To not replace all school uniform

[Allyg1185]

Everyone I know buys everything new for going back after the summer. Am I the only one that thinks this is a massive waste of money if it's not needed?

I just replaced ds shoes and polo shirts at the easter holidays as the shoes had seen better days and the shirts were evading my stain removing abilities. I've tried on his jumpers and they still fit and aren't washed out.

So new I've bought socks and trousers as they were threadbare at the knees where he has fell etc and socks going the same way. He asked for a new more grown up school bag.

Anyone else the same as me and reuses what they can?

Would add that, largely, the teenagers I teach wear their "too small" clothes with pride. It gives license to roll up sleeves, untuck shirts, lop legs off trousers to make cut-off shorts, and have skirts that are shorter than the regulation knee-length. It's impossible to argue with "sorry, mum's too skint to buy me a new ...." And inherited legacy school ties from older siblings - that tie rather than slip on - are super-cool. It's considered a bit noob to have new uniform.

That said, I live in an area of rural deprivation where everyone's skint and we all know it. Kids here are less materialistic than in other places I've lived.

Replace as required

Sad that some parents have more money than sense (or class). My dc go to a primary in a naice affluent area, and inevitably its the most affluent parents that are sending their dc to school in faded cardigans and trousers swinging round the ankles. But you know those dc will be doing expensive extra curricular. Priorities.

Ive just assessed his current uniform. The two week old trousers are already ripped, his school shirts are covered in food stains and jumpers are disintegrating, and the shoes ugh.
So I've had no choice but to buy all new but I've bought Asda stuff apart from the stupid £20each embroidered school jumpers that I have to get from a separate supplier.

Oh and before anyone says anything, I've already asked onlocal selling groups for any used jumpers, I'm more than happy to get second hand but not one bugger has commented!

Dd will have to have all new for the second year in a row, all her shirts have pen or paint on them, her cardigans don't quite fit and are a little bit shabby and her skirts look like miniskirts. And her shoes although they still fit, looked absolutely appalling so went straight in the bin on the last day of term. Never buying patent leather again.
So I will just replace it all with asda uniform inc. Cardigans, school can suck it if they think I'm buying embroidered jumpers. No one wears school jumpers. It will cost me in total £40 before shoes.
I'm just enjoying not spending a lot on uniform before she goes to secondary. 🤔

I run the secondhand clothes shop at my kids school. And if a donation isnt good enough for my kids then it doesn't go into the shop. Simple as.
Shirts are £1 each, trousers are £2 a pair.

Some of the items, although still serviceable are perhaps a bit more worn or a bit more bobbly. Those go on the 'donations to the PTA' table, and believe me that's a real case of elbows at dawn then.

sluttybutty can you cannibalise the jumpers? Carefully cut the logo off the old ones, hem, and stitch or glue on to supermarket plain ones? Or campaign for logo badges to be made that can be sewn on to a plain jumper and then moved? Or, tesco online do embroidered school uniform, I've found it ok, and significantly cheaper than official supplier.

this is why i love home education,not a thing to buy for us only new pajamas if they wanted them(naked or pants indoors 99% of the time due to spd and asd)and having the heating on 24/7 in winter and autumn

i would seriously struggle for sizes anyway, 13 y old is 6ft already in mens medium,7 y old is 5 foot in 13-14 now

our local lidls and aldis had the cheap uniform deals last week((assuming everywhere else to)by half 8 there was nothing left and what was left there was reports of fighting

ooops. £40 for clothes that your child will wear almost every day of the week, potentially for an academic year is hardly a fortune though is it? Crikey. How much to you expect to pay to clothe your child?

But you know those dc will be doing expensive extra curricular. Priorities

My kids do loads of "expensive extra curricular" activities. Where there are sacrifices, it's me and dh who make them. I'd bet a pound to a penny that most people who would happily buy second hand for their kids wouldn't dream of having second hand themselves.

