F&F School uniform feedback thread - £250 Tesco voucher prize draw! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This thread is for the 100 MNers who have been trying out the F&F school uniform range.

Here's what they say about the range: "Every year we work tirelessly to improve on our schoolwear range, to ensure you get even better value for money and higher quality compared to the previous year. To enable us to do this we rely heavily on the feedback from all of you - the mums! This year, we have some new key features that we’re really excited to share with you and look forward to hearing your thoughts”

Below are a couple of questions for you to answer, but please also feel free to add any other comments you may also have.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Everyone who leaves their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £250 Tesco voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ

Picked up the uniform yesterday . It all looked good apart from one of the scuff resistant shoes looked a bit shabbily made as you could see the glue between the shoe and the sole.
Will post at the end if the week when they have been worn for a few days.

1. I ordered:

10 x girls white polo tops 2 x grey stain resistant pinafores 2 x scuff resistant girls shoes Pack of 5 white frilly ankle socks 1 x blue checked summer dress

I spent £50 exactly and would say this is great value for money!

1. I really like the stain resistant pinafores, they are a nice cut and fit well. They look cute and feel high quality. Couldn't fault them!

I ordered 2 pairs of the scuff resistant shoes to give my daughter a choice. I'm actually quite surprised by the quality of these! They feel solid and sturdy, not flimsy. I actually think they might last! My daughter tells me they are comfy too. Would definitely recommend.

1. I would say the overall quality of the uniforms exceeded my expectations. It feels and looks of a high quality. The only negative is that the polo tops are a little short in the body (but my daughter is quite tall). Other than that I'm very happy.

1. The polo tops could be slightly longer in the body. And more choice of shoes would be nice, in particular a t-bar style girls shoe. Also pockets in the pinafores would be helpful.

1. I didn't use click and collect this time as my local tesco store wasn't listed in the options as somewhere to collect from. It was delivered to my home free of charge as I spent £50 or over. However, I have used click and collect before and have been very happy with it.

1. I would definitely recommend tesco school uniform to friends. The value for money is amazing!

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

I bought:
F&F Permanent Pleat School Pinafore x2
F&F School 5 Pack of Girls Polo Shirts with As New Technology x2
F&F Girls Bootleg School Trousers x2
F&F Pleated School Culottes
F&F Coated Leather Flower School Shoes
F&F School Permanent Pleat School Skirt
F&F School Girls Ribbed Waist Joggers with As New Technology
F&F School Girls Zip-Through Hoodie with As New Technology
F&F 7 Pack of Pastel Bow Briefs

I spent £52
Fantastic value for money.

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

The shoes are lovely, have a sturdy sole and feel good quality. The pinafores feel quite starchy due to the Teflon but look very smart and easy to care for.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

I wasn't sure what to expect but was very impressed with the quality, especially for the low cost. It all seems well made and like it will last. Also the sizing in really good.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

I was unable to find any grey girls tights anywhere on the website, which was a shame.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

I used Click + Collect just as I do fairly frequently, always works well for me.

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes I definitely would and will also be buying from you again rather than my usual shops.

Thank you.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

I spent £50 exactly and I got:
6 yellow polo shirts
4 pairs of trousers
1 pair of scuff resistant shoes
1 pair of plimsoles
1 jumper
1 sweatshirt
1 pair of joggers
Pack of socks

I think this was brilliant value for money, I can't believe how cheap the polo shirts are. I have been buying them from our school shop for £6 each and these are such a bargain (although not quite the right colour but close enough!)

I'd have liked to have got shorts but they didn't have any on the website that I could see (only PE ones).

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

I usually get my DS Clarks shoes for school which are heavier and look a better fit but for the price I was impressed. My son said they are comfy and they haven't scuffed yet but I can feed back in time. I hadn't realised Tesco did school shoes and will definitely consider them when my DS grows out of the pair we received

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

Yes the quality was good, it has all washed well so far and although only worn a little bit each seem to be wearing fine. I like that the trousers have the adjustable waists and the joggers and sweatshirt feel lovely and snuggly on the insides too.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

No, I can't think of anything.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

Yes I did, it is my usual way of delivery when I order from Tesco. One item did get missed off my order (plimsoles) and i'll collect them this weekend as i've just had the email to say they are ready to collect.

