wonder at that, my "not suitable for the school run" clothes are basically swimwear and things that are unsuitable because they are too smart, not because they are too scruffy. I wouldn't be bothered to change for the school run (toddler paint related or sunbathing before going out excluded), but I do buy clothes for "normal days" - and often if I'm not taking smaller child to a toddler group or have any errands to run, the only times I'll go out on that day are for the school run, so effectively I am "dressing for the school run".

notaplasticgnome - but that's effectively saying that anyone who doesn't work outside the home has something wrong with them if they still make an effort with their appearance on a normal day. I know lots of woman do seem to make a competition on here about who can make the least effort, almost bragging about going out with unwashed, unbrushed hair, make up free and with coat over pjs, but lots of woman who've always cared about their appearance don't just stop when they have DCs.

(Plus the defining characteristic for a 'school run dress' does seem to be that it's "easy to throw up" so effectively a whole outfit that requires no thought and effort once you've bought it, no thinking about belts and accessories, no trying to match tops and bottoms, no worrying if you've got the right shade underwear on so it won't show through, just one thing to bung on, stick on flat shoes and walk out, it's a surprisingly hard find something flattering that meets the criteria)

In RL the school run dress and school run dressing does exist

The non working mums at the school where I live are very well dressed. Hair and nails done fully made up etc

More new outfits etc are paraded at those school gates than anywhere else

For example this is a good contender for a school run dress - but only because I'm short so this would come lower down my leg than on the photo. I think that would look great with flipflops or ballet pumps, would look fine without any jewellery other than the rings and siliver watch I wear everyday anyway, would look ok with a selection of different cardies I already have if it was a bit cooler.

For me a school run anything is the holy grail

perfect to chuck on in 2 secs and look stylish/cool

Some parents at DDs school is like this.

Sometimes I'm working till 1am, home at 2, then up again at 7am for the school run. I am more worried about DD getting to school on time. If I look like a dribbling zombie in a stained tracksuit when I drop her off, so be it.