Buying school uniform

[Eddas]

I'm sure this has been done a million times before but i've searched and have come to nothing so thought i'd start my own thread!!

I have a copule of uniform related questions that i need help with,

DD will be starting reception but not until January. So my first question is will there be lots of deals around at christmas time or should I buy the basics now. I will obviously wait to buy the school logo bits but I was thinking about getting shirts/skirts etc now.

Second question is cost is an issue(isn't it for most people!) so are asda/tesco and the other cheaper places as good as the more expensive ones. Is it worth spending a few extra pounds first to save replacing things quickly? So I suppose my question is where is the best place to buy things from. I don't mind if it's different places for each item, eg shirts from M&S, skirts from Asda.

TIA

Asda is great for shirts but rubbish for trousers. Having had a good few years' practice I now buy shirts from Asda, trousers and skirts from Adams (good adjustable waist) and the sweatshirts come from the school.

Oh, and don't buy too much, you can always top up later.

Asda and the like are fine, imo. I always bought cheap uniforms for dd1 and she grew out of them before they wore out.

I would wait - uniform shops often have a sale on round about October, November time and you may pick up some bargains from there.

Your school may also have a pass-down service for previously owned uniforms, or they may do a deal where you buy the clothes through school and get them cheaper so check with school before you buy anything.

Finally, make sure you have your camera charged up for that importand "first day of school" picture.

Just noticed your DC doesn't start till Jan, I'd def leave it then. You'll probably find the prices have come down in early Sept to make way for xmas stock.

Good Luck!

School uniform can be difficult to find in shops at certain times of year - I know our local M & S just don't stock it at all in the run up to Christmas, so if I were you I'd buy it now.

dd will definately need adj waist as she is tall but skinny!! So trousers especially always need adj waist.

I was hoping to pick up bits and pieces in the sales after the kids have gone back to school. Things like her coat i'm thinking could be a bargain

I felt like a mad/PFB lady this morning going to the school asking for a uniform list when dd doesn't start until Jan but my hope is to pick up a few bargains. There are some things you really have to buy from the school so having a price list is handy so I can save a little each month

Thanks for the help so far

chopchop, so you think buy now. see my inital thoughts were that i'm sure asda etc won't bother with uniform near christmas so if i'm gonna buy bits from there it'd need to be now.

Silly school having 2 intakes[rolls eyes]

Yeah, I agree - if you want uniform at any time other than September, and particularly before Christmas, it can be difficult to find. But I think you can get stuff from M&S online all round the year.

FWIW, I think Asda, Matalan, etc are just as good as M&S for boys trousers!

bump

buy now. 3 for 2 at M&S. good quality.

I've struggled getting stuff for dd round Xmas time before now. The woman in Asda looked at me like I was crazy when I asked her where the uniforms were. "But its Xmas time, we've had to make room for Xmas stock".

So God forbid your child will put a huge hole in their trousers in December! I had to go to M&S and pay twice the price.

I also think there are more offers in August/Sept - buy one, get one half price, etc.

M&S sell online all year round, but at the moment you can get three for two, which makes it good value. I would definately recommend their shirts (don't know about poloshirts) and trousers. they wash and stay looking new. If you want to pass stuff to younger siblings its defiantely worth paying a bit extra.

we just got all our stuff from M&S on 3 for 2 the trousers were only £7.00 for 3 pairs, can't really say it is expensive. (we are fortunate to also have a 20% discount card so that has swayed our decision where to shop )

I'm not worried about passing stuff on as I have a dd and ds and not planning anymore

So far it looks like M&S is a good place then.

Stripey, that's exactly what I thought about Asda type places. So I think it's a a safe bet to get shirts/skirts etc now

one last bump for the evening

Uniform is next to impossible to buy in shops just before Christmas IME. If money's an issue, I'd stock up on any supermarket deals you see now. If you do need bits nearer to January, you can still get online, but generally more expensive. Mind you, M&S uniform is not all expensive and is always available online.

I've been browsing the next sale preview - there's a fair bit of uniform in that inc skirts, pinafores and trousers and obviously as half price looks pretty good value

My dd started in Jan and I bought all her uniform in the summmer before. You can find uniform nearer the time but the choice is very limited. I am fussy too so I bought it when I saw it. I went to Asda and Tesco. Cheap, and actually hasn't lasted well at all so I might go for M&S for next year...
I have had to mend the cardigans more than once and the pinafores are trashed too (that is more my dd though tbh. She has managed to trash her summer dresses since Easter. They are covered in pen and paint and she has torn one of them.) On that note perhaps I will stick with the cheap stuff after all....

I would get it now, on offer at M&S. It's tricky to get all the styles/sizes from M&S, even in August, let alone in December.

I have been getting uniform from an internet site - www.kidsandcodirect.co.uk which makes it easy to get things at any time of year. My sons both seem to have no bum so I usually find it difficult to find trousers to stay up but they have trousers with half elastic back and full elastic, both pull on, which fit my skinny boys just great. They also do really small sizes e.g. age 2-3 for smaller children. They also are pretty reasonable at £5 per pair, my oldest son has been wearing his 2 pairs for 1 1/2 years and they still look in really good condition!! I'm also going to get the plain sweatshirts from them as when I've bought them from the school they go bobbly.

Asda is good for shirts etc.

Woolworths is very reasonable as well for grey uniform.

Also, don't forget the local charity shops as they are less subject to seasonal whims; lots of parents will take their offsprings' trousers to the charity shop whenever they outgrow them.

Get it now. My dd started in Jan of this year and it was a nightmare buying her uniform. I did get some stuff from M&S online but some of it didn't fit, so had to take it back, they then had to order new stuff for me, I had to go and collect it, and so on and so on ....

cory, i did see some summer dresses in our local charity shop recently so made me think to pop in there when i'm in the high street. I'm not opposed to a bargain

I have desided to buy the basics, polo shirt, trousers/skirt, and cardi/jumper in M&S asap so thank you everyone

I also had a next sale slot today and they had a few bits of uniform so ordered a couple of bits from there. Most of the it was black though which is no good for me

Oh and i'm gonna keep my eye out for a bargain coat in sept. They should still be around in dec if i don't find anything