Independent school uniform

[Jollymollyx]

I’ve had to add the word independent just because the cost difference in that and state is huge. So I’m considering buying 2 sets of everything for winter and summer, p.e can be 1 set and naturally things like socks come in multiple packs.

I don’t want to buy things way too big as they just look uncomfortable on her.

Is 2 sets reasonable for reception? DD will wear apron for lunch and paining, onzie for messy outdoor play, through the preschool year she never came home with food and paint on her clothes... but is reception more glue and pens?

We did two sets (independent school) and it's been absolutely fine!

Posted before I had finished so realise independent school looks irrelevant but was going to say we only got one blazer and one hat as those are the big ticket items cost wise.

Laughing at this because I ended up buying 5 shirts for reception as we couldn’t make it through the week on less. But then I did have a wildly messy DD - glue, pen, paint, food all over.

Maybe get 2 to start off with and see how you go. Our online supplier is really quick, so there’s no issue with topping up mid-year if necessary.

I’ve got 2 summer and 3 winter sets now she’s in Y3 as it’s so expensive and they need all kinds of sports kit too.

Buy the minimum until after the second hand sale!

Then add what you find you need.

In 10 years of DD at independent school I have only bought 3 items new. All because the uniform had changed. Everything else from the second hand shop which is open twice a week.
In juniors I had five blouses and now in seniors we have five short sleeved and 6 long sleeved. Nearly everything I bought second hand has still been good enough to sell on again after it has been grown out of.
Senior school uniform including two skirts, two jumpers, the above mentioned shirts and all the PE kit cost me £132. We still had the same house t- shirt 10 years later.

We had five sets. She was only just four when she started reception and still quite a messy eater. Plus it's quite an outdoorsy school so there was sometimes mud from forest school sessions and outdoor learning. We got five sets but should really have got six as we didn't realise we would need to leave a whole set at school in case of accidents. Obviously only one coat, hat and so on.

Agree that finding out about the second hand uniform sales is the best plan. I bought nearly all second hand sports kit and had 2 sets of all of it- but then they did sport or PE daily in prep school.
In senior school, I helped with the second hand sale which meant you could get first pick of the items.
For shirts I bought M&S packs - as they were plain white or blue.

Check and see if anything is generic. Our local private school has switched to polo shirts until year 2 and they charge the same as state school if not slightly less, then from year 3 it's plain white shirts/blouses (rather than the custom striped ones they use to have). State school uniform costs vary a lot!

So we have 2 kids 1 on the way so I would rather buy new as all three will use for this year. Her school they wear apron for lunch and painting and onzie wetsuit for mud kitchen etc she’s just finished the preschool year and never came back with stains, the one time it was dirty they put it in the school washing machine and dryer it before I collected her. So I think 2 with a midweek wash will probably be okay then as people getting 5 tends to be with schools not wearing aprons.
When she’s older and using pens and sweating properly lol I’ll add in more. Like suggested if I need more I can always order next day delivery thank you

You definitely need at least 2 but not necessarily more. Remember some things might get lost (sometimes they turn up two months later) and little kids are experts at finding the tiny space the apron didn't cover but as long as you're prepared to do laundry some nights it'll be fine.

I'd have thought an extra shirt and cardi would pay for themselves in a couple of years, if they save a midweek wash most weeks. 3 shirts to last through 6 years of washing (assuming you can stretch them to 2 years) doesn't seem unreasonable.

Oh yes I’m getting 4 tops and two cardigans
It’s more the pinafores I mean just two of

I like to put on a thermal vest with a long sleeve in winter and find she won’t always wear the cardi

If it's school blazer, they have a 20% off sale every January, which is handy to add things to if you can't find them second hand.
Two sounds fine though! And def only one set of PE things.

We have two sets each for each kid and season.

So in summer it's two pairs of shorts, two pairs of short sleeved shorts and two pullovers. Three pairs of socks though, and one jumper and one coat. Per child.

Usually they wear set 1 Monday and a Tuesday and I was it on Wednesday. They then wear set 2 Wednesday and Thursday, and set 1 again on Friday. Both being washed again over the weekend.

If they spill or anything, this way there's always a clean set for the next day and I just re-plan the washing schedule.

I mean the socks alone are £13 a pair so I'm definitely not buying more than necessary!

Never had more than one pinafore or skirt on the go. Also 1 blazer. 2 cardigans (they get lost/ left lying around). 3 shirts/blouses (can be worn 2 days when they’re little, so a week’s worth). 1 set of PE kit (it’s massive, at least from y3, and expensive so no way was I buying more than 1 of anything).