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes I would and have been, although it seems quite a lot of people already that I have spoken too already get stuff from there.

crazykat I too find that loads of polo shirts shrink in time. I have completely stopped tumble drying them, even on a low heat, and that helps. The only brand I ave found that doesn't shrink at all is Trutex for polo shirts but they are pricey compared to anywhere else. Good quality though, and don't need any ironing to look pristine in the collar especially.

I like Trutex ones too as they hold their gold colour and shape..but they are not 100% cotton (mine anyway!)

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

I thought I would seize the opportunity to get as much as possible that my 2 daughters would need to return to school in September, so I spent way over the voucher value. However I am now almost completely ready! I bought:

1 pair Coated Leather Scuff Resistant Pleat Front Pumps
4 Buy One Give One Pique Polo Shirts with As New Technology
2 pairs Girls Grosgrain Bow Longer Length Trousers
1 Wrap Skirt
1 Flared Belted School Skirt
2 x 3 Pack of Supersoft Tights (different sizes/colours)
1 x Girls Ribbed Waist Joggers with As New Technology
1 x Girls Zip-Through Hoodie with As New Technology
2 Pack of Girls Cycling Shorts with As New Technology
2 Pack of Unisex T-Shirts with As New Technology
1 x Polka Dot Rucksack
1 x Girls Star Fob School Trousers

Spent a total of £104.50.

However 1 pack of the polo shirts was not available so I only received 2 and was refunded the appropriate amount.

I think this was mostly good value though the Rucksack seemed a bit overpriced at £14. My daughter liked it, though, and it saves me trailing round the shops looking for one in August so I bought it anyway.

I loved the principle of the 'Buy One Give One' uniform where Tesco donate an item of school uniform to a child in Kenya, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh for each one bought. They're not even any more expensive than the other items! However I do see from the website that some purchasers have said they shrink substantially in the wash. I'll come back to this review when I've washed them and let you know.

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

The pinafore was not available in my younger daughter's size so we did not buy that. My teenager wouldn't even consider wearing one. The scuff resistant shoes look really good and sturdy, though she hasn't worn them to school yet.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

Most items seem very good. I am very hopeful that the 'As New Technology' which claims to reduce bobbling and colour fade will prove to be an improvement. Polo shirts in particular can look rather grubby and unpleasant after a few times in the wash, though only time will tell. I will have to add to this thread later once worn and washed for a while.
The tights are good and thick, as already stated the shoes seem very sturdy, the sports kit is great. The only items I am unsure about are the trousers - the fabric is fairly lightweight and I think will need a pair of tights worn under them in winter. They're great for spring/autumn though. Both my girls prefer to wear trousers rather than skirts.

The other problem I have is with the fit. I have two tall, slim daughters. I have bought age 11-12 skirts for the 9 year old and they are still not the length I expect them to be to allow growing room during the year, and meanwhile they are very bunched in with the elasticated adjustments at the waistband pulled in. Okay, she is unusual being on the 98th percentile for height, but if we were given actual length measurements on the website this would help me assess what size to buy. I have the same problem with the trousers - I bought age 14-15 trousers for my only-just-13-year-old and they're still about an inch too short. They are also massive on her bum and waist, though adjustable with the elastic. She didn't have any school trousers before, only skirts, and she begged to be able to wear them this week so we'll be keeping them but otherwise I would have sent them back. I think I will be sending the skirts back and finding some longer ones. I think skirts should start off just above the knee in September, and I don't like them being 2-3 inches above the knee when I want them to last the whole year.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

There was only one style of knee-length white socks - the sort with lots of holes in - and I didn't want those. More styles of long socks please!

