School uniform costs and how much is needed?

Loveduppenguin · 2025-05-31T10:00:46+00:00

2 jumpers 2 blouses 1 skirt 1 tracksuit hoody 2 polos 1 pair of leggings 1 pair of shorts at a cost of 353! this is for one 12.5 yr old girl starting secondary in sept and who plays a lot of sports. Do you think I need another 1or2 blouses and another pair of leggings? At those prices I’m hesitant 😬 what would you do?

Stripeyanddotty · 31/05/2025 11:01

I’d get 3 more blouses.

TeenLifeMum · 31/05/2025 11:02

We have 5 blouses each - one a day. Other than that we’re the same, although we have a blazer and tie too.

Notsuchafattynow · 31/05/2025 11:02

Where can you buy from? Are these all branded?

Teenagers need a clean shirt every day.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:02

Stripeyanddotty · 31/05/2025 11:01

I’d get 3 more blouses.

3! One for each day? Oh lord

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MumChp · 31/05/2025 11:02

All branded or?

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:02

Notsuchafattynow · 31/05/2025 11:02

Where can you buy from? Are these all branded?

Teenagers need a clean shirt every day.

Can buy from 2 places…same prices

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Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:03

MumChp · 31/05/2025 11:02

All branded or?

Have to be the school designated uniform

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Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:03

TeenLifeMum · 31/05/2025 11:02

We have 5 blouses each - one a day. Other than that we’re the same, although we have a blazer and tie too.

Ok maybe 5 would be the way to go.

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Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:04

I’m separated from her dad so this uniform will have to go between the two houses, so maybe 6 blouses to make it even 🤣

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MumChp · 31/05/2025 11:05

Depending how often you do laundry I would add more blouses.

But you don't have to buy 100% branded stuff. Also see if you can buy some of the stuff second hand.

One of our children went to a school with no uniform as we lived a few years in Scotland. That wasn't cheap either.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 31/05/2025 11:06

Get six blouses and at least one other skirt/trousers - that way, even if the washing machine stops working or you come down with flu on Thursday, you'll have clean shirts until Monday. And 11 years that smell of Haribo and flowers very quickly turn into 12 and a half year olds who sweat and leave a trail of damp clothes in their wake - especially when there's no guarantee she'll get to her Dad's and find her stuff there has been washed from the previous week.

PicaK · 31/05/2025 11:08

I'd buy that much new.
Save one set pristine for photo day.
Get the rest second hand. 3-4 tops in total at least

whynotmereally · 31/05/2025 11:09

I buy everything from Asda or similar except the jumpers which are logo. I get second hand jumpers from school to save cash too. Shirts can be navy which helps , I get -

5 pairs trousers
6 polos
5 jumpers
2 hoodies (pe)
2 t shirts (pe)
2 trackie bottoms (pe)

max cost £70 but usually only some needs replacing or I get it free from school.

Anononony · 31/05/2025 11:10

I thought they made schools have affordable uniform so only some logo'd items allowed? We have logo'd sweatshirts, a school tie and PE kits but shirts, trousers, skirts, the black PE shorts etc can all be from any shop as long as the style is correct

We have one jumper, we can wash and dry it overnight which happens every couple of days unless its actually dirty, but i do want to get another, and 2 PE kits as he has PE 2 days in a row, but one of these we got for free from the lost property/spares box one parents eve when they were trying to get rid of stuff.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:11

NeverDropYourMooncup · 31/05/2025 11:06

Get six blouses and at least one other skirt/trousers - that way, even if the washing machine stops working or you come down with flu on Thursday, you'll have clean shirts until Monday. And 11 years that smell of Haribo and flowers very quickly turn into 12 and a half year olds who sweat and leave a trail of damp clothes in their wake - especially when there's no guarantee she'll get to her Dad's and find her stuff there has been washed from the previous week.

Edited

Yeah she’s 12.5 already and she does get sweaty. I am very on top of my laundry. I don’t like it piling up. So in hindsight, I think maybe four or five blouses would be enough because I tend to do laundry when I work from home which is two days a week and we have a dryer so it’s quite easy to get through

So maybe if I order another two more blouses, I forgot that I do have a spare skirt from an older cousin, but the rest is just all very much worn so I wanted to get her fresh.

