Uniform question: anyone else buy from M&S?

[glasjam]

I bought about 4 for my son who started school in August (am in Scotland). I am about to put them in a charity bag. They have shrunk considerably. I've only ever washed them at 40 and don't own a tumble drier. Honestly, they are at least an inch shorter and they've shrunk all over. My George from Asda ones are faring very well as are his school trousers from there. Again I bought 2 pairs of M&S trousers and they've gone bobbly. I realise now that if I could be persuaded to buy from M&S again I need to buy at least a year or two bigger.

Anyone else had this problem? Be interesting to see which brands have been the best performers so far.

Are you talking polo shirts here ?

I find their trousers excellent tbh i have always bought uniform from there. Made the polo shirt mistake for ds when he started but now buy bigger for him and dd.

If you are talking about polo shirts, I saw DS1 in one the other day (M&S) and idly wondered if he'd got DS2's on by mistake. He hadn't.

I had Primark ones last time and they fared brilliantly. No shrinking.

polo shirts and trousers & skirts fine here, but dd1s tights had holes in first week

Up until this year I have always bought nearly all DCs uniform from M&S because it always worn so much better than any other shops. This year the only thing I have bought is DS's trousers and shirts. I have had no problems at all with the trousers. However this year something has gone dreadfully wrong with M&S uniform department.
They have stopped catering for "traditional" uniform and have bought in "fashion" ranges which are not suitable. Blazers are now "styled" with awful material and no big pockets. I couldn't get a plain open neck shirt with short sleeves for DD, they all had puff sleeves or 3/4 length.
DS's last year blazer hasn't lasted well with the lining and inside pocket fraying .

I have two fairly traditional pinafores plus white shirts from M&S - and so far, so good. Tights, I would not buy from there, I got dd's from John Lewis and they are wearing well so far.

Ah now I'm finding the John Lewis tights fray quickly under the shoe strap and are not very stretchy. Prefer Gap. Wouldn't get M & S tights though - no feet. Got a lot of other uniform there and all OK so far. Butterfly polo shirts are a little tight and collars always need ironing flat.

Sainsburies polo shirts a bit roomier and need less ironing.

shirts for ds shrunk like buggery last year. risked it again for dd this year and so far so good...

dds pinafore is from m&s, again washing well so far. couldn't get trousers to fit ds for love nor money - he is 10 and not thin but definitely not fat. ended up spedngin ££££ at expensive uniform shhop instead

h&m tights fab btw

Are the H&M tights better for the older ages? I have a real issue with their sizing and wrote to them about it - haven't heard back yet .

I have an average sized 2 year old and they have a new size of 2-4 years - how on earth does that work?? On the inside their US and Candada labelling says age 3-4 years so H&M in the UK seem to think that our 2 year olds are the equivalent of North American/Canadian 3 year olds. It such a wide span for one pair of tights to fit. They are ENORMOUS on my 2 year old and have been put to the back of the drawer till next Winter.

Very annoying.

I have awful trouble with M&S stuff shrinking. Their adult cheap Ts always go short and wide.

I bought the puff sleeved M&S uniform blouses, they were small sizes to begin with but shrunk even more. Fortunatley I'd read the reviews and bought big (8yr old for a 4 yr old!). But they were pure cotton which I'm grateful for. DD doesn't like M&S tights as she says they pull on her toes, as there is no proper foot shape, we have Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Our Polos are George, they are really keeping their shape and they are a pretty girls style and again pure cotton.

Pinis and skirts are Tesco, yes they have shrunk, but I'd say they were sized to accommodate this as they were long and they are pure cotton. Trousers John Lewis, I think they may have shrunk a bit, but yet again they are pure cotton.

I bought M&S polos and trouser this year, as I was finding ASDA stuff was shrinking big time. The trousers washa nd tumble dry great, but the age 13 polo shirts I got for DS1 last year are now the same size as the age 10 polo shirts were originally. the size 10 shirts have shrunk to about age 5!

I'm disappointed with the M&S cotton rich v-neck pullovers; we've only worn them for 6 weeks part-time and now into full days this half-term but they're starting to lose their shape and are going bobbly. The non-iron shirts are good except I've had to start ironing the collars otherwise they have tiny "bubbles" on them. Trousers good though. I think I might try JL next time.

I have found that Tesco comes out best for uniform for my children, not just on value for money but the quality is good as well. I have tried M&S t-shirts ordered for a 6 year old, he is 4 and they have shrunk quite badly. Asda shirts are really good as well and are worth a look.

I bought socks from M&S that have been fine

I had to buy trousers from an online supplier because I couldn't find pure cotton without any stain-proof/storm-resist treatments in regular shops. I bought Next polos and they are doing very well, I also bought PE sweatshirts from them. Asda cotton jumpers are also lasting very well, but they were very small sizing to start with. DS is a very skinny 5 yo and the jumpers are 5-7 yrs and fit him perfectly.

The only uniform stuff that I bought from M&S was socks. I find that M&S are a very bad fit for my skinny DS anyway so I usually don't bother even looking there.

The trousers from m&s have washed and tumbled fine for me. I must admit to not daring to tumble the polo shirts as the age 5 I bought looked scarily small on skinny ds who wasn't quite 4! They have washed fine though, unlike the tesco ones which have gone strangely baggy around the neck and collar.

Both DS' s have M and S trousers and they are wearing well
Have had GEorge ones before and they have been fine tooo
Thier polo shirts are from Next and they are OK

Ds has M & S trousers as they are the only ones that are small enough. They have worn really well. I am also pleased with the quality of their shirts.

The rest of his and dd's uniform has to come from the school supplier.

I got trousers and polo shirts from M&S for my 4yr old. Trousers are fairing well but i'm a bit dissapointed in the shirts. Shrinkage isn't to bad but they don't wash very well (although to be fair DS1 is a dirt magnet) and I can't get the stains out for love nor money, vanish and washing on a higher temp have done bugger all.

I am really pleased with ds' M&S trousers and polo shirts ... no noticeable shrinking to date. I did buy the slightly more expensive trousers as they were stain proof, storm proof, with permanent crease etc and on the 3 for 2 offer they weren't too bad.

M&S pinafores and blouses have worn well.

Their tights sizes are totally ridiculous. Dd1 wears ages 12 clothes so I buy her adults small size tights (therefore it is quite hard to get her school type tights from the adults range). Dd2 wears age 5-6 and can just about squeeze into age 7-8 tights.

I bought all the stain resistent polo shirts for my ASD son - but only once. They were terrible, shrank and were no easier to keep clean than any other polo.

He has moved schools and his polo shirts are now yellow so not as easy to pick up. I am using ASDA at the moment and they are doing ok as are Matlan. Only issue is I can't bleach them so they have a limited life.

ds has M&S trousers (traditional style) which are ok but dd fashion trousers are wearing thin at the knees and she is not hard on her clothes at all.

dd's M&S polo shirts did shrink, or went out of shape - or both. We don't have a dryer. Next ones fared better. M&S skirts and pinafores have been great though. For trousers I prefer Mothercare, they seem to fit dd better and last ages with no shrinking.

I got all dd's uniform from M&S for last year and this year and the only problem im having is i have to buy an age or 2 up, i had to get her age 9-10 tights and shes only 6! Never had problems with shrinking and i put them in the drier.