Best brands for schoolwear 2014

[MooseyMoo]

DD is starting Reception in September and I've been looking at the school uniform threads on here but couldn't find a recent thread asking what brands people found the best (quality, cost, hard wearing)

Thanks

I usually stick with supermarket own. When they start school their uniforms seem to get regularly covered in paint, glue and mud, so cheap and cheerful which can be thrown out without guilt! Have been happy with Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda.
Also they grow out of it quite quickly and frequently lose it so constantly replacing bits.
TBH my DDs school has recently switched all their logo'd stuff to the M&S school service, and the two cardigans I got for her are looking really shabby after a terms wear where as the ones I used to get from Tescos (for half the price) washed really well and didn't fade.

Asda definitely and I don't buy anywhere else anymore (having got from other supermarkets and found it less good). Always found it excellent and very hard wearing for skirts, trousers, shirts, dresses, jumpers, sweats, cardigans and polos. Skirts hold their pleats very well and their winter coats are great. I don't find their shoes/boots so good but everything else I think is great quality. M & S is good e.g. if you need blazers they are great quality but not worth the extra money for every day wear. Hope your DD rocks Reception :)

Next for grey skirts and dresses, M&S for boys' trousers, summer dresses, blouses, socks and cardigans. Pex or John lewis for tights.

Another vote for supermarket uniform. Tesco shirts seemed a bit more generous than other brands (esp on collar).

Now Dd is older (11) I'm investing more in M&S as she now wears 3/4 sleeve fitted blouses, but for the early years you want cheap and cheerful (& preferably at least 5 of everything, mine had a knack of covering their uniforms in yoghurt at lunchtime)

Hope your dd has a ball in reception.

Sainsburys for polo shirts - much much softer than asda/tesco

M&S for jersey pinafores - tesco one bobbled after one wash. I don't like the cardboardy looking ones so always have jersey

Am yet to find tights that I am happy with so will be watching this thread for recommendations.

we have a mix. pinafores and skirts we have 1 child in Asda pinafore and skirt and 1 in a Sainsburys skirt (it had the tightest adjustable waist) and an M&S pinafore (it was the slimmest fit - she is very tall and skinny). quality wise the asda ones have washed the best IMO.

blouses/shirts we have Sainsburys and Tesco, sizing quite different, I THINK it is the tesco ones have longer sleeves but could have that wrong. I BELIEVE that M&S do ones with velcro instead of a top button but I only got told that a month ago. I will be looking for these as top buttons are a right pain. I agree that Tesco collars are more generous.

Tights - tesco shrink less and are more generous leg length in the first place. we had Asda and tesco this year both the same age/height. the asda ones shrunk within weeks and were unusable even washed cool and line dried. tesco were good. I will just get tesco ones next year.

summer dresses - ours are a difficult colour but the M&S cotton ones have been really good (even though need ironing). If however supermarkets sold the colour we need I would buy theirs as they are normally about half the price.

Where I live it is difficult to get hold of Supermarket brands so to make my life easy I just order at M&S and pick it up at work. I buy cardigans at John Lewis as well. They last the whole year until DD outgrew them.

I like the pinofortes from Sainsbury but not the cardigans, too thin and out of shape immediately.

I only get 100% cotton dresses and shirts and this limits it to JL and M&S so far.

Socks - M&S or anywhere for white ankle socks. Tights - Sainsbury, if I get them by chance or Next. But I found they all bobble and shrink so I normally replace them mid-season.

Thanks for the replies. I really hope she likes school. I'm not looking forward to the overtired tantrums ... Or the ironing. I hate ironing.

our 1st choice school has a logo jumper/cardigan and I'm trying to decide if cardie or jumper would be best. She will only be 4.4 when she starts and cannot do buttons so thinking jumper

Jumper - much quicker for staff too when they are helping them

And I never iron school uniform - I make my kids go in looking rumpled and hope the creases drop out ;)

oh and always do pick up time with a packet of sugar healthy snack to feed them immediately to enable you to leave with dignity ;)

Great adoptmama I like your style

My DD likes a cardie for when it's not really cold. they have short sleeved polos so a cardy will keep her arms warm, but with the buttons undone she doesn't overheat. IME schools are ridiculously hot inside, so the sweatshirt is not often necessary as long as she has a decent coat for getting there and back and break times.

