Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Feeling really fed up about TROUSERS

27 replies

BettyPerske · 10/03/2012 08:00

Finding trousers to fit ds1 is impossible.

He is 8. He is Not The Right Shape for school trousers. I have tried the generous fit ones from BHS and found them HUGE on him, and all the normal size ones are too tight and won't even do up. He's not fat but he has some extra chub Smile and he's always been the same shape since he was a fully breastfed 3 month old. I keep hoping he'll stretch out but though he has phases of being slimmer, he always goes back to his default shape.

We're now down to two pairs that fit, one of which he managed to catch on a tree yesterday while climbing so now we have one. It'll be shorts weather soon and the length doesn't matter on them so I can get the next size up, but Oh trying to please his teachers has been awful and he's gone in in jersey type trousers a few times. He hates getting told off. Sad

Girls' trousers in jersey seem to be acceptable but not for boys.? I don't want him to be uncomfortable every single day because someone somewhere decided stretchy/jersey trousers are not suitable. (I'm not necessarily talking joggers - but the sort without the gathered bit at the ankle iykwim?)

What do you do?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
jamdonut · 10/03/2012 08:44

Get Tesco's school trousers,with adjustable waistbands? My son at that age,was very slim, but tall, so ordinary trousers for his age were too big at the waist. The adjustable waistband,worked a treat.

jamdonut · 10/03/2012 08:45
  • sorry that should be ordinary trousers for his height were too big at the waist Blush
DilysPrice · 10/03/2012 08:46

Older age group and take them up at the hem. Really not tricky.

Seona1973 · 10/03/2012 08:56

ds is in the plus fit school trousers from Next - they still have an adjustable waist but are a bit more generous round the waist/hips

Original poster
BettyPerske · 10/03/2012 11:12

Thankyou, sorry to go off, just had my parents round! Smile

Jam, thankyou but I have tried the adjustable waists and they just don't go big enough Sad I'm sorry you have the opposite problem though, school trousers are so unforgiving. Not all children are the same, but somehow we have to cram them into these polyester monstrosities!

Dilys, that was my first idea but after a few years of doing that and having rather unskilled looking hem lines with a good four inches of trouser tucked in, I'd rather find something that doesn't require me to sew Grin

If there were some nice cotton trousers that would pass as 'school' enough, ie not cargos, (not allowed cords...clearly cords are the uniform of the hardcore gang culture Grin) and without elasticated ankles, we would give those a try.

Seona, many thanks, I did notice Next do a generous fit the other week but I went in the shop and they didn't have any uniform. They said you have to order it on line so I might bite the bullet, it's a bit annoying not being able to try them on him but I suppose I can order a couple of different sizes.

Thankyou very much for all the suggestions.

OP posts:
Sunscorch · 10/03/2012 11:28

If you have a dry cleaners near you, they will probably do the hems for a couple of quid.
Saves you the hassle.

Nagoo · 10/03/2012 11:34

wonderweb for the hems?

I don't want to get flamed here, but I'd really try to put the boy in 'uniform' trousers. I would hate to see him stand out because of his 'extra chub' emphasised by the 'wrong' trousers, in comparison with all the other children.

Seona1973 · 10/03/2012 11:45

Ds is 5.5 years and the plus fit age 6 Next school trousers fit him. I tried the size 7 and they were far too big and long. I had to order them online as the stores don't seem to stock them.

Original poster
BettyPerske · 10/03/2012 16:58

Brilliant, Seona - thankyou Smile

Sunscorch, that's a really good idea too.

Nagoo - I won't flame you for saying that, it's considerate and sensible.
it's Ok - there are a lot of kids who wear random kinds of trousers, or shorts, different fabrics etc. Most of them are skinnier than ds, but I don't think he is worried by carrying a little more weight than them, not yet anyway.

I won't put him in anything that stands out a lot Smile
Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 10/03/2012 17:25

ds has these and these

Original poster
BettyPerske · 10/03/2012 19:48

Aha! Thankyou very much, those are the ones I settled on in the end - there were so many different styles. But they look the most 'casual' iykwim, in a tidy, proper sort of way.
So he will like them best Smile

Thanks again.

OP posts:
blackeyedsusan · 10/03/2012 20:08

I refused to send ds to school in uniform trousers as they do not make them in 18-24 month size and taking up the age 3-4 size 4-5 inches would not help the waist band problem. it wworked for dd as she was a little wider in the beam. he has finally grown into the age 2 trrousers, though they are a little long. there are a couple of litle girls who wear pinafores that are half way down their calves.

Original poster
BettyPerske · 10/03/2012 20:59

Oh, bless! my ds2 is 4 and a half, and a right skinny little wisp, and he's currently in age 2-3 trousies Smile

Plenty of choice in those for him, managed to get lovely plain cotton ones, I feel so sorry for ds1.

OP posts:
Frikadellen · 11/03/2012 22:23

we buy the 2 years over his age and then get the dry cleaner to hem them up.

I find M&S works the best for this only need 1 year above his age there.

Next ones for my ds were to tight.

CardyMow · 11/03/2012 23:39

And just WHO exactly ARE the BHS generous fit ones made for? I bought some for my DS1, and I could have done up the age 10's. And I'm a well built size 14 in adults clothes!

I need to buy DS1 some more too - he has managed to split two pairs in the crutch while playing in goal at lunchtime last week, but they have been sewn up so many times that there isn't anything left to sew them up to.

I found the Next ones were too big round the waist for him too though. I need to know where I can get some where the waist size is bigger than BHS standard, but smaller than the Next generous fit...

maryanne1 · 15/05/2016 10:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Uniformally · 13/04/2017 15:34

Independent schoolwear shops should have what you need. Look for Sturdy fit trousers. I sell Zeco brand in my shop, they have wider waists, so fit those boys whose parents usually have to buy older ages and cut the legs down.

Uniformally · 13/04/2017 16:03

For those saying they cannot find trousers small enough Zeco go down to age 1-2

Michaelahpurple · 15/04/2017 09:45

For longer term cheer, my DS1 always had to have odd sizes and cut off hems - his buttocks and thighs didn't work. After summer year 5 he stayed in shorts all year which worked better

Anyway, he is now 14, and 5 ft 9 and wears men's size 30 trousers and looks fabulous. It appears men are allowed to have buttocks. Even has the glimmer of a six pack.

Of course, his skinny little brother wears 2 sizes below his age so will never grow into the old uniform pile in time to wear it. Hey ho.

Michaelahpurple · 15/04/2017 09:47

And I found Davd Luke trousers and shorts to be well cut and flexible for larger children. Or experiment on the sturdy kids website - we never had to that far but it is an option. The only source I ever found for size 9-11 knee high fold-over grey prep school socks. Presumably generally bought for school disco parties !

IvyLeagueUnderTheSea · 15/04/2017 09:49

I'm sure this will all help someone asking 5 years ago.
Their dc isn't even in primary school any more. Didn't the mention of BHS make you realise?

catkind · 15/04/2017 11:56

Can I put in a word for John Lewis cotton school trousers? We found them much more generously adjustable than M&S. They seem a bit more normal trouser shaped and less "schooly" too. DS is usually in his age with massive turn-up, in JL he can wear size down unadjusted.

(Though he's not sturdy built at all, rather skinny - but has short little legs which seems to have the same effect.)

catkind · 15/04/2017 11:56

Doh, missed it was a zombie!

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 15/04/2017 12:00

All the supermarkets do plus fit, order online and get them delivered, they're not always in store

MiaowTheCat · 17/04/2017 08:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Swipe left for the next trending thread