To think that switching to polo shirts makes the school uniform look low-rent?

[Byetoshirts]

My kids' primary has announced a change from shirts to polo shirts (previously just KS1) for all years except year 6.

I just think it looks a bit rubbish - all the other (in the main more affluent) local primaries have kids that look smart, and ours now get to look like they've just rolled out of bed. My DC are annoyed as they enjoy looking smart at school.

I associate polos in school uniform with young children and others who struggle with buttons and spilling stuff on themselves.

They also wash and wear badly (as stains kind embed themselves in polos) and the collar doesn't sit properly when open so a lot of (KS1) kids wear them tightly buttoned up to the neck, which doesn't exactly seem comfortable.

I never get the "comfier" arguments if something is comfortable will depend on what each individual persons experiences are. I like the feel of a shirt not a polo I find them to thick in fabric. My dh likes both

For our 4 children acriss 7 school we went through

Polo shirts and sweatshirts
Shirt tie and cardigan/jumper
Shirts. Tie and blazer (with knit layer in winter)
Shirts and sweatshirt

My kids all prefered the shirt and knit option yet when this argument comes up on MN we are told all children prefer a polo.

Meh look at St Paul’s Girls’ - highest achieving in the country and they all just wear jeans and trainers

Polo shirts are a lot more comfortable than a standard shirt for little ones who love running about. Shirts are restrictive. DD chose to wear a shirt over a polo after year 4 though as she liked the look more. Her primary school wasn't too stuffy about uniform. He secondary school is ridiculously strict on their uniform policy and spout "you have to dress smartly when you go to work". I'm master's educated in a professional job and I wear jeans to work frequently, a lot of my colleagues are non-medical doctors and have blue hair and tattoos on show. the Horror! *sarcasm

Our local secondary changed from polo shirts to shirt, tie and blazers a couple of years ago. The reason given was to improve student behaviour. But I've just looked it up, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence that it has worked. There seems to be an argument for uniform over non-uniform, because it gets pupils into a 'learning mindset'.
So on that basis, I would come down in favour of polo shirts and comfort over shirt and tie. I don't think they look 'low rent'.

My kids loved switching to blazers for secondary cos apparently you need to have sufficient pockets for three different body sprays (to be used simultaneously), two glue sticks, five claw clips and probably Shergar in there somewhere.

I actually photographed the amount of shite DD1 managed to fit in hers as it was so impressive.

Yabu.
Uniforms should be affordable and comfortable.
Looking smart doesn’t improve grades.

So... I have re-checked all OPs posts and none of them mention what colour the shirts are, only that the polos sometimes look a bit grey. I also didn't mention colour, so perhaps you have quoted the wrong poster if you are bothered that you'd "hate to have to deal with a load of whites each week just for a few school shirts". It is not clear whether you think shirts only come in white or that white polos (but not white shirts) can be washed with all the other colours.
And you're right that nobody 'has' to iron anything, or indeed do anything at all. There are almost always options, but people are allowed not to like the options and suggest alternative ones.
Sorry you felt triggered that you had to assure me that your kids are loved and well cared for. I have no idea where that came from but perhaps again you have quoted the wrong poster to respond to.

I think your kids are likely in the minority, though. It’s really hard to imagine that many kids are more comfortable in a shirt with a collar buttoned up at the neck and wearing a tie. I get that a thin cotton shirt may feel cooler than a thicker polo shirt, but just the nature of them being stiffer and then restrictive around the neck means most kids won’t like them.

@BrimfulofSacha
secondary school is ridiculously strict on their uniform policy and spout "you have to dress smartly when you go to work"

same same. Horribly old fashioned of them as no one wears full suit and tie to work these days.

I wear a suit and tie on occasion. Not just for weddings and funerals.

Few other people do.

King Charles does. Even Prime Ministers unbutton their collars to look "down with the lads."

I am old. I have a substantial collection of silk ties and pocket squares.

I agree. Sorry but why does it matter if they look ‘low rent’?

I can understand being annoyed for having to shell out for new uniform and not being able to afford it but OP, your reasons are ridiculous.

Absolutely. require four degrees for my job and I’m wearing culottes, biker boots and one of DH’s jumpers. My next door neighbour is a cardio surgeon. He cycles to work in cycling gear and puts on scrubs when he gets there. The guy across the road is an architect and I don’t think I I’ve ever seen him out of jeans unless it was an award ceremony.

Tried that, didn't do a thing!

Exactly. Because they don't need window-dressing to fill their places or convince anyone they are a good school.

Ooh ok, thank you!

Honestly, do your kids really enjoy looking smart? I find that very hard to believe.

Unless they are allowed to wear generic polo shirts an opposed to logo ones then this rule is stupid because it will just cost parents more money than a plain shirt and tie.
I do agree that shirt and tie is smarter but I’m afraid you sound incredibly snobbish to use the term ‘low rent’. If they are washed and ironed properly they look fine.

Is it more important they wear shirts instead of polos, or that they get a good education ? The coat doesn't make the learner. Uniforms really do my head in. Waste of money.

Agree.

My son wears them and is in year 6. He does not look scruffy as I keep them clean. If your children look like they have just rolled out of bed when wearing them it may be worth looking at how you are washing them etcetera. We have not had any more problems with stains on them than shirts so perhaps it is the brand you use and it could be worth looking at another. I don't care if people think my child goes to school in an affluent area so I don't have that issue.

All of this!

Polo shirts are comfortable and practical. Primary school children don't need to worry about "work appropriate" and even if they did their are many who would argue that suits and ties are no longer the norm.
It's just snobbery to want to see little children dressed in blazers.

What an utterly bizarre thing to say! Who looks at a six year old dressed for school in anything and thinks, "yeah, low-rent"?

DC school wear shirt and tie; it's my only complaint about the school. I would much rather they switched to (ideally coloured) polo shirts. The white school shirts rarely look smart after half a term of playground football and school dinners, and the tie is another thing to lose.

I think a reasonable step, brings the benefits of uniform and the lesson about appropriate clothing in settings.

My 4 year old wears polos for school and I think he looks quite smart! When I was in high school we had polo shirts and they were much more comfortable than wearing a shirt. I could never find a shirt to fit me as I had bigger boobs than most in my year and it would have annoyed me having a gaping hole through the buttons on a shirt. It’s not that deep is it?