Which would you buy: a cheap school uniform that you don't mind getting trashed, or a pricier one that will last longer?

[SpeedyGonzalez]

I'm a school newbie: can you tell?

Is it generally better to get school uniforms from the specialist shops/ M&S, or to just go to supermarkets? On the whole I usually buy DS good quality clothes on the cheap - ie in sales, so I'm inclined to want good quality for his uniform. I'm also assuming that DS will grow a few inches between 5 and 6, which may influence my decision.

I was fed up with ds1 losing his school uniform, after 4 jumpers in year 3, a coat, an entire uniform and a whole host of other items I decided for yr4 & ds2 starting reception to just get the cheap ones from Asda. They are truly awful. I would still get trousers from the supermarkets but shirts I will get from a proper uniform shop and next year I will be getting the proper logoed school jumpers as they are much better quality, don't go out of shape and seem to last much better (as long as they don't go missing). I would definitely stay away from supermarket shirts and jumpers, awful!

Shoes I get from the Clarks outlet store, they last really well and are the same price as supermarket cheapies. I found the supermarket ones although were only less than a tenner lasted for just a few weeks so would be better off spending money on a decent pair anyway. If you've got a Clarks outlet near you give that a go, but be warned the queue will be out the door and 100yards past the other shops ifyou leave it until the last week of school holidays.

This has just reminded me to go and buy all the uniform. I'm using M & S this year and we'll see how that goes. We're meant to use a traditional school outfitters ( and this is for a state primary) which costs a fortune but think we can get away with M&S for some of it.

several cheap ones because they will get trashed/ be grown out whether they are expensive or cheap

Cheap one.

Even a good quality one will be ruined if it gets ink/paint spilt on it, and no matter how good the quality it won't stretch when your child grows

I started off buying sweatshirts with the logo on at 14 a pop and poloshirts at a tenner each! But gave that up as a bad job. Save the pennies for secondary school when they need a million different garments with bloody badges all over them .

BTW re shoes - try Timberland if you have an outlet. Brilliant for kids as they are tough. I've bought all mine from there for a few years now.

I bought trutex polo shirts at a fiver each and don't regret it as they look good as new after a year and will do for at least the start of next year, and then for his little brother. I got the rest mostly from M&S - pretty cheap stuff like 3.50 trousers, but shorts from John Lewis and they have lasted better.

I buy M&S. DS2 is wearing M&S trousers that are on their 3rd school year(hand me downs) they are looking very shabby now but only one pair out of 5 has a small hole.

For polo shirts, I prefer Tesco to M&S which tend to come up very small.

If school don't mind, sainsbury's cheap girls blouses are much better than cheap polo shirts, they actually stay white and seem to stain much less easily.
Generally cheap and expensive uniform isn't a great deal different except for the odd thing which feels thin to start with.

Thanks loads for all your input! I shall probably do a combination of cheap and quality stuff, like some posters on here.

Might be a bit controversial here but put your DS in shorts - thats what I do now for almost all of the school year apart from say the half terms before and after Christmas. OK, his knees are constantly grazed but I'm not replacing trousers every two weeks . I do think I have a particularly active boy who is pretty accident prone (I have at least one letter a week saying he's hurt himself at lunchtime or playtime) but he went through 4 pairs of trousers before Christmas in Reception!

If you're buying trousers, I've found that M&S and Next are the longest lasting.

My DC have to wear polo shirts - I bought 2 school branded polo shirts at the start of reception and 2 years later, they're just coming to the end of their shelf life - only through being stained with felt tip etc now. They have held their shape and washed better than any of the supermarket brands / M&S / Next. I've also bought John Lewis polo shirts as they're not 100% cotton (which seems to be the answer for not shrinking) and they've been great. Best to have a mixture I think (so you can send them in the cheap stuff on the days they have PE 'cos it always seems to get lost!)

Shoes - if your son is anything like mine, you will be in tears when you see the state of his £30+ school shoes on Day 2 or 3. Clarks do tend to polish up quite well and the fit is better than supermarket brands (on the whole) but you might need to prepare yourself for seeing him in a less-than-desirable state of dress where shoes are concerned unless you want to replace them every month!

Mandy

My ds loves wearing shorts to school but unfortunatly we live in scotland and it rains from when the schools start in august until the snow starts in november, the shorts i bought him for starting school last year he wore once!

Mandy - I bought him shorts & trousers - all from M&S! Great minds!

I buy M and S's cheapest stuff. i have bought their most expensive uniform ranges and their cheapest and my foster son manages to wreck both in a matter of days so have now decided to buy cheap and replace regularly.

I have 2 boys and have tried all brands, best by far is Next IMO, and for shoes, can't beat Ricosta - they will take a year's worth of bashing and football.