How many uniforms?

[mumtoallbhoys]

Hey,

First DS going to school sept 2021 another son going 2022, what logic do you apply to buying school uniforms?

For the first 2 years they only need to wear a polo shirt and tracksuit.

I was thinking 4x polo shirts
X4 tracksuit bottoms
X3 jumpers

What is the best way to label them?

Thanks

Siobhan

I have 5 of everything - dd is a dirt magnet and I don't always have time to wash and iron midweek. I use iron on name labels which come with a 'theme', I started in nursery before dd could read, as she could still identify her things (jungle animals on them all)

Forgot to add, I use both iron on and sticky labels (lunchboxes etcl from tinyme.com and found them good value and they survive dishwashing and tumble drier respectively

Number of uniforms will depend on how often you have time to do laundry during week. I was a sahm so didn’t buy much uniform. But I did find it useful to have a next size up uniform as a spare - then if there was a lost jumper or spilled cereal emergency, I’d still have something they could wear that day

We both work full time so both DC have 5 sets of shirts and trousers each stored in a drawer with 5 sets of pants and socks so that we don't have to wash at all during the week. They each have a sweatshirt and a fleece so can change between or wear both of its cold as needed.

My kids had 5 polo shirts, 5 bottoms (mix of skirts / trousers) and 3 jumpers plus 10 pairs of school socks and 2 full PE kits.

Don’t rely on stick on name labels or writing the name on the label in biro. They fall off / get washed off very quickly. Use a black Sharpie and write their first name + initial of surname actually on the garments themselves. In a polo shirt, lift the collar up, write it on the outside then fold it back down. If they have school sweatshirts, always buy a size bigger than you think they need, especially if you’re going to tumble dry them.

Worth just labelling with surname unless v.common so you can pass them down first child gets one dot second child two dots.

So many sensible tips, thanks all. I love the spare in a size up and the number of dots per child! I will look into the brand of labels mentioned too.

I figure I will have buy at least one new uniform for dc number 2.

Sew on nametapes (with the surname embroidered on the tape) are the best for durability but it can be a pain to sew them all on.

If you are tumble drying items I recommend sizing up (if practical).

Bear in mind for reception you'll probably need to provide a spare set (polo shirt/trousers) to stay in school in case of accidents as well.

I deliberately bought everything a size too big in primary to cope with tumble drying and quick growth spurts. I also bought as much as possible from super markets to keep cost down. Also, passed down the clothing to each DC and it was only replaced when it was useless/holes in/can’t get that strange stain off it.

Had 5 polo shirts (4 plain in school colour from Asda/Tesco/other nameless supermarkets and 1 with the school logo for photos, school trips ect - but they were allowed to wear this one on a normal day too).

Had 3 jumpers (2 plain and 1 with the school logo)

1 school logo PE T-shirt, 1 pair of Asda shorts.

5 sets of trousers, 5 pairs of socks.

All labelled with sew in labelles with pictures. Each DC has a different picture, one has a dog, one a train and one a flower. This has followed them through school. Eldest 2 now in secondary and they still have the same labels they had in year R. I unpick them and reuse them in the new uniforms. Takes time but worth it IMO as it can double as a loop to hang the clothes.

I've always gone for a pair for each day of the week - but I'm disorganised with laundry and my youngest is a complete dirt magnet (she gets TO the front door presentable but is still dishevelled by the time she makes it to the car). I do tend to overbuy polo shirts as they don't tend to last the year fit for anything other than a dress up day as a street urchin!

At least 5 polo shirts 2 school sweat shirts, maybe 3 pairs of trousers. Love the idea of a back up PE kit. Label everyrhing.

5 polos, 2 jumpers, 3 trousers. Each year I top up to make sure i have that set in current size and next size. Size up the polo shirts as pp said. I use sticky labels for everything and they stay in with no problems (tumble drying included). I buy from MyNameTags.com

I had 5 of each when DS started so I didnt have to worry about it while working.

He was up a size when they went back to school in March after covid so he now only has two full sets - which means i have to wash a uniform every day it seems.

You need at least 3 full sets of the clothes and two jumpers if you wash regularly. If you don't then 5 sets for home. Its a pita but sew in labels are the best for clothes and then sticky tables for everything else-- you can order both on Amazon.

Buy slightly on the large size otherwise so they'll last longer than the first term!

5 sets for us (tho at the moment three plus two pe kits due to covid) as generic supermarket uniform/pe kit is very cheap and I get fed up with mid week washing. All named with biro on the label, though if they are going in in pe kit then other than jumpers they shouldn’t lose much anyway, they’re not taking trousers etc off. Of course pe arrangements might change again by September and each school is different.

I lovingly sewed in name tapes for my oldest in reception then within a fortnight I’d binned one pair of trousers with a shredded knee and one polo with indelible red paint spattered all over it - gave up time consuming sewing at that point!

I always have an entire set of uniforms in the next size up, which has proven very handy many times, especially as ours is unusual colours not stocked in supermarkets year round.

Six of each of everything. One for every day of the week and one for “best” like assembly’s and school photo day. Both work full time so wash and iron everything on a Sunday, put them all on “weekday” hangers. Basically each day has a hanger and EVERYTHING goes on there including polo shirts, socks and pants. PE kit on the relevant day. Football kit and swimming kit. Couldn’t cope otherwise.

And yes sticky labels on all clothes.

5 sets of everything here
Can’t bear to launder uniform during the week

Recommend buying a cheap sewing machine now to sew in name tags on everything . The sewing machine will pay for itself in reducing the number of lost items in your children’s school career. Label everything! You don’t need to be able to sew to use the machine for labelling - I promise .

I had 3 polos , 2 shorts/ pinafores and 2 jumpers for mine and never washed during the week. When they were older they had 5 shirts/ polos and only 1 pair of shorts/ skirts and max 2 jumpers.

If you do sew in labels - write the name in sharpie somewhere as well (I write inside the neckband on jumpers). You might not think you live in this kind of area, but even in the nice middle class area my kids go to school in we get bastards stealing jumpers, cutting name tags and labels out and passing them off as their own. Then the fuckers have the cheek to put them in lost property when done (at which point a completely outgrown jumper made it back to us because of sharpie marking elsewhere in the uniform).

If there's a choice of colours for polo shirts, avoid white - stains are so much more noticeable.

Supermarket polo shirts are so cheap there's no point limiting yourself. DD2 has about 15 due to hand me downs and accidentally duplicate purchases!

The name stamps are really good, they've lasted through two children. I just got one with our surname on.

Yea to buying a set in the size up too if you can run to it. DS1 shot up in the February of Reception and could I find uniform anywhere? No. I ran some down eventually online but it was much more expensive than had I bought it at the supermarket.