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

No. With free delivery to my house (for orders over £50) why would I? I haven't got time to add yet another errand/job on my to-do list. And I didn't even try, but I suspect that I wouldn't be able to collect from my local Tesco Express, or even the nearest Tesco supermarket (fairly small) which is 4 miles away, but would probably have to travel 12-16 miles for collection.

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

This is partly going to depend on how well these items wear and wash, which will take a while to discover, but potentially yes.

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

The pinafore has been washed and looks fine, no stains left on it but DD decided not to paint this week so I can't vouch for that. However mud and food stains and unidentified white stains (glue?) all gone.
The scuff resistant shoes still look really good and have been submitted to a week of outdoor play; climbing, running and playing in the sand mud pit! Nothing that a wipe can't fix. They seem comfortable as DD has had no blisters.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?
Thought it was brilliant value for money. I bought 2 pairs of boys shoes (2 different types), vests, polo shirts, shirts, hoodie, sports shorts. I spent 50 exactly

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?
I was disappointed with one pair of shoes, but only because they were a bit too `sporty' to pass as school shoes. DS thought they looked like football boots. The other pair were great - doing well so far. I was a bit concerned they wouldn't be wide enough (DS has wide feet), but he's not complained so far, and I do keep asking him.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?
Polo shirts are great too, as good a quality as any more expensive ones and as they're white, they won't last more than a term. They'll definitely be indelibly (sp?) stained before they fall apart.
Ditto re sports shorts, DS is happy to wear them as football shorts after school too, so have finally realized why sports shorts always come in packs of two! Both polo shirts and shorts have washed fine so far too. My expectations were definitely met, although I would be happier if all the school shoes were leather.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?
I really wanted to buy shorts, but couldn't find them at all on the website.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?
Yes, Click + Collect was perfect for me. I use it regularly.

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Absolutely would recommend. Prices are lower than M&S (good quality but expensive) and quality is better than, say, Matalan, where I bought DS's previous polo shirts. I'd need to give the shoes another couple of weeks before committing to recommending those, but so far so good!

Back to leave feedback on the shoes now they've been worn for a few days. (i left feedback for other questions previously).

so far they are doing well. I'm pleased with the quality and fit. Comfort wise they seem good and so far so good re: Scuffing. To be honest, I usually expect shoes to get scuffed anyway so it is not a huge incentive for me to buy scuff-resistant shoes, but it does help reduce the amount of cleaning and polishing shoes as they are scuff resistant so that's a bonus.

Assuming they carry on performing well - I'd definitely consider getting these again in future and for my other son too as Clarks shoes are just getting too expensive these days.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?
x3 pairs of scuff resistant shoes plus one pair of pants £53

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

On first impressions they look fine. The children say they are comfy and have worn for a couple of days. So far too early to vouch for their durability.
Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?
Yes

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?
Offer half sizes for shoes especially in shoes.
Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?
No

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
So far yes.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

I spent £52. It didn't feel like terrific value to me - yes I got plenty items, but none of the ones I actually wanted! There was very little in stock for my daughter's size in the required colours. I bought 2 pinafores, 2 pairs of trousers, one jacket, one navy scalloped cardigan, pair of plimsoles, vests and socks. There were no stain resistant pinafores left at all to buy, nor any suitable shoes in my daughters size.

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

I couldn't buy either! There were no stain resistant pinafores at all that I could see. I didn't buy the scuff resistant shoes as my daughter has joint problems and needs a specific shape of shoe to support her ankle. The only suitable looking shoe was out of stock in her dinky little size! However, I did purchase two pairs of trousers that are advertised as teflon so I assume they are the stain resistant version. I don't like the feel of the material - it's quite stiff and itchy feeling, but time will tell what washing does.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

It's hard to comment right now on the quality of the uniforms - perhaps the thread could be left open till later in the year to see how washing/wearing/spilling dinner/falling over affects the uniform.

