Is it terrible that 90% of DC2s Reception school uniform is second hand?

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I’m sorting everything out and feel bad about it. Most of it is hand me downs from DC1 and the jumpers and trousers are faded/bobbly. I think I might have left it too late go order a logoed jumper now anyway if the majority opinion was this was considered bad form. I could get new trousers though.

What do we think?

Totally fine and better for the environment. This debobbler has made my children's jumpers look new ready for September: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00IVEPHQ4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Only things that DS2 is getting that are new are polo shirts (white, DS1 trashed them in Reception) and shoes. I was going to buy him a book bag but he asked DS1 if he could have his (DS1 off to separate Juniors) and DS1 said yes. So I didn’t. We can easily afford it but it would be so wasteful. DS1’s class WhatsApp is full of offers of second hand stuff to younger siblings at the moment as the school second hand sale didn’t happen due to COVID. Bought DS1’s larger jumpers there...excellent condition and he didn’t blink.

I happily wear second hand black tie dresses etc and maternity wear myself. Why ever not? (If it bothered DS2 I wouldn’t, of course, but he’s delighted!).

Depends on the state it's in - and to be honest, the colour the jumpers are is a huge factor (our infants is red and they're a fucking nightmare and fade soooo badly - you'd never get more than a year out of them not starting to go grotty pink, but the juniors is dark green and I've managed to reuse most of them) - this year because of the change of colour as they move from the infants to the juniors I've passed down most of DD1's cardigans to DD2 as extras and bought her less new because they're pretty much immaculate in terms of colour and the style I buy doesn't tend to bobble anyway. I've bought a couple of new ones for photos and the first day - and the others are just for the inevitably needed cardigan stockpile when they all mysteriously vanish off the face of the earth by about Christmas (I know I'm going to have much less time to visit school lost property this year than I did at the infants).

Lots of the trousers and skirts are still useable - especially since last year obviously uniform got a lot less use with Covid. I've just topped up supplies a lot more than I normally do.

You are saving the planet. Your DC2 will not mind. Mine is the same. She wore a slightly different selection (she fit into some PE trousers better, and wore shorts more).
I got her her own polos, and a couple of extra cardigans.

Oh yes, and she had new shoes but this year she's going to wear a pair that DS grew out of in the blink of an eye. Probably for about 5 minutes but it gets us through week 1.

No it's fine. Uniform only looks new for about a week too. Much better for the planet :)

It's marvellous, think how green you are and how much money you will have saved. It will all be wrecked/lost within a week anyway. Mine all had second hand everything and I am overjoyed. Why would it possibly matter? And I could easily have afforded new but why would I ...

90% of our children's school uniform is second hand.
I have inverse snobbery re new stuff ;-)

@DerbyshireGirly

Get new if you can.

Why!? Nothing wrong with second hand.

I don’t understand. Why would it be a problem? School clothes don’t look brand new beyond the first wear anyway. I feel really lucky that people pass things on in the village I live in. New shoes and that’s about it in our house. Better for the planet, no cost, what’s not to like?

@Pud2 of course, I love second hand. But it sounds as thought this stuff is tatty. I don't love second hand at the expense of looking like a scruff.

@DerbyshireGirly most school uniform is made so cheaply it looks crap after1-2 wears anyway, especially poloshirts. If its not shredded or completely covered in stains, use secondhand .

It is entirely normal as far as I am concerned. My DC have always had hand me downs or second hand. Anything else is wasteful.

But who or what would it be terrible for?

Unless they're stained or coming apart at the seams, why wouldn't you re-use them?

I genuinely don't understand why things need to be new these days - it's a waste of money. Unless you have lots of money to spare, but even then it would technically be an unnecessary purchase.

Given that DD reception uniform from the "approved" school shop just cost £150!!!!!!! Because everything has a logo on it (con!) if I could have used some second hand I would have!

Nonsense it’s a school uniform. Excluding my eldest as he went to a different primary school my three youngest wore same jumpers and some T shirts/fleeces they don’t care it’s only school uniform. I think it’s more mum guilt tbh. Your child likely won’t bother or know and if they do I explain to mine that we need to make use of the things we have so we can buy other things/food etc am a single parent so it can be stressful

As a primary teacher, I congratulate you. Reception children DECIMATE uniforms. No point whatsoever buying new.

To be honest, I teach KS2 and they’re not much better....

@justanotherneighinparadise

I’m sorting everything out and feel bad about it. Most of it is hand me downs from DC1 and the jumpers and trousers are faded/bobbly. I think I might have left it too late go order a logoed jumper now anyway if the majority opinion was this was considered bad form. I could get new trousers though.

What do we think?

Genuinely don't understand the issue.

Whether I've been flush or strapped I have used uniform til it falls off, I couldn't care less. My kids were at school to learn not to look shiny.

The only parents who would notice are the ones with empty lives.

@ivfdreaming

Given that DD reception uniform from the "approved" school shop just cost £150!!!!!!! Because everything has a logo on it (con!) if I could have used some second hand I would have!

Primary school.uniform is still not legally enforceable is it, so unless you are at private school just ignore the logo stuff.

I don't think my son has ever had a brand new school uniform. I've got at least a dozen sweatshirts handed down from his older sister and various friends and relatives. I was looking at one the other day and it started off with someone who I know is an adult now, before going through two other owners and making its way to us. It can't have been worn much because it's still in decent condition.

He has no idea if it's new and cares even less. No way am I buying new just for the sake of it.

For people talking photos, is that photos you take and splash all over social media or school photos? I know when DS started Primary School they did a first day at school photo for YR and it went in the local paper together with photos from all the other village schools. Not sure if that will be happening this year, and if it is it will be some SD affair so probably won’t be as obvious if someone’s jumper is slightly faded as they won’t be so close to each other.

I would have thought first day back this year will be less about the uniform and more about seeing many children all back at school.

Our Headteacher strongly encourages using secondhand uniform, for eco reasons. So it’s absolutely standard and nobody would think anything of it. Neither of my dc has ever had a new logoed polo shirt or cardigan. It’s never been mentioned as an issue, other than that they like the much-washed ones because they’re softer.

Genuinely don't understand the issue

The issue is that;

1. my eldest did have new everything and now DC2 is relegated to a lifetime of hand me downs
2. whilst I don’t use social media i do take photos of the first day at school and I’d like those to look decent
3. similar to 2) they do individual and sibling school photographs in October. It would be nice if the children didn’t both look like they’d been fitted out at a jumble sale
4. i want him to feel good about himself and whilst the sane part of my brain knows he won’t be looking at his trousers and comparing the colour fade with his peers, the crazy anxiety ridden part of my brain is concerned he might feel ‘less than’ and it’s really no effort at all for me to but him new trousers.

If the trousers are nearly worn through I would get another pair, and then you have a spare. I always kept an old pair back for just in case moments (I failed to do the washing!)