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Original poster

School Shirts- Am I being stingy

17 replies

julienetmum · 23/03/2006 13:59

We were talking about buying school uniform earlier and whether to buy good quality stuff that can be passed down or cheap stuff that will only last a couple of terms for one child.

The general consensus was to buy cheap and often. I said I was planning on buying M & S trousers for ds as a friend had said they lasted twice as long as Asda.

I also mentioned that I had been thinking about buying dd shirts that fastened the boys way so they could then be passed down to ds. People were amazed I was thinking of doing this. They said they would be all dingy and grey by the time he wore them anyway and I should just buy new.

There is no difference in the style of the shirts other than the buttons, dd is only 4, she won't know the difference surely and you will hardly see them under her pinafore anyway?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/03/2006 14:01

They'll have permanent marker pen on them too if DSs polo shirts are anything to go by.

iota · 23/03/2006 14:02

Are you talking about polo shirts -- they do go grey and dingy, and they are very cheap to buy. I keo teh old ones as emergeny spares, but I will definitely buy ds2 some new ones as well

iota · 23/03/2006 14:03

and IME M&S trousers same price as Tesco, BHS,
Mothercare etc

frogs · 23/03/2006 14:04

Sounds perfectly okay to me. Nicking shirts out of the lost property box is stingy, making the kids wear unisex cast-offs, handmedowns or clothes from Oxfam is just good use of resources. The girls vs. boys shirt styling is just a ploy by the manufacturers to make you spend more money, and should be resisted at all costs.

Boys' trousers on girls are not generally considered okay, sadly, unless you have a tomboyish type like my dd1.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/03/2006 14:05

hm. If like me you are fussy in the extreme about washing your whites then they stay white for years. never had a grey garment in this house yet. As for the buttons I have never really thought about it and no, NO_ONE would notice. I don;t even know which way is which. I have bought most of dd's stuff from BHS - and it has all been great. Cheaper than M&S - possibly a wee bit more expensive than Asda, not sure, and lasts fine. Dd2 wears DD1's dress and it's perfectly ok.

LIZS · 23/03/2006 14:05

We bought ds 6 proper school shirts last September and all have grubby cuffs (in need of a soak in glowhite when I can be bothered) so wouldn't expect them to last more than one child tbh. They really don't cost that much but the M and S ones require less effort than the cheaper Ladybird (Woolies) ones.. I'd consider doing what you suggest if they were polo shirts though - dd wears one of ds' old Gap ones on swimming day with her tracksuit.

Gillian76 · 23/03/2006 14:08

I honestly don't think there's a great deal of difference in the price and my DDs M&S shirts have lasted much better than the ones I bought from Woolworths.

DD2 will be wearing them next year and if possible DS 2 years after that.

Perfectly sensible IMO :)

stinky · 23/03/2006 14:08

Asda trousers far superior to M&S also they have zip fly whereas M&S are pull-ups. M&S polo shirts, however, are much better than Asda's IMO.

iota · 23/03/2006 14:09

OK thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat , I'll bite

waht do you do to your whites to keep them pristine?

WigWamBam · 23/03/2006 14:09

One thing that would put me off this is teaching her to do the buttons up - it may be confusing for her to have to learn two ways, shirt buttons are fiddly enough to learn to do up at the best of times.

Original poster
julienetmum · 23/03/2006 14:10

I'm talking proper shirts, girls wear them under a pinafore with a tie and boys wear them with trousers and a tie. The often have a v neck jumper over the top too.

The style of the boys and girls is the same, only in the seniors do girls wear a different blouse (and then only as part of summer uniform).

I find a bit of vanish, glo-white or in extreme cases bleach works wonders.

OP posts:
Gillian76 · 23/03/2006 14:10

\link{http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=7745&Product_Id=1344275\M&S shirts}. Can't get much cheaper than that, really.

iota · 23/03/2006 14:12

I think a 4 yr old might struggle with proper shirt buttons

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/03/2006 14:13

hmm I was feeling a bit subdued, as I have to confess I haven;t had to do white polo shirts, other than her gym shirt which hardly ever gets worn. But I wash everything at 95 and never put anything in other than white.

Original poster
julienetmum · 23/03/2006 14:13

I agree iota but it's up to the teacher/assistant to deal with the aftermath of PE as the school are the ones that set the uniform.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/03/2006 14:15

"Nicking shirts out of the lost property box is stingy"

Snigger. I stole a sweatshirt out of the box last weeks. DS2 lost one of his named ones and I claimed an unnamed one after 2 weeks of searching. When I get chance to buy him a new one, I'll put it back :o

jura · 23/03/2006 14:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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