The cardigan I ordered was very thin indeed - I'd prefer a thicker option. There are also no pockets on the cardi - where are snotty children meant to keep their tissues??

The broderie socks I ordered looked quite cheap - they were also dirty and dusty looking, which puts me off a little. This is not a reflection of the sock itself though, perhaps more the warehouse/storage/packing.
The trousers are absolutely enormous. I ordered my girl's usual size, but the sheer amount of fabric when the adjustable waist is drawn in is unreal. It makes my daughter look swamped and like she's wearing a nappy - not a good look at all!

However, I ordered the same age in the belted pinafore and it's verging on a little short I think. My girl is the smallest in her class, I'd hate to see some taller 6/7 year old girls wear this item as it is a touch to short in the skirt. The bodice is fine though.
The vests ordered look a good size - but then I ordered a size up as they always shrink over the year! I'll be interested to see how they fair compared to my usual M&S vests, which have been appalling this time.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

Try a slim fit range for those of us with skinny minnies! The clothes, particularly the trousers are ridiculously wide and must be so uncomfortable. I normally buy NEXT/M&S slim fit items, and at the moment I wouldn't buy from Tesco's as they just don't fit as well. Introduce a slim range, and you would corner the market as NEXT/M&S are expensive!

Pockets on the clothes - girls need pockets too you know!

Better range available on the website - I struggled to buy enough to take part in the test as there was simply not enough choice in the smaller sizes. It drove me batty on the ipad too, I had to switch to the laptop to order as it was jumping about all over the place. However, even on the laptop it was impossible to buy grey tights as the little colour squares had no name when I hovered the mouse over them (and then when I clicked a colour to see what it was, the little colour squares all jumped about so I had no idea which ones I had clicked). Had I been ordering as a "real" customer, I would have gone elsewhere due to the combination of a jumpy, irritating web page and lack of stock.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

yes, I used click and collect. It's handy as the store I can receive at is somewhere I am very frequently (thanks ballet class, tap class, hiphop class, swimming lessons...............)

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not sure at the moment. I can't comment on the longevity of the uniform as I've simply not had it long enough to wash over and over, iron repeatedly etc.

The trousers are so unsuitable for my daughter that it puts me off buying uniform from tesco. I could see me still buying from M&S at the moment, and perhaps grabbing top up items with my grocery shop through the year, but certainly not doing my "big" uniform shop as I like to get well fitting items, and get it all at once so I don't waste time over the holidays dotting here and there looking for specific things, or changing what doesn't fit.
If you could sort out a slim range and have much more availability, then I would more than likely order and recommend.

UPDATE my so. Came home yesterday with his trousers covered in clay and white polo in paint. Washed both today and it'll all come out and looking like new again.

My son has come home with grass stains all over his trousers and white shirt, so I will pot again when I have washed them and let you know how I got on- why do they have to play football at break!

Anybody else had loads (10+) emails from Tesco F&F this week?

Well- dd2 got red paint on her polo shirt- I will be back to report as to whether it washes 'good as new' or if I have to get the bleach out

The latest of which was to complete a Tesco survey relating to the items I have just purchased. Thought these things (like our email addresses) were supposed to be kept between us and MN?

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?
I bought 8 polo shirts, 4 pairs of trousers and a pair of scuff resistant school shoes, which came to £50. Yes, I think it's very good value to money, especially the shoes.

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?
I thought the scuff resistant shoes are great. Very cheap and they're good quality, same as Clarks. DD hasn't scuffed them yet. I didn't buy the pinafore as neither dd will wear dresses.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?
I thought the shoes were very good quality, and the trousers were nice, but TBH not as good quality as the Asda ones I normally buy. I didn't like the polo shirts at all though. They were very thin and see through. It wasn't too bad on dd1 who's 11 as she wears crop tops anyway. But I had to put a vest on dd2 underneath the polo shirt as you could see her nipples through the polo shirt. It wasn't very comfortable for her in this weather as she was too hot. She refused to wear another one of the polo shirts the next day and wore her old one.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year? Yes, make the girls polo shirts a bit thicker and less see through. After seeing how see through they were I went to Tesco's yesterday and checked out the boy's polo shirts, which aren't see through in the slightest. I don't why the thickness is different but if Asda can make girl's polo shirts for the same price and they're not see through then Tesco should be able to, too.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery? Yes I did, and yes I would use it again (and have used it several times in the past). It is my preferred method of delivery, I have several Tesco's that are convenient for me to pick up from.

