Eton College Uniform/Kit

[25Green]

Trying to figure out the following -

1. what uniform really needs to bought at a tailors
2. what can be bought in a high street retailer
3. games/sports kits, what is needed
4. how many do you need of each item
5. any recommendations on which tailor

Thank you!

Is there absolutely no way you can find this information out from Eton?

Welsh and Jeffries are brilliant. They'll tell you what you need and name it all for you. They don't over sell and the boys can pop down any time they need a new shirt etc. They also have nearly new stuff.

There's also a secondhand kit website - worth a look as there's a stack of stuff which is effectively new - it seems impossible to know which sports kit your kid will actually use before you get there and lots of them never wear the base layers for example.

Don't they send parents a list these days?
Our local comprehensive used to.

@TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne They send a list but almost invariably half the stuff never ends up getting worn. When I went to school they wanted tons of special sports kit - netball and tennis skirts and rugby shirts and hockey socks - that all had to be embroidered with initials in chain stitch and I never wore any of it - most of us just wore a t shirt and tracksuit bottoms.
Meanwhile DS current school asks for six of everything and at least half of that never gets worn either - he wears a pair, has a pair spare and a pair in the wash and the other three just sit there looking unworn and expensive.

The other issue is the deals the schools do with uniform suppliers - they have to ensure sufficient business will be sent their way to justify stocking everything, so some schools deliberately make it hard to buy second hand.

@25Green I would suggest the dame for these kind of questions.

Have you looked at the list on the portal? I was planning to take the list to both W&J and the Dame and asking for help as its overwhelming

@NeedingCoffee Where do we find the second hand website? Is it for parents only?

https://uniformerly.co.uk/search-listings/?c=30165&utm_term=utm_term&utm_medium=utm_medium&utm_source=utm_source&utm_content=utm_content&utm_campaign=utm_name

This is the second hand uniform page - open to anyone.

The honestly need far less than most schools in my experience. Two tailcoat sets, a pair of chinos, a blazer and a shirt suitable to wear open necked or with a tie. Plus winter sports kit - navy shorts, blue and navy tops, blue skin, socks.
Dont buy summer sports kit yet as inevitably they'll choose a different sport. And don't forget that your boys can and will pop down to Eton sports or their tailor any time they need anything else.

thank you, that's excellent advice!

@WhatWouldGinDo glad I am not the only one finding it overwhelming!

@NeedingCoffee thanks for tip off on the 2nd hand uniform.

The tailors are all absolutely amazing - they know exactly what you need and somehow bring out the right size in everything just by looking your child up and down. They take up sleeves, adjust waistbands and know exactly how much growing room is possible and desirable. And they name everything and deliver it to the house. Honestly, just go in, hand your son over and watch the masters at work - it's an experience in itself, and they are all so, so nice.

My son starts in September. I assume a list will appear at some point, but I don't have one yet (unless I've missed it) 😕

Go into the portal.
Click into the three lines in the top right.
Choose For Parents of New Pupils from the menu.
Click on For Parents of New Pupils Home and open the New Parent Information booklet. Towards the end there is a uniform list.
You will also want to speak to the Dame about which of the list items should be bought and which should not, if they haven’t already reached out to you.

That's very kind, thank you @TheCricketers I think I'm going to try to get as much as possible second hand. I'm really reluctant to buy anything until common entrance results are out as I still can't quite bring myself to commit to the idea that he'll get in but I suppose if I want second hand I need to get busy!

You'll have a meeting with your dame sometime before the summer to discuss all this and get your laundry number, so for casual/formal change and for the rest you can just get black socks and pants from the supermarket and label it all up. The only thing you need from the tailors is the actual tails and you should only ever need 2 sets through the 5 years as they are so good at letting them out as boys grow. Lots of dames and the tailors do second hand as well as the uniformly site linked above.

Just hope they don't get into Pop or become a house captain as then you need to get more stuff just for B block that only gets worn for a year!

This is slightly off topic, but what sort of touch points do the boys (and parents) have with their houses between end Year 7 and starting in Year 9? Or is it very house dependent?

But they don’t offer places to boys who aren’t going to pass CE at the required level! (It’s vanishingly rare for that to happen.)

Taking them to the tailors to be measured for the first time is a lovely event. We took masses of photos and iirc FaceTimed a grandparent at home so they could be part of the day. Once they’re at school boys take themselves to the tailors whenever the need arises. (And maybe phone / text you to let you know what you’ll be paying for.)

What I always find intriguing is that MN as a whole is certain that being made to wear a ‘funny’, aka strange and unfamiliar uniform must be a huge and mortifying burden. But in my experience boys who want to go to the school actively enjoy their uniform.

Very house dependent - some houses will invite G block to St Andrew's Day/house concerts, others will only invite to the new boys tea in the summer of their year 8 before they start. Every G block boy and family should have a meeting with their dame in May/June to review uniform, medical stuff, etc.

Once they’re at school boys take themselves to the tailors whenever the need arises.

This is what I worry about.

What I always find intriguing is that MN as a whole is certain that being made to wear a ‘funny’, aka strange and unfamiliar uniform must be a huge and mortifying burden.

For some reason some posters on MN love having a go at Eton. The usual thing is ‘I wouldn’t want to send my son to a school where Boris Johnson and David Cameron went to”.
Which, given the number of Etonians since 1440, seems a bit daft.
Yes, the uniform is another thing that they like to criticise.

Exactly my thoughts when I read this 🤦‍♀️

I wouldn’t worry too much! Most boys aren’t stupid and will know the depth of your pockets. If you own half a country they may not bother to inform you, perhaps. If, on the other hand, your little darling is the recipient of a substantial bursary, any boy-generated uniform ordering will probably involve long conversations with a parent first.

You will probably receive information from
the Dame in a couple of months. I was told they leave it as late as possible to let the boys do their growing. I was surprised how late! Think we booked a fitting at Welsh & Jeffries in late July for a September start.

My ds had a brilliant time at Eton. They get se sigle about ordering and altering things. We have great memories of the school. Enjoy it! Also, I have stacks of uniform if anyone is interested in buying it from me!

The sport kit advice is spot on.Just wait. Your son will decide which sports he intends to do each 'Half'. No point buying cricket clobber if he prefers the rowing or other water sport options in summer.

Sorry, that should say - the boys get sensible about ordering and altering things at the tailor’s.