I was a bit sniffy about secondhand too but I got over it once I saw that everyone does it, even (literally) celebrities ’ nannies at our posh west London pre-prep. I remain sniffy about my DCs re-wearing clothes without washing, so I’ve bought enough secondhand to always have an extra on hand if I’m behind in laundry or things are lost misplaced. Our school branded items last beautifully through years of use. (I am extremely picky about the condition of the secondhand things I buy so I volunteer to help with the sale to get first dibs. ). Due to club schedules there have been terms when my DCs needed to change into varying permutations of sports kit 4x/week!

I did buy each child a new blazer for reception (£95!) bc those get quite trashed, as do trousers, socks, white PE shorts, and plain shirts, so I buy multipacks of those at the M&S summer sale. But for ties, jumpers, sleeveless jumpers, and the various components of PE and games kits I do secondhand whenever possible. Also many kids don’t wear the coats, waterproofs, and caps very often so those items in particular are often in like new condition at the secondhand sale. Just bc I could afford to buy everything new doesn’t mean I dislike saving money!

Indistinct with 3 of them, I think OP is right that second hand could well be a false economy. I've made that mistake buying too much second hand for a first baby, then ending up having to replace it (and ending up buying new be side I had less time) for DC2.

On the other hand I remember my first secondary school shirts had 70s nosepicker collars in the late 80s - they must have been through the second hand uniform shop a good few times before they got to me! I was so pleased to see the back of them.

@Attache @IndistinctRadioChatter

Yes with three of them it just makes sense to eg buy a new blazer for £40 more than the ones sold in the second hand shop.

My two are the same gender too

For DD did 1 blazer, 3 cardigans (1 new 2 secondhand), I pinafore, 2 summer dresses, 5 white shirts (normal Tesco ones), 2 ties and 2 sets of PE kit (sweatshirt, polo, primark tracksuit bottoms, 1 swimming costume, 1 coat.

For DS, 4 trousers (genetic supermarket schools ones, 5 shirts (generic supermarket) 3 jumpers (plain colour supermarket) , 2 ties, 2 PE kits, 1 blazer, 1 coat.

Pinafore lasted 3 years, washed brilliantly didn’t need to go near an iron same for cardigans. DS leaves his clothes all over the place so has cheapo Tesco / Asda jumpers rather than uniform shop ones.

Seriously ask about the second hand sales. I know you think it's worth paying £40 more because you'll be able to hand on down, but there's some seriously good second hand stuff.

@crosstalk to be honest friends with older children have offered used things for free which I’ve politely declined so wouldn’t make sense to buy second hand when I can just have theirs.
The way I see it- we waste money on other things we don’t need so I can atleast buy my baby new uniform that she will be wearing every day

There are always some people who are desperate to have new of everything and for whom it's really important - often those who are first generation to independent schools and who baulk at the idea of second hand generally. Of course there's nothing wrong with buying some items new, but wanting absolutley everything brand new when the list is extensive, and in these days of environmental awareness seems a bit unnecessary.

And remember that when items are quality items, they might re-visit the thrift shop three or four times and keep being re-sold, so don't think that just because you will want to hand down to another sibling you'll need new - secondhand can often be passed down to a couple of siblings. Of course this is only the case if the uniform really is decent quality and it does vary between schools. And actually I think the thrift shop comes into its own more as you move from early years to pre-prep and prep - so once children are beyond totally wrecking their clothes with things like paint or clay. Prep uniform from age 7 onwards should certainly be very durable.

My last DC left their Prep 2 years ago and even this week I had an email to say I would be receiving a payment for items I had consigned to the thrift shop as we left - that school keeps 25% of price and seller gets 75%. These are items I largely bought second hand and which have now been bought by another family, making them at least 3rd hand....and still going strong, because they won't sell anything that looks shoddy. Lots of people fancy a new blazer or have a proud grandparent who wants to buy the blazer, but with lots of stuff like the sports kit (which inches it's been worn once and washed once and won't look any different to the items in the thrift shop) really what's the benefit of paying £35 for a tracksuit top if you can have one for £7?

Still, of course people must buy new, or there wouldn't be stuff for the second hand shops and those who are keen for all new can keep splashing out on items that the rest of us will snap up for a fraction of the price next year or the year after.

I think you will need more than two.

Mine wears aprons and outdoor onesies and still comes back covered in stuff: sand, pen, glitter, glue, mud, lunch. She's a fairly tidy child compared to my other.

I bought new stuff at first, and I've also topped up at the second hand shop for all summer uniform and sports extras, and used the School Blazer sale to buy new next size up.

I also have two girls but honestly, the second hand stuff will go through both of them.

You'll need more than two, only you can decide if you want to spend £50vs £5 on a dress, or £30vs £5 on shorts etc.

@Jollymollyx is there anything unbranded that you can buy from m&s or john Lewis? My daughter is starting at an independent school in sept and they are happy for the unbranded items to come from elsewhere.

@pinkcardi Thanks I’ll consider more sets or buy in the next sale coming up.

@Camsie30 Some things we can get from m and s / John Lewis so that helps!