School uniform yucky colours

[wasgoingmadinthecountry]

Please can I ask for your views? At a regular state primary school what are the most horrid colours for school sweatshirts? What are the best? What do you/your children like?

From the normal range of primary school colours - blue, red, navy, yellow, dark green, bright green, purple, light grey.

Thanks - most interested in your LEAST favourite.

Fine for people to be concerned about the cost, but often the criticism seems to be more about schools in poorer areas "trying to emulate private schools" or "trying to be special" which is rooted in snobbery.

Plus academies often change uniforms when they convert, so it really does work out as very expensive.

Whatever you do, please communicate to parents! I've just checked the website for our son's school as I had it in the back of my head that he progresses from royal blue to navy blue sweatshirt when he moves up to secondary in September (it's an all-years SEN school); only to find that they have decided to drop the blues and it's now a grey sweatshirt! I had no idea, they haven't written out to tell us.

Cat - I honestly don’t mean that.

I’m trying to think how to explain my meaning here and if I make a hash of it I’m sorry. Stay with me!

I am - a little dubious about the existence of private schools full stop. I wouldn’t ban them, even if I could, but I’m not sure they are a good thing.

I suppose it’s like me pretending my perfectly good car is a Mercedes. Or that a perfectly lovely restaurant is the Ivy. Obviously people have every right to eat at the Ivy, drive a Mercedes and send their children to private school. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with a good old Yaris, your local family friendly pub/restaurant, or local school.

I like navy. A colour that doesn’t show stains/dirt easily.

I detest white. Far too much faffle for upkeep. I’ve been unlucky enough to have all of mine in white shirts right through from start of school to end high school. My last child is doing last year now. Last year of spray treating and soaking those fucking shirts. It will be the best thing about end of school years for me. Seriously.

Yellow doesn't wash well but otherwise not really bothered from the 'normal' colour spectrum of primary uniforms.
Tend to find private and secondary do more bizarre colour combinations that can be a bit jarring.
My school uniform was pale blue and bottle green but what was really annoying was that this was only for the girls - the boys got to wear black and white with just the logo on the blazer having the school colours on it.

I dont care as long as its widely available in supermarkets etc. So no to purple or any 'bespoke' colour.

Red is the best. I overlook an infants school and they look so happy in red. Blue is smart but bit boring. Green is bit more unusual but looks nice. They are the best 3.

If a logo is essential, have ones that can be sewn on or ironed on. That gives parents a choice of
a. Where to shop
b. Choice of material. Some kids have skin reactions to polyester, acrylic, wool, nylon etc.

DS is in reception - his is maroon sweatshirt with matching joggers with a white polo shirt. I like it!

I actually don't mind the white polo shirt as it can be bleached if it gets a stain Vanish won't shift. Plus a Glo White in the wash and they stay nice and bright.

I think there are 2 aspects to setting school uniform:

1. Cost. Try to make sure that it's as cheap as possible. No more than 1 branded item (and if you can sell fabric badges that can be sewn on to supermarket-bought jumpers, even better). Colours of trousers, skirts and socks something standard (grey, probably) that can be bought anywhere. Polo shirts and jogging bottoms can save parents having to buy separate PE kit, although using the uniform for PE can make it more likely to get damaged and need replacing.

1. Appearance. Choose colours that actually match. It will look better and won't date. I think a brightish jumper with grey skirt/trousers and white polo is nice. My favourite is a local school which has a nice blue jumper, white polo, grey skirt/shorts/trousers. It looks smart without being too formal.

Then you obviously also want it to be comfortable and easy for kids to wear. I think lower primary it's easiest to ditch shirts and ties in favour of polo shirts; I wouldn't bother with them for older kids either, but certainly not below age 8 or so. Jogging bottoms look fine on younger kids, but I always feel they look a bit odd on older ones.

I've never had much issue with white polos getting dirty; they're under a jumper, so they stay fairly clean. Paint stains will show up on any colour anyway (DS wore a blue polo for Nursery and it was stained by week 2).

Not white shirts. Our school uniform is really smart, but white proper shirts means lots of marks, lots of ironing.

Jumpers, something machine washable! Our school uniform are knitted non machine wash ones, absolute nightmare in primary school. Grey/black/brown is depressing on children, they have their whole life to wear monochrome.

Ours look great in purple, sweatshirts not sure why some think it's difficult to get, we've been getting ours from either Asda or Sainsbury's ever since the children started at the local primary school. The best bit is they also wear purple polo shirts, so there's no greying white polos and all uniform can get put together in a dark wash. I'd seriously urge you to consider going for a dark polo shirt for ease.

My private school had navy skirt (any), bog standard white open necked shirt, and plain navy v neck jumper. You could wear a school one with a coloured v but no one did. Blazer was optional and plain dark navy bought from anywhere and you just sewed the school badge on. PE was equally functional.. supermarket's didn't sell clothes in those days but Marks and woolworths had you covered !! PE kit was equally generic. I thought it was really inclusive .. lots of parents were not wealthy and had very little left after school fees and it made it much more accessible. Also made us less likely to get our heads kicked in on the bus than the private schools with posh uniforms 😁

Purple. Vile colour.

Yellow, I mean why would anybody? I love yellow, it’s my favourite colour, it’s just not a school uniform colour.

When I was a secondary we had a hideous blue and green striped tie. Whoever designed it must have done it for a bet.

Kids had black and jade in their primaries, both of which you missed off the list.

Least favourite: grey.( For sweatshirts but ok if going bog standard supermarket v Neck)

Yellow is equally impractical but at least cheerful.

Supermarkets sell the local uniform colours, if you are a big enough school. Always got kids yellow uniform dress near my mum's. Kids school was too small.

Anything that can be bought easily and cheaply in local supermarkets. No fancy badges or having to buy from a specific expensive supplier. I don’t particularly like uniforms, but especially dislike ties on small children. So if you have to have a uniform I’d opt for joggers / polo shirts / sweatshirts for primary age.

Least favourite - yellow. Doesn't suit anyone and shows the dirt. Red blue green.

Our secondary school colour is Cadbury purple but it only appears on ties and a few PE kit items, the day to day clothes are black or white.

Easy to buy in the supermarket colours that don't show the dirt and wash well are best. Grey, navy, red.

Navy and red look good together - ideally with white polo shirt so they can be bought cheaply. Would be good to allow the option of a white roll neck in colder weather. The main thing though is not to have any logo'd uniform. If you are desperate for a logo then offer a badge to be sewn onto supermarket items.

Sometimes I open a thread just to see what sort of a knob posted something so idiotic.
Yucky colours indeed.
OP, are you six?

I've seen a smart one in the North West where I have relatives and its purple with a purple kilt and I think its fabulous!

Yellow/Brown/Bottle Green are vile.

Purple and Red are tolerable.

Navy or Royal Blue look the nicest

White polo shirts are bloody annoying and stain like hell.. and if you insist on them having school logo, make them impossible to bleach!

Shirts/Ties for the female students are just dumb. Compulsory blazers ought to be burned on sight. Whats wrong with a nice jumper?

I don't like the ugly, dull, miserable colours for kids' uniforms - dark green, burgundy, brown and grey. I can imagine yellow isn't so easy to keep from looking tired and green and it's a bit too bright.