To wish more schools had uniforms like this

[Imsooveritt]

Talking to a friend today who's daughter attends an all girls private day school. She's 7. We were discussing buying uniform for the next year and I said it's a headache.

My 3 kids are in Y1, Y5 and Y8. All 3 have to wear those uncomfortable Teflon trousers/skirts. Older two need shirt and tie, eldest blazer. Uncomfortable school shoes. Logos on jumpers etc.

Her daughters school uniform is

• Navy, Red or White Polo
• Navy bottoms (have to be from their supplier but have the option of soft jeggings, leggings, skirt, pinafore or jersey material shorts)
• Red or Navy polo dress
• Red or Navy cardigan or hoodie
• white socks/navy tights
• Navy trainers
• Navy jackets from supplier but they are quilted style and have no logo so would be suitable for outside school too

This seems so much better, so many more options, no logos so somethings can get used outside school too, nice materials. Good blend of it being uniform but comfy. Not forced to have white polos that will discolour or uncomfortable shirts and ties.

AIBU to wonder why this can't be the norm? What is the need for shirts and ties, Teflon trousers and polyester blazers?!

My dc secondary uniform is logo school jumper , polo and PE shorts, not only that but the polo and PE shirts are branded in-house specific colours. This further challenges hand me downs etc.
My youngest is at a Sen school, they wear branded clothes but all soft materials and formal school shoes preferred but can be replaced with soft lightweight black unbranded trainers. Schools shoes are too cumbersome for many SEN children. Both of mine find school trouser and shorts material horrid. I use copious conditioner and tumble dryer cycles when they are new. It helps with comfort levels and they do last forever (if the children didn’t grow so fast ).

As long as the prestigious, high attaining private schools maintain smart uniforms, state schools will continue to emulate.

Rightly or wrongly, our (high attaining private) school believes they have evidence that pupils perform better in a shirt and tie in their exams than tracksuits.

Our main school uniform is just a grey blazer with no logo and trousers. They make up for it on the games uniform which is extensive although the second hand uniform shop does a roaring trade so you don't have to buy new.

I work in investing and while dress is more casual in the office, everyone keeps a suit and tie in the office for client meetings. The fund managers tend to wear suits and ties when they’re on their roadshows too.

I was such a uniform nerd when I was younger, but now I don't get at all why we dress 4 year olds (or even 15 year olds) like mini business men. I went to a secondary school where everything was an unusual colour and nothing could be bought generically. In primary, my mum used to buy plain jumpers and sew on a logo from the one branded jumper she bought at the beginning!

My kids' school has white shirt, grey trousers/navy pinafore, tie, logo jumper/cardigan. The PE kit is actually more expensive - logo half zip top and bottoms, plain colour t-shirt. The school had a big uniform consultation last year, I wrote an essay 😂 but unfortunately the majority of parents voted for the status quo. I always feel like calling out the principal if he's not wearing a tie!

They bang on about fast fashion and waste etc yet wear a pointless tie.

Kids have to take coats off before entering school and most don't have lockers so my son has never worn a coat and is year 10 let alone a jumper! Some days needs to take 3 pairs of Pe shoes...

I agree with a uniform but why not make it more comfortable.

But I don’t want them dressed like extras from Kidulthood either. I think a white polo shirt with school logo and black trousers is perfectly fine, if you find that uncomfortable then you’ve got hyper sensitive nerve endings

So jeans and a sweater? (That's what I wear to my Big 4 accountancy firm when I go into work)

Both my kids schools were and are sensible but in our area it's gone mad. One trust in particular.
Piped blazers & kilts everywhere. Massively expensive PE kits and 350 a set of full uniform.
Primary schools in blazers & ties.
Only traditional school shoes no trainers.
Emporers new clothes

There's also a state RC high that has hideous navy logo pinafores for the girls. TEEN girls. Pinafores. Unreal

How about no uniform at all as an alternative?

Kids all over the world do absolutely fine in school without uniform.

All those distinctive uniforms do is provide free (free to the school anyway) advertising for the school. It's no different from walking around with a GAP sweatshirt or an in-your-face MK logo on your handbag.

Meanwhile, kids all over America go to schools in their own choice of clothes and somehow manage to get grades good enough for Harvard, and when they enter the world of work they are perfectly well able to figure out what to wear.

All those distinctive uniforms do is provide free (free to the school anyway) advertising for the school. It's no different from walking around with a GAP sweatshirt or an in-your-face MK logo on your handbag.

Not sure if that was aimed at me? Our school uniform is plain grey trousers, a plain grey blazer and a school tie. No logo or badge so not distinctive in any way.

One of the local state schools has a beautiful Tiffany blue edged blazer and tie though.

Our local Catholic state school is absolutely bloody ridiculous. No hair anywhere on head to be shorter than grade 2. Tights minimum 70 denier. Tartan pinafore for the girls. Stud earrings only with a maximum size in mm. No black socks and... no hair gel! No wonder it's "Requires Improvement".

I've never heard of children having to wear a set type of trouser at primary school or a tie. Most primary schools wear a polo shirt and a choice of bottoms in either grey or black with the school cardigan or jumper.

Lots of well paid jobs still have people dressing reasonably smartly. DH works in finance and the men all still wear shirts daily.

My kids like their uniform. They've never complained about the tie & DS prefers cotton shirts as he stays cooler than a polo shirt. The jumpers are just soft comfortable sweatshirts and the trousers are just ordinary ones. Tailored style trousers are generally only uncomfortable if you are wearing them too tight/are overweight round your middle (i say this as someone who is currently overweight). Ds has no issues playing football in his.

The girls gingham dresses are cheap and practical in hot weather

I bet they would prefer jeans and a hoodie.

I bet they would prefer jeans and a hoodie

Why is a hoodie more comfy than a sweatshirt? Its literally the same fabric.

Jeans can be quite stiff/uncomfortable, DD hates them.

But non uniform means that they don’t have to all be in the same sweatshirt. It can be a T-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie - whatever they want. Same for it can be jeans, leggings, joggers, shorts. I think DS spent the majority of the year in shorts - he never felt the cold.

DD has never worn a tie (pointless things) and DS at a handful of occasions like weddings and funerals. He doesn’t wear one for work.

Of course a hoodie is more comfortable. You can unzip it or zip it up depending on the temperature. A sweatshirt doesn't offer the same option.

And yet the school that is at the top of the league tables every year doesn't have a uniform.