The elusive boys cardigan....

[thatgirlsevil]

Did I miss a memo or something? Since when did the simple boys cardigan fall so far out of fashion that I cannot track one down ANYWHERE?

I've managed to cobble together DS's first uniform on a reasonably tight budget but I can't for the life of me find a blue cardigan suitable for a 4-5 year old anywhere?

I thought a cardigan would be best as he can open/close/remove the garment with greater ease and cardies look infinitely smarter (and cuter) than a fleece or sweatshirt.

I also find it more practical to wash and dry. I don't like how fleeces tend to become mishapen and bobble and I wouldn't throw one in the dryer for practical reasons.

I've tried Sainsburys, M&S, H&M, George, Tesco, TK Maxx, John Lewis and more...so now I'm asking Mumsnetters if they can help out and find me a blimmin' cardie....??????

Phew.

[thatgirlsevil]

I am keeping my peepers peeled for the return of the H&M boys cardigans...make no mistake about that.

DS is currently wearing a polo shirt and sweatshirt to school...but he's already peed off with the sweatshirt wearing as it is just too warm for him and he still struggles to remove it.

[Loopylolo]

My son & I also prefer cardigans for his school uniform. He finds them more comfy & easier to take off/put on than the scruffy looking school sweatshirts. I've also hunted everywhere but eventually discovered that H&M almost always have one or two styles of plain boys cardigans in stock. They're not always prominently displayed on the racks, sometimes hiding among knitted jumpers, but at the moment they have a plain navy blue one, plain bright blue, mid grey with thin lighter grey bands around the cuffs and hem, and a plain light grey. I've bought the grey ones and sewn his school badges on them to make them look just like the sweatshirts. Hope that helps.

[Startailoforangeandgold]

Zips, zips would have been a dream.

No buttons to do up, no buttons for the paint to come off and no buttons to lose.

Where in earth the uniform suppliers managed to find buttons that were not made of solid navy plastic u will never know. God they looked scruffy.

[MuddlingMackem]

We were in our local Sainsbury's yesterday, and they had some dark blue zip up school cardigans that were quite chunky and looked suitable for either boys or girls.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

I hate polo shirts, traditional cotton or cotton mix shirts are far better, they are thinner and cooler and wash up far better than polo shirts.

[5madthings]

if you can find the other thread on this issue it had some links.

i think the op got some in the end. have you tried verbaudet?

[urbanproserpine]

Oooh, wish I'd seen this thread before I bought six of the nasty school sweatshirts for my three boys. I honestly hate them, they are so tight around the neck I had to buy a size bigger so the little ones would be able to get them off, and they are red so fade instantly. Plus they are so hot in them - no middle ground between the polo shirt and superhot sweatshirt. I am off to try and find a proper v neck jumper..

[stuffedcrust]

ds wore a cardi last year in year 1. i asked if he would like a jumper or cardi, he said cardi.He liked to run around with it open like a superhero as far as i know he was never teased about it, infact i think he started a trend as a few of the other boys in his class then wanted one & had one.
most men i know own at least one cardi.
i don't see a problem with boys wearing them to school.

[catwoo]

sorry I don't think cardigans are perceived as 'girly' generally (love chunky zip up cardis on boys), just as part of school uniform

[crazygracieuk]

I find that boys cardigans tend to be zip rather than buttons.

Round here boys would wear them out of school but definitely not in school.

Check out the Fairtrade Cooton Rich Cardigan on M&S website. Looks unisex to me.

[seeker]

Of course boys wear cardigans- my Ds has about 10 (he's a serious charity shop shopper!) It's just very unusual for boys to wear them as part of sxhool uniform. Irrational but true!

[thatgirlsevil]

Ahhhh ok, checking sizing. Thanks.

[thatgirlsevil]

*Farah.

Oh god, he dresses nothing like that Towie shower...honestly. It's more Mr Rogers on dress-down Friday.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

the uniform direct small may be OK. look at the site and check the sizing.

[thatgirlsevil]

catwoo - I honestly wasn't aware that cardigans were considered 'girly' until, well...just now.

ReshapeWhileDamp I'm not familiar with any knitters as far as I'm aware. I'll be on the lookout for them now though...

TheEnthusiasticTroll Thanks for the links. The Uniform Direct ones appear to be for older lads but the Ebay one could definitely be an option.

Sidenote.

My DP has, oh probably between 20-30 cardigans, the majority of them vintage, others from H&M, Top Shop et al...he's not some skinny jeaned, twatty Hoxtonite...he's teams them with t-shirts, cowboy shirts shirts and Farrah pants. He rarely leaves the house WITHOUT a cardigan.

Blimey, I bet everybody thinks he looks like a right berk.

[roundtable]

Star, you obviously don't live in Essex, cardigans are seen on all age males here.

It's a shame op, however the buttons can be tricky for young ones, especially after pe or swimming. Hope you find what you're looking for.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

start all the boys round here wear cardigans, however none of them seem to wear them to school. But I dont think it will be so far flung if they did. Maybe your ds will set a new school style president OP.

[Startailoforangeandgold]

V neck jumper or a tank top.

Haven't seen a male in a cardigan since my lovely grandfather died.

The girls only wear cardigans so as not to pull their hair clips and plaits out.

You don't want them. DD2 has just gone to senior school, no more cardigans until the 6th form. by then she can sew her own twating buttons back on!

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

boys here

here

very have one but it is black and buttons up the feminine way des[pite being fashioned for boys.

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Could someone you know knit one, OP? DS1 is 4 and has a lot of lovely handknitted cardis. Not that I'd send him to school in any of them, as my mum's choice in knitting yarn tends towards the colour-changing and is not at all uniform-compatible!

[catwoo]

a 4year old wouldn t probably think it odd or girly but i don t think it would be long before an older child enlightened him

[perfumedlife]

You're not wrong op! I've been hunting for a grey cardigan for ds for two years. They are nowhere. I got a lovely lambswool cardigan for him two years ago in the White Company but they don't stock them anymore. I love the way little kids look in cardigans. The navy sweatshirts for our school are hideous. Nothing smart about them.

[AngryFeet]

I got them for DS as he came home everyday from reception with his polo shirt covered in paint that never came out. I figured if that part was covered in something black it would make my life easier . He has gone in today wearing one as it is warm here.

[TheCunningStunt]

People wonder why gender inequality exists....a girl wearing trousers is no big deal, a boy wearing a cardigan is no big deal. I don't know one 4 year old who would think it was "odd" or "girly" and if they did, I'd look to their parents with a face and hoick my judges pants over my head

[thatgirlsevil]

I honestly don't think putting him in a cardigan is setting him up for a mighty fall of some sort. He is 4...and besides, if other kids take the piss out of his clothes he will soon refuse to wear offending items, I'm sure of that much. I also asked him if he would prefer a cardigan and he agreed as it's better for his fingers and he doesn't like when he gets his jumpers stuck on his head and his hair goes fluffy.

He might be a bit of a lummock but he's not backwards in coming forwards.