AIBU to wonder if people are too proud to buy second hand school uniform

[KittenFace]

Posting here for advice…

At a recent PTA meeting (primary school) I suggested a kind of a Uniform Bank, where parents can donate their DCs outgrown uniform to be sold at a greatly reduced price (i.e. 10p per item) for PTA funds.

It was not met with much enthusiasm, the general consensus was that people would be too proud to buy second hand. My argument was that it would be best for the environment, it would save waste, raise PTA funds and make uniform more accessible for those families who may be struggling. I know basic uniform items are fairly cheap, but if you have a big family of kids who (like mine) often come home with holes in their knees or the unremovable pasta sauce stains on their shirts, I’m sure something like this would be really useful. Especially for items with logos. I hate having to buy new trousers throughout the year, when they're harder to get hold of as limited sizes are stocked in the shops. It's especially infuriating towards the end of the school year!

My question is- would you use a uniform bank like this? Or does your school already have one? (if so I would love to hear all about it, and if it is a success)

Thanks Mumsnetters!

We have one, it’s free but there’s a donation pot. It’s well used.
Affluent area though.
I think if you’re well off you don’t think that a slightly faded sweatshirt will mark you out as poor, but if you aren’t you’re more sensitive to it and being seen using it would be embarrassing.

One way round it would be to bill it as an environmental effort and as an ‘exchange’ but no donated clothes needed.

We did second hand uniform 20 years ago at our primary ( and secondary) schools. Had regular sales after school or at parents evenings.
Certainly didn't sell for 10p.
More like 50p a polo shirt/ £1 for trousers/skirts.
Made a fortune.

We had regular donations of uniform which we resold for PTA funds in DC primary. But the ones buying second hand uniform were the more middle class bit of the school. Loads of people refused to buy "used".

We have a school bank in this area, second hand and new items are donated, they have donation areas in supermarkets etc, and people get referred over in much the same way as a food bank. The people who run it are amazing.

Junior school doesn’t offer this but infants set up a rail in the office with a pot next to it to donate. They also put the uniform out at fairs and stuff

I use ours at school even though i can afford to buy new, who wants to spend £10 on a cardigan when you can get one for £2??? then again I am a keen charity/second hand shopper so it doesnt bother me at all.

I would say no in our area.

We have a thriving School Uniform and information group.

Ive bought a PE shirt for fiver when DS lost his

Uniform Bank is the wrong term. It implies is there to help people who are in difficulties, like a food bank. But from what you say, it's more about reducing waste and passing on good stuff which still has wear in it.

I know MN is as a whole obsessed with class, but this is definitely a class issue ;-) My kids are at school in a very middle class area, parents are not struggling, tiny % of children on free school meals. There is a thriving second hand scene. Every week someone;s posting on the school FB group about a blazer that's been grown out of, school sweaters or other items of uniform. They're quickly snapped up. Mums regularly swap bags of handmedown clothing at the school gate. It's nothing to do with being proud, or not proud. It's about being secure in your own skin, knowing you could buy new if you needed to, and seeing everyone else around you happy to make the same decisions.

On the other hand, relatives are not nearly so well off. They would not be seen DEAD in a charity shop, or wearing second hand. God forbid people would think they were poor. Niece won't even shop in the sales because "she's not a pov". It's all about insecurities, skewed attitudes to second hand, desperately trying to justify your financial position, even though nobody cares and nobody is judging you.

I've seen these types of attitudes over and over again all across the country. Setting up a school uniform recycling scheme is a great idea, but people won't use it unless they are financially secure anyway.

Ptfa run second hand uniform sales in every school I've ever known, including state infant and juniors, private school and grammar secondary.
When kids grow quickly they don't spoil their uniform so why not let it be reused. I don't know anyone who is snotty about having second hand, except my husband's step sister who is broke but only buys brand new and branded clothing.... Weird. All the reasonably well off middle class families I know welcome second hand stuff.

In our area there is also a free uniform scheme run through local churches and play groups with donated clothes from all local schools.

