Mums of very thin reception girls, pls help!

[kisaki333]

I have ordered (and mostly returned) at least £300 worth of school trousers in the last month I can't find a single one that looks ok and fits.
Some of the ones with adjustable waist can be adjusted to fit the waist but they look like she did a big poo in her nappy (she obviously doesn't wear one! )
To make it worse, all the adjustable waist ones are polyester. ALL the cotton pull ones I found don't have an adjustable waist. Whyyyyy???
So far we tried:
Next (best results so far but still bad)
M&S
ASDA found one slim fit that has really bad reviews saying it's much too slim lol. This one is ok, but feels poor quality.
Sainsbury's
Various Amazon brands with 0 success

Anyone managed to find something that actually looks ok on a slim petite 4.5yo and with good quaility? Preferably cotton?

And before you say about dresses, i don't want her in dresses, she is very active and a climber, she won't be able to do everything she wants in a dress.

In day to day she lives in leggings but the school won't accept those (how crazy is that, why not?!)

Buy the best ones and get a tailor to make it fit

I was about to say leggings, thats a shame. Worth sending her in some study ones and seeing if they actually say anything?

@TooHotToBoogiethe school made the same suggestion. I kind of don't want to spend over £5-£10 per pair ( she'll need at least 4 for winter and 4 for summer) in perpetuity . Sorry but that's not an acceptable use of money i don't have...
Not to mention with the quality nowadays, i fullly expect these to break before she outgrows them

Have you tried boys cotton chinos from next or H&M they are fairly slim fit and always used to have adjustable waists ( my DS has an allergy to polyester so we’ve tried pretty much every cotton option out there)

I know you prefer trousers to dresses but if you would consider shorts these are a practical option that our daughter loved wearing - waist is very adjustable. Look
like a pleated skin when worn. https://www.next.co.uk/style/st255077/514560?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22723965964&gbraid=0AAAAADm_5UVGPEM1PlIyN3eBBh7NfU8nr&gclid=CjwKCAjwmdLSBhANEiwAkREMN7hqsgE5musLXe3pjwbeoZL14-g-vWhriTlGC9k2CDa7756YXORFsBoCwHIQAvD_BwE#514560

Also wore pinafores with cycling shorts underneath so could still do cartwheels etc.

How about culottes? They look like skirts but are great for climbers and active kids. They work for winter when paired with tights and a short sleeved blouse in summer.

I feel you with the trousers, and my DD isn’t especially thin, just completely average but she’ll try and walk in the trousers and they’ll just fall down…it’s so insane! Many friends are having to buy 2-3 year ones which for nearly 5 year olds is a bit mental. Have you tried any from the actual school clothing shops that sell the branded uniforms? We got ours from myclothing.com I think. Or tesco might be worth a go if you haven’t tried? I know Matalan do some also.

i will say though if they have an option for the cotton gingham dress I think this might be the way to go. My DD is also a climber, and so so active but most of these dresses aren’t tight and honestly not very restrictive. Or is she allowed to wear shorts as I assume the boys are allowed to?

My girls always wear cycling shorts under dresses so they can climb, cartwheel etc

My girls wear gingham dresses in the summer as they’re much cooler and cycling shorts under for cart wheels, playground etc. It’s far too hot for trousers. Have you tried any school shorts on her? They might be easier as you don’t have the length issue.

In the winter dress and tights? At the end of the day she’s at school so limited climbing etc

I found M&S did some jersey type trousers which were good and more legging like. What’s wrong with polyester?
Their adjustable ones were good, my eldest is extremely tall and slim so tricky to find the right length ones that weren’t too big. I doubt anyone else is thinking she looks like she’s got a nappy on.

could you get a younger age in long length? M&S boys trousers come in different leg widths and lengths, at least for older boys. At her age, you could probably put her in boys slim leg, long length trousers for a younger age if they don’t do the same for girls

I second H&M as being slim fit. I bought some brushed cotton-lined flared joggers that looked sufficiently unlike leggings or joggers for school. Our primary was quite relaxed about uniform though.

We had (and still now in year 2 have) the same problem, slim and tall. My daughter is also very active. We went for dresses with cycling shorts underneath. Otherwise the best we found for proper uniform is the next or m&s slim fit options. Culotte style dresses are good for modesty but my daughter didn't find them great for being able to move in.

I don't think there's anything they can't do in a stretchy pinafore like this with shorts or tights underneath.

https://www.next.co.uk/style/st057555/419957

Or if it's for summer how about a gingham playsuit?

www.next.co.uk/style/st255089/519689

My daughter is super skinny. No way would trousers or a skirt stay up on her. She wears pinafores in the winter and checked summer dresses in the summer. She’s year 2 now and still couldn’t wear anything with a proper waist.

She’s super active and spends most of the day cartwheeling. She wears thick tights in winter and she wears little navy shorts under her dresses in the summer, so remains completely decent.

Pinafores and dresses are the only thing that works for us but most of her friends wear them too so it’s no different to everyone else.

Winter: pinafore & tights. Pinafore will save any shirts/t-shirts in reception/yr 1. I have an active, messy child.
Summer: gingham dress & cycling shorts. All the girls have asked for this. I'm on board.
Do check what the policy is - our school is summer uniform from sept-oct half term & after easter so they won't be in it long. Asda/sainsburys last long enough!

This is what I’d do too.

I should add, we go to the park most days on the way home. We lost 1 pair of tights before the elastic gave out at the end of the year!

www.next.co.uk/style/st057730/am6601

My dd is very thin and can’t wear school trousers or skirts, even the ones with the adjustable waists. She wears the dresses and wears shorts underneath, theure actually less restrictive than trousers and means she can do cartwheels and climb easily.

Dd has no problem being active in a school pinafore or skirt. She wears tights in winter to protect her knees and then luckily by the time the summer term came round she was a bit less clumsy and managed in socks. I think it’s highly unlikely she’ll want to wear trousers once she sees the other girls in their pinafores.

I third H&M. It'll be your go-to for tall slim kids for years to come.

I put bobbles in my daughter's trousers (a little hairband tied at the edge of her waistband so it makes the waist smaller). I used to do the same for my own clothes as a kid/teen!

If it's something official like a uniform or something smarter I just put a little stitch in the waist at the side to make the waist smaller. I can't even sew and I can do that. Like the bobble, it sits underneath her t-shirt so you can't even see it, even if the stitch is done messily.

You don't need to pay for tailors or anything like that. I snip/let out the stitch or let out the bobble as she grows bigger.

Pinafores and dresses are so much easier not having to get the waists to fit and never stopped DD playing football, or climbing trees or swinging on the monkey bars.

But when she went through a brief time of wanting trousers I bought Sainsbury's jersey ones and put a few stitches in to pinch the waists. Easy enough and I'm no seamstress.

Lots of M&S trousers have got a double hem so you can drop the hidden hem down once they grow. Could you buy in a smaller age for the waist and then drop the hem?

Most little girls are active and manage fine in skirts or dresses with cycling shorts underneath. Also I absolutely guarantee that she will get to school and want to look the same as the other girls. Why are you giving yourself all this hassle for no reason?