Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How many of each Secondary school uniform item did you buy

154 replies

user1461609321 · 05/03/2022 22:40

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

OP posts:
VelvetChairGirl · 06/03/2022 10:09

@dementedpixie

My dc's blazer is made from recycled plastic bottles so it actually dries really quickly.
So is mine I think its the norm now, made in china from recycled bottles, with bottle motifs on the lining, if you look on the left side there is a zip along the lining so they are shipped here plain and then someone opens the zip to access the back of the outer material so they can sew the appropriate school logo on.
Dentistlakes · 06/03/2022 10:09

1 blazer, 2 ties, 2 trousers, 10 shirts (I like to have spares in case I don’t get to iron at the weekend), 2 sets of rugby/PE kit (they are used almost every week day and on a Saturday).

Prettynails · 06/03/2022 10:12

By nothing now. When you know what house they are in- ask on your local Facebook group for trousers, shirts, ties, blazer even shin pads - ask nicely and say you can give a donation to the local pta etc - we moved mid year and I had to get their uniform quickly as we only had two weeks notice so I spent a fortune.

But here are my tips a local mum said her daughter was new in September joining year 7 quite tall and joining Austen house and she wondered if anyone was passing on sports kit (house top, skorts, school tracksuit - all branded and hoodie and any house jumpers and ties etc and then she was happy to donate to the pta. Within hours she had offers of 10 skirts, 10 blazers etc until she had to thank everyone and say her daughter was now covered to year 10z she made a donation of £50 to the pta everyone happy as the school tops come up at £25 for a jumper.

So I’d ask now and ask there first and see what response you get.

If you don’t get everything you need - try asking the pta and head of year 7.

My daughter now gets everything from year 11 and most will go to her brother.

He younger brother is in primary and it’s un branded I find sainsbury the best - two purple jumpers for 2.50 pound etc and I brought at least 5 packs in one size and then brought a few sizes up in each as they don’t just grow or wear out once a year.

Fizbosshoes · 06/03/2022 10:20

One of the secondary schools nearby has sort of tweed blazers. Apparently they take ages to dry and smell of wet dogs!

SirVixofVixHall · 06/03/2022 10:22

I have always gone by the bare minimum being “one on, one off, one in the wash” so at least three of everything, and to allow for loss, damage, washing machine packing up suddenly etc, I tend to get four or five jumpers , half a dozen shirts, four or five pairs of trousers, two or three skirts (both dds have ended up wearing trousers rather than skirts) and several multi packs of socks/tights . PE kit at least two of everything. Dd has everything clean every day, pre Covid she used to wear her jumper for a couple of days, unless it looked grubby, but the school Covid guidelines were full clean uniform every day and I am still doing that.
We don’t have a tumble drier, so I have to factor in drying time of thicker things like trousers and jumpers too.
I like to have two pairs of school shoes, in case one pair get very wet, but sometimes she only has one.

alrightfella · 06/03/2022 10:26

We only have one (dry clean only) blazer that is cleaned every half term. Blazer was £135 I think so I'm not buying a second.

To be honest it looks and smells absolutely fine although I do frebreeze the inside at the weekends just in case.

WitchWithoutChips · 06/03/2022 10:44

If you have the misfortune of a dry-clean only blazer I highly recommend getting one of the hand-held garment steamers that they use in shops. They are really effective at freshening up blazers and making them hang properly again. Also very useful for pleated skirts.

SheWoreYellow · 06/03/2022 10:44

@Prettynails

By nothing now. When you know what house they are in- ask on your local Facebook group for trousers, shirts, ties, blazer even shin pads - ask nicely and say you can give a donation to the local pta etc - we moved mid year and I had to get their uniform quickly as we only had two weeks notice so I spent a fortune.

But here are my tips a local mum said her daughter was new in September joining year 7 quite tall and joining Austen house and she wondered if anyone was passing on sports kit (house top, skorts, school tracksuit - all branded and hoodie and any house jumpers and ties etc and then she was happy to donate to the pta. Within hours she had offers of 10 skirts, 10 blazers etc until she had to thank everyone and say her daughter was now covered to year 10z she made a donation of £50 to the pta everyone happy as the school tops come up at £25 for a jumper.

So I’d ask now and ask there first and see what response you get.

If you don’t get everything you need - try asking the pta and head of year 7.

My daughter now gets everything from year 11 and most will go to her brother.

He younger brother is in primary and it’s un branded I find sainsbury the best - two purple jumpers for 2.50 pound etc and I brought at least 5 packs in one size and then brought a few sizes up in each as they don’t just grow or wear out once a year.

Do many schools have different uniforms for each house? None of ours do, or on the last area we lived in. So that’s a complication that may not be relevant.
Svara · 06/03/2022 10:45

I think it depends on the child. I have one who never smells and one who definitely needs it washing once a week!
Yes, I think so too, and timing of puberty. DS had barely hit puberty when he turned 14, no need to even use deodorant until then. Age 11 to 13 he was very much a child not a smelly teen.

