How many of each Secondary school uniform item did you buy

[user1461609321]

Hi all

Planning ahead for September when first born starting year 7

We need to buy blazer, jumper, shirts, tie, trousers etc

How many of each item did you purchase and was this enough to ensure they were well presented and fresh eg not smelling of BO due to repeat wear of blazer and jumper etc

1 blazer, 5 short sleeve shirts, two pairs of trousers, 2 school ties, 2 jumpers, one set of PE kit inc rugby boots, shirt.

One school bag

I washes blazers every week. I can always remember the horror of looking in the pockets, before throwing them in the wash 😂

2 blazers- they smell quickly. It's cheap polyester and they keep them on in hot weather to hide the sweat patches from the rest of the cheap polyester. Its gross to only wash once a week 🤢

3 trousers/skirts
5 shirts
1 tie
2 lots of pe kit. I dont always have enough for even a half load of the whites /lights so I can't just wash it on it's own after pe lessons. Easier to have 2.

I know its expensive but they are 11 years +. Puberty + polyester = a disaster if you don't wash frequently and have clean clothes daily.

1 blazer, 4 shirts, 2 trousers and 1 of each item from the PE kit list.
The lady at the uniform shop advised me to buy a size up in blazer and PE kit so although he still looked smart the blazer lasted 2 years and PE kit 3 years

Ds school give blazer, tie, one pair of trousers and PE kit when they start.

I then got 5 white shirts and two more pairs of trousers. Then shoes and trainers.

1 Blazer
3 Jumpers
5 Shirts
3 Trousers

Lots of black socks

I have a yr8 DD & yr7 DS

DD has: 2 Blazers (1 is secondhand & kept in the wardrobe as a back up)
3 skirts, 1 trousers, 2 ties (1 kept with spare blazer), 6 shirts, 2 jumpers (she does wear them), 5 thermal tights, 3 socks, 5 thermal t-shirts.

PE kit - 1 skort, 1 shorts (rarely worn), 1 leggings, 1 t-shirt, 1 hoodie, 1 socks, 1 trainers.

DS - 2 Blazers (again one is secondhand) 4 trousers, 6 shirts, 2 ties, 6 socks, 5 thermal t-shirts & 2 jumpers.

PE kit - 1 shorts, 1 t-shirt, 1 rugby top, 1 socks, trainers, football boots, shin pads & mouth guard.

My top tip would be make sure the rucksack they take is big enough for everything, PE kit, lunch box, cooking ingredients if necessary. I bought rucksacks of 30 + litres for both mine & it's been so much easier for them. They started with smaller & lost their pe kits (& found them again but it caused them stress).

Lunch boxes are just basic plastic tubs by Sistema or similar.

Haha glad I’m not the only one who washes the blazer half termly. It definitely doesn’t smell as I check it and dd baths every day and wears a clean shirt every day. It doesn’t even smell at the end of half term when I do wash it. I imagine ds might need his blazer washing more frequently when he starts secondary as at the moment his coat can need washing 2+ times a week as he seems to roll in mud regularly.

Youngest DS started last Sept and I got him:

6x shirts (3x 2 pk)
6x trousers (3x 2pk)
1x tie and blazer.

Rather a waste as a few weeks after he started, his school decided that DC should come to school in PE kit on the two days a week they have it so he only needs 3 sets of uniform and will be grown out of this lot by the end of the year.

I could do with getting him another set of PE kit, (trousers, jacket, top) but the top is £25 on its own and supposedly good quality so I make do with washing it in the evening as he has PE on consecutive days (you’d think the school would bear that in mind that kit needs to be washed and dried!). Luckily we have a dryer.

His blazer is washed every other week. Would do it weekly but he’s only wearing 3 days and they start to lose shape if washed too often.

1 blazer, 5 shirts, 2 skirts or trousers, 1 tie. I wash blazers and tie once a week. I only bought jumpers when my girls were in key worker school and all the windows were open last Jan! They haven't worn them this year.