My DD is in reception this year and I was planning on her wearing DS's hand-me-down jumpers (logo, expensive but washed and wore well). However ALL the other girls wear cardigans (logo, expensive).

DD refuses to wear the jumpers

And yes the classrooms are very hot and wearing a cardigan means they can get it on and off without ruining their anti-nit tied back hair.

OP your DD may well be able to do buttons by September. And they tend to prefer to wear them flapping around unbuttoned anyway in my experience.

I have had issues with sainsburys shrinking and polos staining.

Sainsburys do cardigans with frill at bottom , our school has navy and they faded so quick and not lasted test of time however eldest nightmare at losin stuff so be more upset if she lost 12quid jl cardigan,

i usually go m&s skirts.

By far costly but worth the money is john lewis for pinafores.

store 21 polos have fared well but they dot have uniform all year round.

Wait bit longer until m7s has school event.

I do buy quite bit from asda as so cheap.

but in reality most schools like logo stuff.

reason I like pinafores is warmer in winter and if dont have time iron shirt covers multitude of syns.

tights and socks neer last long so dot sped fortune on them.

summer dresses become fussier over as like very classic traditional look find asda and next can be bit too fashiony with heart buttons and bows eek.

have at least 5shirts

2-3cardigans and jumpers
1-2pinafores/2skirts should be enough.

I usually get them from either supermarket, handmedown or school recycle ones. So I don't have to worry about whatever happens to their uniforms. I would rather spend that money on a pair of good quality school shoes.

M&s boy's trousers are fab! They wash well & have lasted since he started last Aug.

oh no only iron if absolutely necessary (cotton summer dresses) everything else I ignore.

check if girls can wear jumpers. our school jumpers are for boys and cardigans for girls.

oh and you need good nametapes and name stickers too (stickers needed for lunchboxes and any tupperware stuff inside them, clear drink bottle, bags, shoe labels etc. label EVERYTHING that may get taken off.

Also, if you can afford to, buy the next size up in the sales & put it away for next year! I got polo shirts, 2 for 50p & trousers for £1 in Morrison's after term had started!!

These name stickers are amazing!
www.mynametags.com/school_nursery.html

Been washed a million times & still going strong

sunny hmm good point about jumpers over head. Maybe I will buy a jumper and a cardie and see how she goes. I have a 2 yo DS who can have the jumper (hopefully).

Good point 3asabird re M&S school event. It's 3 for 2 at beginning of summer hols? Sainsburys has their regular 25% off TU. Do Tesco or Asda do something similar?

Thanks for starting this thread, it's very helpful!

The M&S school event always starts sometime before summer holidays I think. 20% off all school uniform.

I get a mixture of M&S and Tesco (who sometimes have Clubcard Boost offers) and have been pretty happy with both.

DD2 was only 4.1 when she started school but I still went with cardigans - easier to get on an off and it's rare she chooses to have them buttoned up anyway.

Oh and M&S and John Lewis both do socks and tights with sizes printed on the inside edge - makes pairing up so much easier once you have two dc wearing different sizes!

DD has a jumper, looks lovely but:

it is thick, great for Winter in the playground, in school she is boiling. Taking off and on means ponytail is out by lunchtime.

I did the buttons in the first year and when she had PE, 3x a week, she just wore it with the buttons open. But I know she takes it off and on like a jumper as well.

Check if your school allows trousers for girls, some of DD's classmates prefer them in winter.

I use easy2name for labels, the iron-in are not sooo good but the sticker are going strong after nearly 3 years of constant use in the dishwasher. They also stick on clothes label. I found that DD prefers seeing something bright and visible instead of writing the name on the label.