Sons secondary school has one for PE kit. Rugby tops and logo polo shirts. They’re always in quite good condition and v expensive new. A lot of parents use it, only £5 for a rugby shirt. Bargain. ESP when my son loses stuff so often

Our PTA has a second hand uniform sale twice a year and charges from £2-£4 pounds an item and they are really popular. Money goes towards general PTA fundraising total.
Donated items are generally PE kit (school logo so expenisve)/tracksuits and hoodies and blazers.
They are a really good idea and increasingly common - no one feels any stigma these days - kids lose stuff so often it would be unrealistic to expect parents to keep replacing PE tops at £30 each.

I wish my DC’s school had one. They insist on logo jumpers and cardigans so I just spent £80 on them. The ones they outgrew from last year are no good to me so I don’t know what to do with them! I don’t know anyone to pass them onto and since they have a logo they’re obviously specific to that school. I just have them in a bag upstairs, still in pretty good condition.

No one I know would have an issue with it. I'd have a donation pot instead though.

I live in an affluent area and in my experience well off people have less of an issue with second hand things than working class people.

DD's high school do a second hand sale in the summer holidays, it is an opportunity for parents to recoup some money on good condition outgrown items. For example Blazer sells for £10 (£45 new) and old owner gets £5 and school get £5 (can't remember actual amounts). The stuff goes like hot cakes apparently.

DD’s private school has one (she’s since left). It did very well. We never used it, mostly because it was only open for an hour once a week and that was during my work hours.

They do this at our school. It's free to take what you want but you can make a donation if you want to. Sometimes it's for school funds, sometimes it's for a particular charity.

Every so often we get a message saying all lost property must be claimed by date Anything not claimed is washed and added for people to buy. People seem to like this rather than the lost property being binned.

Good idea to promote as a recycling/ save environment initiative.

We also did this at DCs primary school 20 years ago. It was great, I could afford new uniform but DS was always wrecking his, Rips and tears etc so I used to buy from the second hand shop. They were something like three quid for a logo sweatshirt like new on most cases.

Ours does uniform sales, 50p per item. I've bought a logo jumper on there before. I do look at the condition. I don't buy generic items as my DCs need a particular cut for t-shirts/ trousers.

Another element to the class angle is that different brands have different longevity. Not applicable to logo items, but a branded item is more likely to be in good condition for selling on than a value brand, plus there is less price difference depending on what the resale price is at.

What Otra said

Its counterintuitive, but (from a wide range of experiences, not just a couple) the “stigma” of second hand uniform seems to be much more noticeable in lower income areas. Maybe it’s a pride thing. Middle class areas and private schools seem to have a thriving second hand system.

Besides, my children’s clothes always look at least second hand within about 4 hours of being worn

Helped at daughter’s last secondhand uniform sale this week. There was a queue of mothers to get in. Took approximately £2000 in just over an hour. However it’s an independent school. Uniform is sold at 50% of new price with half to school, half to parents although parents can donate it to PTA. Think this is fairly standard for independent schools in the area. Anything in not reasonable condition either goes to school for “spares” for the inevitable disasters or is recycled. When tunics new cost £40 and a pair of new branded PE skins £50 it tends to focus peoples minds.

Ps I think 10p is too cheap lol

Our PTA do this. It needs someone who is prepared to take in all the bags of stuff and store it somewhere where it can stay in a good saleable condition plus sort into types/sizes and run the stall. A big job!

The logoed jumpers and pe hoodies sell quite well. Usually £1 each. Sometimes there is brand new stuff that has never even been worn which I would also buy. But shirts (50p) and trousers/skirts are very cheap to buy new and often a bit shabby after a couple of terms wear so those things don't really sell second hand. At high school they have second hand blazers etc for £1. I've bought one as a spare but the fabric has a bit of a shiny worn look so I did also buy a new one.

Our second hand uniform sales are well attended and raise lots of funds for the PTA, however DC are at private school where the uniform costs a small fortune, so that may be a factor.

4 kids in 2 different private schools in very affluent areas. Both schools have termly second hand uniform sales and the items fly off the rack. No one seems to be bothered about what anyone else thinks. An email is sent out twice a term asking for any unwanted uniform, sport equipments etc. The collected money goes to the PTA and a chosen charity.

We can afford to buy new full uniform for all DC's but I only buy one new winter and summer set every year, socks, and shoes for each! Everything else is bought from the second hand sale unless they do not have DC's sizes! I have also sent emails around to friends with older DC who left the school and bought their DC's uniform directly from them (this is very very common in my area and no one finds it uncomfortable or unusual)