Sorry- have to add:
sending their dc to school in faded cardigans and trousers swinging round the ankles

To me that's really sad. I don't want my kids to go to school in tatty clothes. I want them to be smart and ready and to have a sense of being worth more than a knackered second hand uniform.

DS is a teen and having sporadic crazy growth spurts so I'm having to replace uniform all year round. I'm not replacing again for September except for a P.E top that's too small, a couple of new shirts as he seems to have developed bigger shoulders overnight and some shoes.

DD just needs polo shirts and shoes as I replaced her trousers at Easter hols!

I agree that it's wasteful to replace full sets when it's not needed!

I'd bet a pound to a penny that most people who would happily buy second hand for their kids wouldn't dream of having second hand themselves.
If I had to buy work uniform and could buy it in great condition second hand for a fraction of the price I would.

@Tabathatwitchett I am the other way round. Wouldn't buy second hand uniform for my kids yet I buy most of my clothes resold on eBay/fb groups.

Most of my uniform was second hand as a kid, usually from charity shops and you could tell. I want my kids in smart new uniform and to feel proud.

i dont usually do a full change
this year dd is going into year 6. just been to asda. got 2 skirts that fit, 5.50 each. 6 polo shirts for 10.50(3 packs of 2 at 3.50 each). at those prices, it seemed rude to leave them on the shelves!

My dd only had two sets of blouses and that took her the whole way through primary. They are now doing dd2. So although there was a large initial outlay than polo shirts overall it's been much cheaper!

Tabathatwitchett just wait until your child is mid high school and wears adult clothes.

If I replaced all school uniform over summer I would be looking at over £300.
But
I only replace when needed, I buy as big as I can get away with.

PE tops have now lasted 3 years and will last next year as well.

Shoes, had to replace them last half term due to not fitting any more, and at £80 a time I’m not replacing in the summer.
Got all the stains out of shirts so no replacing there. Trousers were replaced at Easter, not replacing them.
I had one year when DS grew so much I replaced trousers twice during one academic year, no way would I replace again in the summer.

The only item is Blazer. If it had a removable badge, I could re-dye it (its black) to spruce it up. So I just might get DS a new one (or 2nd hand but I think finding one in the right size will be hard).

This reminds me. Off to eBay as good as new black school trousers that DS grew out of in less than a term.

I dont buy new every September , in fact we often make do with second hand logo clothes from a friend. Only buy full set new if going to new school then i hope it will last more than one year and will replace as necessary only.

My dc are born July and August so I buy new ready for growth spurts but keep last years if it’s in good nick then swap over when ready.

I’ve bought trousers for my youngest as his are flapping round his ankles and I’ll get him shoes as they’re broken. That’s it. Eldest is going into year 11 and needs polos sweatshirts and trousers which kills me but the last lot are 2 years old. Middle needs shoes and that’s it and that’s all she’s getting

Not a chance! I only replace items that need replacing. DS always needs new white polo shirts as they end up really grubby. DD could need new cardigans as the sleeves might be getting a little short. Otherwise everything else can be used again I think. I'll get their feet measured but will only buy new if they've actually grown, the shoes they have are in good condition still and only 4 months old.

I very much doubt people buy new just for the sake of it. Rather some people are buying because their kids are starting (a new) school, some take the opportunity to review school uniform in the holidays and replace what has been worn out/grown out of. But I bet after a year of heavy wear a lot of primary school clothes do need replacing, children go through knees in trousers at a rate of knots (hurray for shorts), cardigans and jumpers seem to be destroyed and shoes can look very sorry for themselves. I buy shoes during the year if the kids grow out of then/go through the soles (!) but otherwise don't bother replacing uniform. I don't believe in the so called benefits of school uniform so see no need in keeping them looking smart (kids don't care). We wear poloshirts for years until they fall apart.

If I replaced all school uniform over summer I would be looking at over £300.
I paid £117 just for sports kit, blazer and tie, for a secondary school aged child. Then add trousers, shirts, jumper (unworn, so one thing I won't need to replace unless he requests one), socks, school shoes, trainers and football boots. Some parents of primary school children are going to get a shock.