Blazers - someone reassure me

[pointythings]

So the school DD is going to next year has developed a severe case of Gove's Disease and is introducing a new uniform, including a blazer, which must be worn in all lessons unless it is really hot (am going to teach DD the fine art of fainting just in case).

The school tells me the new uniform will be practical and affordable.

Could someone tell me whether there is such a thing as

• A school blazer from a school sole supplier that costs roughly the same as a sweatshirt
• A school blazer which does not need dry cleaning

And someone please tell me that my DD is not going to lose her mandatory clip-on tie every week and that it's all going to work out just as sensible as the previous affordable and practical uniform?

One thing I do like - pupils will be expected to wear a plain white shirt (no logos) so I can buy DD nice cotton ones.

I will not, however, be ironing them.

Couldn't you buy a small car for £34 in 1973?

Maybe not, but it's the equivalent of £330 today according to online cost-of-living indices, which is on the pricey side for a blazer.

Herd
does not surprise me at all.
Jeans cost £20 a pair in the late 1970's
Cheap clothes are a modern - and deeply unsustainable - invention.
I never had a new blazer.
Always bought third or fourth hand through the school uniform sales.
They lasted for years and years and years

I remember a wooly blazer in first year - was good for pockets (hymn book, homework diary, couple of pens etc) We also had to have a purse on a string under our jumpers. After about 2 terms reverted to jumper and school scarf!

There was a uniform revamp as we hit GCSE, so in sixth form we had a washable navy blazer; then those awarded colours for sports/music/drama etc had to have a new one in bottle green or maroon. Prefects were stung for a hideous pale blue garment!!

As long as it's washable and plain they may even get more wear out of it - I definately wore my navy one with a different skirt and blouse for interviews for a few years after school (poor student for a good while) For that reason alone I'd steer clear of wonderweb. Tack any badges on with thread.

Our DS school blazer cost £30 fortunately it is machine washable and dries over night. Therefore it did pass the milkshake test ie. One whole bottle down the front of it on day one.
Jumpers with the logo were £28 each and it's a good job I bought 2.
Trousers were from M&S and so were the shirts. I bought 2 packs of 3 and the do not need ironing. I am will to pay a bit more not to iron school shirts.
Tie was £6 I think.

Blazers - yes DD's school also introduced them this year. £40 and nasty polyester, but at least it is washable and so far seems to wash OK. At her school they don't need to wear then in class, but do moving between classes .
As far as ties are concerned, I prefer the clip ons. DD's one is a "proper" tie and worn halfway down the shirt - not a good look IMO. If they are going to lose ties, they will whether clip on or traditional.

Yes Talkinpeace - I guess Thornden doesn't need the potential discipline effect of blazer'n'tie, maybe because the vast majority of parents are supportive and well 'on side', and thus unlikely to be saying stuff like: (Q):'The school is the only secondary serving a wide area, so they can do what they damn well please. However, from my POV they are already on notice before DD has even started, and I will move her if they put a foot wrong.'.

You are unlikely to find any direct, unequivocal 'research' stating that 'blazers and ties improve discipline' as they come as a package, usually as a 'visual' reinforcing the fact that 'We, the (newly reorganised or formed?) school is a cohesive whole, these are our pupils. We have high standards, and our uniform is a visual reminder that our pupils belong to this establishment in which we wish them to feel pride'.

Machine washable and £30 here. Jumpers arn't mandatory though DD only wears hers (cardy) in winter. On the plus side though she doesn't need an outside school coat, she just scarfs and gloves up and wears a tshirt underneath in extreme cold. Blazer is cheaper than coat.

Our children's blazers are wool and dry clean only, they thankfully have looked after them so they are cleaned termly.

My son never wears his jumper, ever!! And in extreme cases of heat, they are allowed to take their blazers off in class.
He is also allowed a. White cotton shirt, long or short sleeved, which I get non iron from m&s.

I am extremely jealous at your prices, ours our £97! and that will increase through the school years. (though this is private school)

Mine survived five years of daily abuse when I was a kid (ok so in year 7 it had sleeves down to my ankles sewn up inside). Think mum had bought the more expensive version of the two available (the wool v polycotton debate - I don't know my textiles though) and it got chucked in for dry cleaning whenever someone actually got the motivation up to take the dry clean only mountain in... so probably annually.