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would definitely recommend the school shoes, I think they're brilliant. I wouldn't recommend the trousers (girls) or polo shirts though. I think they're both too thin and the quality isn't very good. Even though they're cheap other shops manage to get the quality in there for the cheap price. I've bought trousers and polo shirts from Asda, M&S and Next in the past and all of them have been good quality and lasted all year. I can't comment on the rest of the uniform range as I haven't tried it.

I have now picked up the clothing so am leaving feedback on the quality.

I am sorry to say that I am mot very impressed. I recognise that I am going against the grain with this though. Overall, the quality isn't what I would look for, for a variety of reasons:

Grey five pocket trousers - I only chose these (3 pairs) because I really didn't want pleat front for DS as he has a small belly, and is short for his age, so pleat front make him look tubby. The only grey trousers which were not pleat front in his size (age 7 or 8) were these ones. But they look like jeans, and are nearly black, which school will not accept. They are not school trousers imo.

White short sleeve shirts - I bought 2 x 2 packs of the non iron ones. They seem to have a coating on them, and they made DS really sweaty. They were something like 2 for £7, which is around what I have always paid in m and s, but the m and s ones are much softer.

Polo shirts - amazing price, I cant fault that at all. But the collars are already fraying and they haven't even been worn. They aren't edged in any way, hence the fraying.

5 pack of school socks in very dark grey - they don't stay up. The elastic isn't tight enough.

5 pack sports socks - these are excellent. Bright white, they stay up, excellent value.

If it helps, I have only ever bought uniform from m and s (with their 20% off) or the school shop before, so that is what I am comparing it. It might be that it would compare well against the other supermarket uniform.

No emails here - have checked both my email accounts.

Q1 Which items from the range did you buy and how much did you spend? Would you say this was good value for money or not?

I spent £50 exactly. I bought 5 x value type white polo shits, 4 x pairs of teflon coated trousers, 2 x as new technology white polo shirts, 2 x blue sweatshirts, 2 x white t-shirts for pe, 1 x riptape scuff resistant shoes

Q2 In particular, what did you think about the scuff resistant shoes and stain resistant pinafores?

Didn't buy pinafore, did buy shoes. Actually I wasn't mad on the design however DS liked them. He has worn them for 2 days now and I'm pretty impressed, apart from needing a wipe over after spending this afternoon in the park they look as new. No scuffs at all! Am impressed and such a good price.

Q3 Did the overall quality of the school uniforms match your expectations? If so, how? If not, why not?

Yes, am yet to wash the as new polo shirts so wil let you know about that later but all looks good and am impressed with the trousers.

Q4 Do you have any other feedback that could help F&F improve their schoolwear again next year?

More shoes, better choice of design in the scuff resistant ones, different width sizes would be great.

Q5 Did you use Click + Collect Delivery service? If so, would you use to again, or not? Is it your preferred method of delivery?

Yes, always use it because I'm too tight to pay for delivery and no one is home to take it anyway. Woman in shop a bit sniffy with me though, waved away my offer of giving her my order number then only brought me half my order so had to take the number off me in the end anyway!

Q5 Finally, if it came up in conversation would you recommend F&F schoolwear range to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes particularly the shoes

The only emails I have had are:

• order confirmation
• despatch confirmation
• confirmation it's ready to collect
• customer satisfaction survey asking how everything went with my order

As I recall, you had to submit your email address direct to Tesco as part of placing the order, so MNHQ weren't "in the middle" so to speak.