School asking me to buy a £30 costume

[Tedn]

I’ll start with, this is a state school, in south east London, relatively nice area but like most London schools, some kids live in houses worth well over a million others in council houses. The school prides its self both on being inclusive and environmentally conscious.

DD is 4 and in reception, yesterday I got an email, giving all the children their nativity roles (yes I know very early but school say it’s to give parents a chance to buy the costumes) and with it links to the costume you should buy.
DD has been given the role of Angel Gabriel, the costume linked £30!!! The other angels costumes are only £15. DDs costume is the most expensive by £10 (the animals and the star are £20), and from a different place.
The teacher noted in the email that the PTA has some funds available to help those who may not be able to buy them and if that’s the case you should reach out to the class PTA rep on WhatsApp. However it’s not that I can’t afford it, it’s more just what’s the point on a £30 costume for one day? Why so much more expensive than the others?
The way the school does nativity is that the reception children have no real lines, instead all the Y1 and Y2 children narrate and the reception kids just act it out on stage. So it’s worse to me that I’d be paying £30 for a costume to wear for two afternoons to not even hear DD saying anything.
I spoke to the teacher briefly at drop off today and she said that they picked that costume as it stands out from the other angels and as she is Angel Gabriel they thought it would look better and make it easier to follow. She reminded me that I can speak to the PTA rep if I need any help buying it.
Now I’m also thinking that it’s just wasteful? What will I do with it when the nativity is over?
I will probably just buy the damned costume to save any headaches but AIBU to think this is a ridiculous, tone deaf (considering COL) and wasteful request from the school?

Just get the regular angel costume and add a bit of tinsel or sequins to it.

@BoohooWoohoo

"moist ache" instead of moustache has actually made me snort with laughter

And totally agree. The crappy costumes are half the fun!

@Tedn , does it have to be specifically the costume they sent you the link for?

i just checked Vinted and there are many for £5 and under.

Its unreasonable and incredibly wasteful. I'd have struggled to find £30 for a costume when DC were that age and i would have been mortified to have to speak to a pta rep about it. My kids always had badhome made, borrowed or charity shop finds in primary school

I’d just go off piste and do a homemade costume. White T shirt and tinsel like in our day.

I was the Angel Gabriel 4 times, mainly because I had a good memory. ‘Lo, I bring you tidings of great joy. Unto us is born this day, a saviour who is Christ the Lord!’ 👼

What ever happened to a sheet and cardboard and tinfoil wings!

I love that my youngest's school has ditched asking for costumes. The furthest they now go is to ask for certain colours where possible or 'for a party' clothes, ie anything really. They do a lot in uniform with 'prop' items to represent roles it's bizarre that someone took the time to trawl through a costume wishlist but didn't just put in the time to Google some alternative approaches.

I'm interested why people think YABU

We are in Greenwich - if you’re in the area message me and I’ll let you know!

Why dont the PTA pay for the 'special ' costumes. I taught nursery‐y2 for 16yrs. We bought some costumes, made others, and kept them for yrs. You can also buy cheaper than £30. You should not have to pay for anything towards a school performance.

Everyone knows Angel Gabriel is a white pillowcase, a coat hanger , and some silver tinsel. Do the school not realise we’re in a COL crisis?

This!!! I was an angel in a white sheet and some tinsel - literally about 30p from Woolworths!!

They would “highly appreciate if parents stuck to the costume list”

Why do they need brand new costumes?

why not some old tea towels on their heads (shepherds), a random white nighty and halo made ftom tinsel (Angels), and hand me downs and old sheets? I love conked together costumes they are such a laugh and so much more inclusive

so wasteful, so time deaf, so consumerist and unnecessary, ugh

Agree it’s crap from the school.
if ask if we can make the costume as a joint project you and dd! (I would love that though not sure about you!) and then I’d make a costume the most similar as possible to the one they want you to buy.
You can make a costume quite easily if you already have some craft bits like glue gun or sewing machine. I appreciate not everyone is crafty though!!! You could also look and see if you can find the same or similar costume on eBay or vinted. Xo

Can you post the link, I’m curious to see what justifies that price. All the ones that come up on a basic search are around £16 at the most.

You used the word 'should buy'. It means it's purely a suggested costume and a guideline of what it should look like. You can source your own version of the costume from elsewhere. Or you can make your own. My children go to a state school in a leafy suburb (not London). No one turns up in a pillow case. Some parents make amazing costumes and others get them from facebook market places. I just buy them from Amazon or the supermarkets because I'm time poor. I'd have spent £20+ for nativity costumes 7 or 8 years ago.

https://www.fancydress.com/products/kids-lil-guardian-angel-costume?currency=GBP&variant=36147818168473&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=544be973a4bd&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6igRC15EyI8P2MlqrrkK6InY1CttCdjsFdhEPOSifaLJXIuz7j27qEaAl9fEALw_wcB

Here you go!! Definitely not worth it in my mind!

Ooh, ok, quite fancy. Maybe we can all have a look for something similar and cheaper.

You're not being a martyr you should say something to the head and to the governors tbh this is bizarre

If I'd bought a £30 outfit for Dd for nativity play she'd be wearing that thing all day for Christmas too, I like to get more than a day out of an outfit.
Can't you get the cheaper Angel outfit and zuzz it up with gold tinsel or something.

How annoying!

Not only does my DC’s primary school firmly go down the “tea towel on head” route for costumes, they pride themselves on it because they know that’s what parents enjoy watching! They also embrace mistakes and scenery falling over as all part of the experience!

When they have done more “professional” performances as part of drama club etc they begged and borrowed costumes from local secondary schools and made some themselves. All I’ve ever had to supply are basics like leggings or solid coloured t-shorts.

What is the school thinking of? Nativity plays call for tea towels, grandad shirts, bed sheets, cardboard crowns, tinsel and a baby doll. Keep a few props and kings’ cloaks in the prop cupboard and ask parents to help supply the tea towels etc. Shouldn’t cost parents a thing.

If they were willing to make a change I think I’d be willing to give a hefty donation towards it (have some inheritance from my grandparents who were environmentalist and would be seething at this and happy to help make a change).
Maybe an email to be sent today !!