To not buy DD new school uniform, shoes, bag etc.

[MG92]

Hi everyone.
I've seen numerous posts (mostly pictures) on Facebook from parents buying their kids new school uniform, shoes, bag etc. And wondered if I am being unreasonable for not buying DD who's going into year 2 tomorrow anything new as I feel it's a waste of money and I have nowhere to put her 'old' stuff.
I tend to get her a new pair of black trainers and a cardigan every few months, with the most recent purchase being in May. Both items are holding up pretty well..
I'm concerned she'd feel upset if all her friends have new stuff and she doesn't.

I’ve only bought the things which needed replacing - they’ve kept last years stuff that still fits.

DD wanted a new bag from Smiggle (not needed at all) so I chipped in a bit but she used her own money for most of that purchase.

@Invisimamma why? It’s just a huge waste of money and resources to replace stuff that doesn’t need replacing. And it’s school uniform, it’s not even clothes kids can have fun in or like the look of. It’s not fashion, it’s not new football kit, it’s not a pretty new dress. Literally no reason to replace it unless it’s outgrown or grubby/tatty.

@ZippyLimeSnake so if your child has a perfectly good shirt, that is clean, intact, and still fits - you’ll throw it away and buy a new one? Just because it’s September.
Bizarre.

I only buy new if something needs to be replaced. I’ve ended up spending a fair bit this summer, but everything is needed.

I haven't really bought my kids anything new for school this time round.

The only thing I have bought is an A4 binder for DD. They've never had all new for school. If their bags, shoes and blazers are still fine then why buy replacements?

I can’t get my head round people buying new bags, lunch bags and pencil cases every year. My DS has just left secondary school and had the same rucksack all the way through, I’ve just had to make him buy a new one for college as it was looking very ratty. My other DS is going into year 3. No new bags bought. He’s got new shoes as his feet had grown. New PE kit as he’d had the other since starting school.

We buy new bags, shoes, pencil case every year. What they want changes. They grow and evolve as a person. Old things go to a charity shop. If no one bought new there wouldn't be any second hand available.

Nope I buy new when needed. Most uniforms is from pre loved uniform shop. School shoes I have to buy at start if every year and usually halfway through as mine seem to grow like weeds

Mine is going back in the uniform that was bought at Easter as had outgrown the stuff he had in Sept. I will buy one new jumper in Oct to pair with a set aside new white shirt for photo day though!

Clothing with school logo on them go to the school as they help people in financial difficulty with uniform & I will half up school shirts/trousers/shorts & give them to my local social services for parents who can not afford new uniform for their children. So for me that is not a waste of money 🤷‍♀️

My kids all their new school shirts and trainers at Easter!

Why do you have to buy anything new unless things don't fit anymore or it's a new school?

I planned for ds to wear his shirts, polos and jumpers for at least the first half term of year one, got them all out last week to freshen up and iron and they're all too small , he is tall and grows like a weed, if he puts his arms out the jumper sleeves are halfway up his arm, trousers have a gap at the ankle and the hem has already been let down. They fit fine at the end of summer term. So I've had to buy new everything. He will have the same school shoes because I only bought new ones a month before the end of term and they still fit

This year, DD1 is going to secondary school so all uniform are new but I normally only buy new things as they are needed and new white shirts to last the year in sept because they never look as white anymore after a whole year.
I thought I’ll do the same for DD2 but the school polo and jumpers definitely look so worn by the time it was Easter but I said she’ll wear it till the end of term so she has new ones for school this September. They’re cheap anyway. Shoes and bags, etc are still perfect so these are not new

Agree.

Not to mention that it's bad for the environment. There are enough clothes on the planet now to clothe six generations of people.

All of his old stuff is in good condition so has gone to the school uniform shop for second hand sales. People seem to want children to wear things to death until they've fallen apart but also advocate using the second hand school shop. If everyone does the former, the latter has no stock

My son didn't need anything except new logo jumpers as he's moved in to P7 and they wear a different colour and a pack of shirts. He got new trainers, shorts and polo shirts in the last couple of weeks of last term that still fit and look brand new and his bags still immaculate as is his lunch box and water bottle. No point spending money thats not needed to be spent.

It’s fine not to. My DD had the same skirt and blazer and PE kit the whole of secondary! It still fitted, was in good condition (we gave it away as was still looking so good) so why buy new. I don’t think kids even care do they if they’ve got a new uniform?

No, surely people only buy new if they're actually needed? My DC had new school shoes in June! She'd gone up 1.5 sizes in less than 6 months, they are still fine now. All I've bought her new is a new PE t-shirt (outgrown old one) and I'm going to buy new PE shorts too (likewise outgrown). That's it, everything else is fine for now. She will need new polo tops soon due to a growth spurt but the old ones are still just about ok and saves me facing the shops at this time of year as I know from last year it is awful!

My DD going into Y4 has new shoes. That's it.
Her shoes were falling apart so was a necessity. As the ones her cousin have handed down are still too big!!!

However All the other uniform fits fine.

Might buy couple of the school logo T shirts from the next 2nd hand sale.

DS usually gets 2 or even 3 years of use out of everything given they all have adjustable waists and extendable hems. Shorts especially - his Reception shorts (age 3-4, he is skinny and age 4-5 fell down) were still going strong in the summer of Y2.

I bought some age 7-8 shorts for him over summer, and fully expect them to last until he leaves primary 🤣

New and new looking clothes. So if their clothes look new, they don't need to buy more. If they'd started to look worn, would they still wear them? It's rare that a primary aged child, or first year seniors don't need new. As said if the OP is buying new every few months anyway, why not send them in on the first in a new one and then swap it. No child is changing size that quickly, unless the OP won't send her in slightly baggy stuff, so that's a puzzle.
I just wonder what most MNers are spending their DH's six figure salary on. They gate socialising, weddings, holidays etc and now begrudge their children new uniforms.

One child's moving up to secondary so needed a lot of new stuff - in general though they're both re-using their water bottles, school bags (these were new last year and are still in good condition), pencil cases (contents updated)... the one who is still at the same school has had a couple of new skirts and shirts bought (one of the old skirts met an untimely end taking a short cut to the Maths classrooms apparently and got caught on a fence and ripped), tights replenished and they both needed new shoes as they were both running on short term supermarket cheapies to get through to the end of term.

Now the speed they grow at has slowed down - I tend to be more able to just weed stuff out and partially replace - when they were in the infants, particularly with red uniform which fades like mad - I had to usually start from almost new each September.

There’s been a development. School bag has been unearthed, and it seems that the geometry set has splintered. Have just ordered aluminium replacement protractor and set squares. One of the water bottles has been binned too, as it has a crack in the lid.

Bag and pencil case are fine, just needed another pencil to top up to required kit-list standard.

New everything here I'm afraid. We buy DMs so they last the year, unless feet grow.