Has anyone found school uniforms without teflon? Does anyone have one to sell?

[Lua]

I know I am just being silly, but I hate the whole idea of teflon in children's clothes... The problem is that I look to be the only one!
All lot of online places don't mention in their websites, than I trod all the way to the store and discover the bl*dy teflon tag on...
Can anyone help me out, so I don't need to drag the whole family out in vain?
Or does anyone has one they can sell me? that would be even better!
cheers!

[Pigletin]

jiggedybooo M&S do cotton shirts and trousers, however the trousers in particular are way too wide, the cut is not great and don't look well on small children. Good luck with your search, I struggled too when I had to buy uniform for my reception boy last September. I can't understand why everything is 100% cotton until they are 4 and then suddenly - let's dress them in teflon!

[jiggedybooo]

Hi. I too am having this issue today. Been to 4 stores and all Teflon so am desperately online now looking for help and came across this thread. Looks like he'll be wearing jeans :)

[Parasaurolophus]

"Wear", not ware. Sorry.

[Parasaurolophus]

I used to feel this way until all the kids wore holes in the knees of the cotton trousers after just a couple of weeks of ware. (We got ours from the gap).

Especially in the early years the kids spend all day on the floor and the trousers just go quickly. The teflon seem to wear a bit longer. Although today I was buying some of these at Debenhams and the sales girl was going on about now wanting them to wrinkle in the bag. I just laughed and told her not to worry, they weren't made out of fabric and don't wrinke.

[MayDayChild]

I'd support it.
There was lots of cotton jumpers cardys this year but Not in grey.
I think it's a cost thing, can't make £4 jumpers if cotton is used. But I'd pay £8. So make them available!

[Traylo2girls]

A few have already said ASDA, i managed to get my dd some lovely non-teflon skirts for 3:50 xx

[Yogame]

After reading an article in The ecologist magazine a few years ago now on the possible effects of Teflon coated uniform, I have tried not to buy anything labelled 'easycare'. It is almost impossible and has really upset me. The article was alarming. The theory is that as Teflon breaks down, it will be absorbed through the skin with the potential to change DNA. I don't know how much research has been done but it makes sense given the carsinogenic qualities of Teflon on cookware. Every year I stress about finding non coated uniform and now that my daughter is at secondary school where requirements are much stricter, it is virtually impossible. I have decided the only option is to make my own... The only company that made organic cotton uniforms closed down, it is just too expensive for many families but lets face it, children probably spend longer in their uniform than their own clothes, so why not spend more on it and have the peace of mind to know that it will not effect them?

I wrote to the managing director of M&S when they stopped selling non coated uniform to appeal for choice but never heard back...

If anyone reading this wants to start a campaign, let me know. I wouldn't know where to start but this might be as good a place as any, so HELP PLEASE!

[Skyler]

Hey Lua!!! Hope all OK with you.
Not sure you will read this but I have bought 100% organic cotton pinafores and skirt and trousers in Tesco today!!!! £6, £6 and £4. I am in shock. They are really nice actually, with little butterflies on. Hope this helps.

[WendyWeber]

Mine used to chew his jumpers at primary school, but not his trousers AFAIK

[Lua]

eekra,
My DD does love chewing on her clothes too!
In case it help, I contacted the helpful people of greenswear.co.uk and ask them if any of their stuff did not have the coating and they did indicated a few of the things that didn't have it, it is not organic cotton, but I can live with that....

Do cat me if you want me to forward their email with the details...

[eekra]

Actually my daughter does have a tendency to chew on her clothes so I am hunting for non-teflon coated uniforms too. But obviously I feel like a freak for doing so

I got one grey pinafore from a national schoolwear centre

[startouchedtrinity]

I know what you mean Wendy, dd1's skirts and trousers will be fine for dd2, whereas the cotton ones don't look so tough. And I can't afford to keep replacing uniform.

[WendyWeber]

And, re Teflon being dangerous from a scratched pan, that's if you eat it; most children don't eat their trousers...

[WendyWeber]

Surely better for one pair of trousers to last 20 years than for 10 pairs to be needed?

[startouchedtrinity]

Oh, and Next have organic polo shirts in their new catalogue.

[startouchedtrinity]

Lua, I hate the idea of Teflon too but my dd1 ended up with skirts with it in and I have to say they are easy to care for. However, there is a company making organic cotton clothes - I would buy them but they cost a fortune - I think the Natural Collection has them or it might be Spirit of Nature. Do a google.

[Lua]

I am looking for 4 year old girl's bit in grey (skirt, trousers or pinafores). Any luck, newlifenewname?


DD doesn't have full on eczema, but very sensitive skin.

But to be honest is a case of looking out for the health of children and the world. What do you think it will take to degrade all these uniforms if a boy cannot destroy them in 3 years!

(i have a ds too - so I know how destructive they can be!)

[Carbonel]

John Lewis have cotton grey trousers and Mothercare I have found have some girls cotton (97%) jersey type navy trousers, altho only in a few stores - you have to get lucky i guess.

[bearsmom]

Lua, I don't know where in the country you are but Asda in Swindon (def. not poncey!) had lots of the cotton school trousers and skirts when I was there last week. I'd previously looked in the Bristol (Cribbs Causeway) store thinking they'd be bigger and more likely to have a wider range but they didn't have any cotton trousers at all. So I guess their stock varies a lot from store to store. Hope you find some somewhere.

[newlifenewname]

What age Lua? We have a few unworn/virtually unworn bits such as skirts and pinafores.

[WendyWeber]

Teflon might seem "wrong" for children's clothes, but having a rambunctious DS who has worn M&S Teflon trousers for three years - from 11-14 - and not even come close to damaging them, I have to say that I can see exactly why they put Teflon in.

If your child doesn't have eczema or some other reason to use pure cotton, do try Teflon.

[gscrym]

According to M and S website, they advertise some things as pure cotton. They don't have much and it's just in black as far as I can see. What is it you need?

[ska]

i have a dd with severe eczema so avoid any additives at all. I used a cotton only clothes mail order company but it is really expensive and recently discovered GAP in the US does really nice 'basics' that are 100% cotton in gray and navy - so ok for primary school stuff. I then get 100% polo shirts from where ever I can. They are not cheap but I get my sister to send them to me as she lives there. I do try to get 100% stuff in UK but the price is dreadful and I find ot hard to find anything that is plain enough. M&S is ok but rarely 100% cotton.

[gscrym]

You can order them through m and s online.

[Lua]

MrsB, I swear i researched old threads!
Tissy - I must not be in a poncey enough area also... no cotton in my local M&S or ASDA...

So no one with a previously loved unform to sell then?