School blazer - £90?!

[Livvielo]

Posting for traffic really… DD 11 starts secondary school in September, and we are just purchasing her uniform… £90 for a blazer?! Is that the norm?! That’s without the school skirt, PE kit and various other bits that have to be purchased from the school. How many blazers do you buy? This is just a catholic comprehensive girls school, although it is regarded as extremely good.
But £90 for a blazer?? Is that not a bit OTT?

Actually- £94

a catholic school ?
ask the how that fits in with gospel values.
clue, it doesn't. absolutely disgusting.
is it an academy. they're usually worst.
it needs a parents' revolution. civil disobedience.
turn up in a supermarket standard.

That’s outrageous! I had this when DD was at a private school for a few years. It was dry clean only, too. I only bought one and it cost a fortune in cleaning until I decided to start washing it inside out on a wool wash and it was fine.

@alexdgr8

a catholic school ? ask the how that fits in with gospel values. clue, it doesn't. absolutely disgusting. is it an academy. they're usually worst. it needs a parents' revolution. civil disobedience. turn up in a supermarket standard.

It’s a horrid uniform as well. Think yellow and brown and blue… all on one blazer Specific shirt as well- yellow striped and very distinctive. No chance of a supermarket copy. Arghhh

The skirt is £29.50 and the shirt is £17!!

@Lupinhere37

That’s outrageous! I had this when DD was at a private school for a few years. It was dry clean only, too. I only bought one and it cost a fortune in cleaning until I decided to start washing it inside out on a wool wash and it was fine.

Hoping she can’t lose it, as it has to be worn all day unless it’s PE. If she loses it, I will lose my head

Dds school was like this, local comp. once I’d bought uniform & PE kit it was about £400. Everything had to come from one shop & was all impossible to get cheaper anywhere else. Should not be allowed.

I work in a prep school, the blazer is £90. My dds’ blazer is around £30. Shocked if it’s that much for a state school blazer.

@nancy75

Dds school was like this, local comp. once I’d bought uniform & PE kit it was about £400. Everything had to come from one shop & was all impossible to get cheaper anywhere else. Should not be allowed.

Outrageous isn’t it! I’ve compared to another local school and their blazer is £35. They can wear any white shirt and grey trousers for boys. Girls have to wear a school skirt but it’s £20. PE kit and other bits only come to a little bit more than what I’m spending on just one blinking blazer!

@Longdistance

I work in a prep school, the blazer is £90. My dds’ blazer is around £30. Shocked if it’s that much for a state school blazer.

That’s exactly my thought. I would expect it (maybe) at a private school. Although quite a lot of girls join this school from private schools, so maybe their parents are expecting to pay that sort of money. I really hope they have some sort of scheme for parents that can’t afford it. We can, but it’s besides the point.

I had 2 blazers for the whole 6 years of High School. 🤷🏻‍♀️ £100 a pop, if I remember rightly. Scottish State Comprehensive. I think my younger brother wore the last one for a couple of years too. My sister was only the year above me, so we were almost the same size.
Doesn’t sound too bad an investment, if you can get away with 2 or 3 throughout her school career... buy it a wee bit big, and turn the sleeves up a wee bit (on the inside). You should be able to eke it out for a bit longer that way.

Just checked on the uniform shop - blazer £92, skirt £44(hand wash only!!) jumper £30, state secondary school

@nancy75

Just checked on the uniform shop - blazer £92, skirt £44(hand wash only!!) jumper £30, state secondary school

Now that makes our £29.50 skirt seem like a bargain crazy isn’t it?

@HollaHolla

I had 2 blazers for the whole 6 years of High School. 🤷🏻‍♀️ £100 a pop, if I remember rightly. Scottish State Comprehensive. I think my younger brother wore the last one for a couple of years too. My sister was only the year above me, so we were almost the same size. Doesn’t sound too bad an investment, if you can get away with 2 or 3 throughout her school career... buy it a wee bit big, and turn the sleeves up a wee bit (on the inside). You should be able to eke it out for a bit longer that way.

That’s not a bad idea actually. Thankyou!

And the skirt is awful! A tartan box pleat monstrosity

@nancy75

And the skirt is awful! A tartan box pleat monstrosity

You should see DD’s uniform. It’s just awful. Yellow… and brown… and blue

My sister paid £140 for my niece's final secondary blazer. She got her final 2 years out of it but for a state school that's horrendous. Started the whole kilt for senior students too- fortune! Luckily my DC's school is £35 for the blazer, £6 for a tie and white shirts and black trousers.

It just adds insult to injury - all that to buy the ugliest thing in the shop!

@Puffalicious

My sister paid £140 for my niece's final secondary blazer. She got her final 2 years out of it but for a state school that's horrendous. Started the whole kilt for senior students too- fortune! Luckily my DC's school is £35 for the blazer, £6 for a tie and white shirts and black trousers.

I’ve been comparing DD’s uniform cost to other local schools, and they are pretty much like your DC’s cost. £30-40 for the blazer. School ties I think less than £10. And they can wear any white shirt and trousers / school skirt. I will be honest and admit I didn’t consider the cost of uniform before applying for her school place. She’s wanted to go to this school for a couple of years now, and it’s regarded very highly here as an excellent school. But quite honestly, this has made me feel a bit

Our blazer is £100 but it is wool so at least it's warm, and can be hand washed so no dry cleaning bills.

I should get £25 back from the second hand shop when I sell it, assuming ds doesn't wreck it.

And this is just one (amidst many other) reason why I think uniforms in school are dumb. (we don't have uniforms in my country).

Is there any chance you can buy a similar (cheaper) blazer ? If it's close enough in appearance, no one will know, right ?

@Marty13

And this is just one (amidst many other) reason why I think uniforms in school are dumb. (we don't have uniforms in my country).

Is there any chance you can buy a similar (cheaper) blazer ? If it's close enough in appearance, no one will know, right ?

I wish we could, but absolutely impossible unfortunately

No wonder you feel annoyed. I have 3 boys and by the time I've finished in M&S it's expensive (especially bigger sizes and buying lots of multiples) but at least it's reasonable. Mind you I baulked at DS1's Doc Martin shoes at £140! I know they'll last and last for uni next year, but I was shocked at the price of them now.

@Puffalicious

No wonder you feel annoyed. I have 3 boys and by the time I've finished in M&S it's expensive (especially bigger sizes and buying lots of multiples) but at least it's reasonable. Mind you I baulked at DS1's Doc Martin shoes at £140! I know they'll last and last for uni next year, but I was shocked at the price of them now.

Oh gosh… I forgot shoes I might as well start selling off all my possessions to get us through the next few years hadn’t I 😂 DD2 will be off to secondary in 3 years as well

I haven’t seen anything about a second hand uniform shop, but I really hope there is one! I won’t use it if there is, as I don’t want to take something away from a family that genuinely cannot afford it.