MrsTommyS · 06/03/2022 10:50

1 x blazer (bought the most expensive one and it lasted 2.5 years - it was on the large size in Y7 Grin)

4 x black trousers

5 x white short sleeve shirts

1 x jumper (wore it initially but hardly anyone else was wearing the jumper so I’m pleased we didn’t buy more as DS stopped wearing it).

Going back to the blazer, DS now as the cheaper one and I’ve already had to sew the seams and I can’t see it lasting as long as the first one.

MrsTommyS · 06/03/2022 10:51

Oh and two ties.

MrsTommyS · 06/03/2022 10:53

The shirts I buy are the M&S no iron ones.

Wash, hang up wet, no ironing required!

Sirzy · 06/03/2022 10:53

I drive DS and my nephew to school so keep a spare tie in the glovebox incase either of them have a magically disappearing tie!

Itwasntmeright · 06/03/2022 10:53

One blazer; five or six shirts depending on how many come in a pack; three trousers, although if I buy them in packs of two then two packs; one tie; and one jumper, which DS does wear. I only buy one PE kit because they are ridiculously expensive.

VelvetChairGirl · 06/03/2022 10:58

my kids school has different ties each year group so I dont see the point in buying more then 1 and just before the school ends for the term I shall ask them if they have a secondhand uniform shop I can get next years tie from, there must be tonnes of them.

cptartapp · 06/03/2022 11:01

One blazer, two ties, two trousers, three shirts. Then passed down to DS2 two years later.
The same two blazers got two boys through the whole of secondary 😆

Svara · 06/03/2022 11:05

@VelvetChairGirl

my kids school has different ties each year group so I dont see the point in buying more then 1 and just before the school ends for the term I shall ask them if they have a secondhand uniform shop I can get next years tie from, there must be tonnes of them.
That's ridiculous! Ours has different ones for each house but that stays the same, and siblings are put in the same house. DS is in year 11 and has only ever had the one tie.
Climbingthelaundrymountain · 06/03/2022 11:06

No blazers required. I bought 3 polo shirts, 2 jumpers, 2 skirts/trousers, 1 item of each required for PE (shorts, socks, T-shirt, hoody, rugby shirt).

VelvetChairGirl · 06/03/2022 11:11

That's ridiculous! Ours has different ones for each house but that stays the same, and siblings are put in the same house. DS is in year 11 and has only ever had the one tie.

house? is it hogwarts Grin

RedskyThisNight · 06/03/2022 11:13

1 blazer
I wouldn't buy a jumper for September; wait and see if DC wants one (unless compulsory)
1 pair of trousers/skirt
Girls will want shorts to wear under skirts (I wish this was not the case)
6 shirts (as in packets of 2)
1 pair school shoes
1 pair trainers
5 pairs of socks

1 set of PE uniform

Check with someone already at the school

  • if a specific brand/style is specified, how strictly is this enforced? DC's school specified a particular type of trousers, but anything that looks vaguely similar is actually ok
  • what people actually wear for PE. At our school the boys always wear shorts (never tracksuit bottoms) and the girls always wear leggings (never tracksuit bottoms or shorts). Also my DC weren't very sporty so we managed without football boots (not the case if you had DC on teams etc)
  • if you have a girl, don't assume she needs growing room if she's already grown a fair bit (I may be the only parent to ask their child if I should buy a blazer in a smaller size when she got to Year 10)

I put everything in the wash (except the blazer) on Friday night/Saturday morning. Never had any issues with it being dried for Monday (I air dry).

RedskyThisNight · 06/03/2022 11:14

DC's school keeps spare ties for those who forget. So if your school also offers this service, it negates the need for a "spare".

Svara · 06/03/2022 11:15

house? is it hogwarts
Just a state grammar. I didn't know it was unusual, PE vest is in house colours too.

RedskyThisNight · 06/03/2022 11:17

@Svara

house? is it hogwarts Just a state grammar. I didn't know it was unusual, PE vest is in house colours too.
DC's school ask the students to wear "something in house colours" on sports day. And most of them then have to look up what their house colour is, as houses get so little mention for the rest of the year. So, yes, I think house specific uniform in a state school is really unusual.
dementedpixie · 06/03/2022 11:24

@Svara

house? is it hogwarts Just a state grammar. I didn't know it was unusual, PE vest is in house colours too.
Our school has different houses but not different colours or ties.

PE kit is white t-shirt and royal blue shorts. Only the blazer and tie have logos and the rest of the uniform can be bought from whatever shop you like as long as the trousers/skirts are black/grey and the shirts are white

Svara · 06/03/2022 11:25

DC's school ask the students to wear "something in house colours" on sports day. And most of them then have to look up what their house colour is, as houses get so little mention for the rest of the year.
So, yes, I think house specific uniform in a state school is really unusual.
It's hardly mentioned at DS's school either, they just wear house ties and PE vests. They compete as houses at sports day, for house rugby, and for reading competitions but that's it really. It's just their form, like 11F, don't other schools have forms?