@MumChp it’s not that it has to be branded as such, but the school has allocated uniform so they have to use that uniform

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NebulousWhistler · 31/05/2025 11:11

Be glad they’re not in a prep school. One child started at a new prep last year and I had no change from £1500.
the quality isn’t even particularly good.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:12

whynotmereally · 31/05/2025 11:09

I buy everything from Asda or similar except the jumpers which are logo. I get second hand jumpers from school to save cash too. Shirts can be navy which helps , I get -

5 pairs trousers
6 polos
5 jumpers
2 hoodies (pe)
2 t shirts (pe)
2 trackie bottoms (pe)

max cost £70 but usually only some needs replacing or I get it free from school.

Buying from Asda’s not an option after is not going to have the colours that she needs

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Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:13

PicaK · 31/05/2025 11:08

I'd buy that much new.
Save one set pristine for photo day.
Get the rest second hand. 3-4 tops in total at least

I have no idea where I would buy secondhand uniform 🤣🤣

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MumChp · 31/05/2025 11:13

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:11

Yeah she’s 12.5 already and she does get sweaty. I am very on top of my laundry. I don’t like it piling up. So in hindsight, I think maybe four or five blouses would be enough because I tend to do laundry when I work from home which is two days a week and we have a dryer so it’s quite easy to get through

So maybe if I order another two more blouses, I forgot that I do have a spare skirt from an older cousin, but the rest is just all very much worn so I wanted to get her fresh.

@MumChp it’s not that it has to be branded as such, but the school has allocated uniform so they have to use that uniform

Show quote history

A school can't demand 100% branded allocated stuff today.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:14

NebulousWhistler · 31/05/2025 11:11

Be glad they’re not in a prep school. One child started at a new prep last year and I had no change from £1500.
the quality isn’t even particularly good.

Okay that’s not helpful. but thanks

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Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:14

MumChp · 31/05/2025 11:13

A school can't demand 100% branded allocated stuff today.

Show quote history

They have a set school uniform that’s what they’re expected to have. I don’t know who else to argue that. We are in Ireland maybe it’s slightly different but that’s what we have.

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Marmite27 · 31/05/2025 11:14

Definitely a couple more blouses, if 5 is too many, would 3 work? One on, one in the wash and one ready to wear?

I’d look at skirts/jumpers in that way too. Possibly 2 skirts and 3 jumpers to allow for washing.

With the PE kit, how many days is it required? Will they be consecutive? Will they wear it all day, or just for games? I’d have 2 tops, 2 leggings, 2 shorts and one track suit top.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:16

Marmite27 · 31/05/2025 11:14

Definitely a couple more blouses, if 5 is too many, would 3 work? One on, one in the wash and one ready to wear?

I’d look at skirts/jumpers in that way too. Possibly 2 skirts and 3 jumpers to allow for washing.

With the PE kit, how many days is it required? Will they be consecutive? Will they wear it all day, or just for games? I’d have 2 tops, 2 leggings, 2 shorts and one track suit top.

They are not allowed to wear their tracksuit into school they can only wear it during the PE period and then they have to change

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StripyHorse · 31/05/2025 11:17

My girls usually wear 1 skirt a week for school, but I bought 2 - so I didn't need to worry about washing, drying and ironing one for the next morning of they got one dirty.

Blouses I started off with 5 (maybe 6 if they were multipacks). 7 years after DD1 starting they have appeared to breed - goodness knows how many blouses we have in the house now.

Can you not get away with buying blouses from another supplier? Ours are blue revere collar so not as readily available as plain white but John Lewis is still cheaper than the named supplier. Check there and M&S as they seem to have bigger ranges than some of the other shops.

Original poster

Loveduppenguin · 31/05/2025 11:18

StripyHorse · 31/05/2025 11:17

My girls usually wear 1 skirt a week for school, but I bought 2 - so I didn't need to worry about washing, drying and ironing one for the next morning of they got one dirty.

Blouses I started off with 5 (maybe 6 if they were multipacks). 7 years after DD1 starting they have appeared to breed - goodness knows how many blouses we have in the house now.

Can you not get away with buying blouses from another supplier? Ours are blue revere collar so not as readily available as plain white but John Lewis is still cheaper than the named supplier. Check there and M&S as they seem to have bigger ranges than some of the other shops.

Yep, we’re the same. It’s a white Revere collar.

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