As a secondary teacher I can confirm the blazers aren’t washed very often, usually with no ill effects. I hadn’t realised until the autumn term when I noticed that many of the students still had the small enamel Remembrance Day poppy badges on their lapels in December.

I blazer, 1 jumper, 2 skirts, 5 shirts and lots of thick black tights, 1 pe kit (including indoor and outdoor trainers, refused to buy football boots)

I wash the blazer every half term. DS is 15 and it doesn't smell, other than slightly of deodorant they can take it off in hot weather at his school.

1 blazer 6 shirts 4 pairs trousers 2 ties 2 sets of PE kit 2 jumpers. Mine both like their jumpers but many kids don't!

No one wears jumpers in my sons school. No one wears the school shop coat either.
You need a drive by at end of day to check tbh

Anyway I bought 1 blazer (£60) 2 trousers (m&s 1/2 the price of school shop) 4 shirts (came in pack of two) 2 ties (handy for spare) pe kit (top, shorts, jumper, joggers,socks)

But I’m at home so can wash a shirt and his pe kit. If I was working I would get an extra pe kit (it’s twice a week) and an extra pack of shirts.

One tip have a sturdy hanger - every night when he gets in shake blazer and hang. Same with trousers. Looks less like going through hedge backwards.

It’s secondary - daily morning shower and deodorant minimum

1 blazer, 5 shirts (6 s they came in packs of 2), one skirt (but fast drying, so in case of emergencies I could wash it overnight), 2 trousers, 2 jumpers.

Oh, and a bottle of febreeze. DD's blazer is dry clean only and stunk at the end of the week. I know some who buy a second one second hand to alternate and air it out properly.

PE kit - the school is very strict so hockey socks were a must, top and skort can only come from the school shop, absolutely no logos on jogging bottom or top which can't have a hood. So most just bought the school one to avoid trailing through the shops.

@Svara

I wash the blazer every half term. DS is 15 and it doesn't smell, other than slightly of deodorant they can take it off in hot weather at his school.

I think it depends on the child. I have one who never smells and one who definitely needs it washing once a week!

The "non smelly" teen is tiny and always cold! My slightly sweatier teen hates her big boobs and will never take her blazer off. She's actually super clean and smells amazing on a daily basis but her blazer does suffer if not washed regularly. Her pe top is the same, I think it's the synthetic fabrics, her cotton mix T-shirts don't get the same issue.

None, I refuse to conform

For Yr 7
1 blazer
1 tie
2 jumpers
4 shirts
3 trousers
1 PE kit

2 trousers would have been enough and if I was doing it again I’d get at least 2 sets of PE socks as they’re forever getting lost. My DS did wear his jumper but 1 would have done.

A few years ago now but one blazer, 4 shirts, two trousers, one tie. PE kit just one of everything needed. I decent quality backpack that lasted several years, and I gave each child £10 for new pens and Radom stationary each September.

1 blazer
6 shirts (allows for missing a wash at the weekend)
DD 2 Trousers DS 4 as he is a dirt magnet
2 jumpers, though DD only has one in yr 11 (different colour) (Our jumpers are compulsory)
Tie a spare is useful.

I dont have a dryer I dont know how anyone could wash a blazer every week without one, it wouldnt be dry fast enough.

I will wash it in a month ish when the easter holidays are up, if they moan before hand as it is looking a bit grubby he played football in it last week, I will simply say I cant dry it over a weekend, if they are that bothered they will do it as I know they have a washer/dryer at the school. and he has to wear it every day they are not allowed to take it off.

1 blazer 1 tie. Nobody wore the jumper so I'd wait and see before buying one.
5 shirts
2 trousers.

About 10 full PE kits (not all at once, but as he lost them). Rare benefit of covid has been wearing kit to school all day, it's much harder to lose if you are still wearing it.

My dc's blazer is made from recycled plastic bottles so it actually dries really quickly.