School Uniform 101

[homicidalmummy]

So dd starts school this year (got her place today!) and now starts the hunt for the school uniform! Official school uniform order to be in my 3oth April!!
What do I need really? How many of everything?

Thought we could use this thread as a place to post good buys/poor quality items to beware of/bargains/essential items etc

Thank you!!

At least 4 shirts.
1 tie.
Two pinafore dresses/skirts.
1 jumper/cardigan.

Why do you need to order so early?

I'd go for 2 jumpers/cardigans otherwise you spend several evenings each week trying to get it through the wash and dried for the next day. I only have boys though so maybe they're just messier than girls!

Don't bother buying long sleeved shirts - the cuffs get so grubby you only get 1 day's wear out of them - short sleeves are the way to go!

Ds1 has 2 pairs of trousers/2 pairs of shorts for summer, 5 shirts, 2 jumpers and 5 pairs of socks.

Think about buying summer uniform NOW to start in September - it's usually still warm enough to wear it, but you won't be able to buy it anywhere in the 'Back to School' ranges in August.

dd has 5 polo-shirts so I know I have enough for each day, 2 skirts, 2 pinafores and a couple of pairs of trousers. She has 2 cardigans but rarely wears them. Her skirts, trousers and pinafores normally come from the supermarket but she has logoed polo shirts from the schoolwear shop.

I'm in Oz so different uniform requirements, but to give you an idea of quantity my DD has two summer dresses and one sports uniform (polo and shorts) for most of the year when they can wear Summer uniform. For the three months when they have to wear Winter uniform she has one pinafore and three long sleeve blouses, one jumper and one set of Winter sports uniform (sweatshirt and fleecy track pants). She is very clean and tidy, but still needs a clean long sleeve blouse every day as the cuffs get filthy.

It depends what the uniform is. If it's ironed white shirts then you need 5. If it's polo shirts you can get away with 3. At least 2 sweatshirts and 3 of whatever they wear on the bottom half.

I tried buying 2 of everything 9new school for 2 DC, and V' expensive logo'd shirts), then after a couple of weeks bought 3 of everything.

we've only ever had 1 jumper/sweatshirt. 2 or 3 trousers/skirt combo. 3 or 4 shirts.

they are all nasty polyester so go bobbly very quick and need replacing but dry quickly if needing emergency washing.

and they invaribly lose most of it each term so the cheaper the better.

I have no idea why the order has to be in so early! As I said, I'm totally new at this - first child starting school in August (we're in Scotland).

Was thinking 4 official sweatshirts, 2 v neck jumpers (bought last year) and two cardigans?

Have no idea how many skirts I need!

I find 3 of everything except jumper (of which we have 2) works for me - I don't even bother trying to make anything other than a jumper last for more than one day, but that way I only have to wash once during the week.

However, before you put in an official order, check out the secondhand options. 90+% of DS's uniform is secondhand - a fraction of the cost, and can be resold for not much less than it was bought for, unless entirely wrecked.

That sounds like a lot! DD just has 2 cardigans, 2 summer dresses, 2 skirts, and (I think) 3 polo shirts - I do a load of washing most nights, so that keeps it down. You won't need 4 sweatshirts and 2 cardis unless you don't have a washing machine.

I think boys wear jumpers and girls wear cardigans. No idea why.

aaarghh!
She will be waring the jumpers....trust me!

Is there a secondhand sale?

Buy ten billion pairs of socks. They disappear somehow.

I think three shirts (or equivalent), two bottom halves and two or three jumpers (or equivalent). I bought five long-sleeved and five short-sleeved shirts (I was buying second hand so they were very cheap) and could easily have managed with three of each.

Each boy has 2 pairs of trousers, 2 jumpers, 5 shirts and as someone else said billions of pairs of socks!! They also have 2 pairs of shorts each and 2 tank-top style jumpers for warmer weather.
Name EVERYTHING!!! In 4 different places if poss
we do have a few oddments of uniform laying around for emergencies, matalan stuff is uber cheap and washes and wears well!

(that was two bottom halves for each season, if they differ)

OP that sounds like a lot of top layers.

DD has 2 cardies and often wears the same one all week (she is very clean).

DS1 and 2 both need both their jumpers and sometimes a mid-week wash tho.

If I count right you are planning on buying eight jumpers or cardies which seems excessive as there are only 5 schooldays in a week and surely everyone washes at least once a week???

(I do uniform wash on a Friday night if I am really on the ball).

DS1 has about 3 or 4 pairs of trousers, 3 sweatshirts and 5-7 polo shirts on the go at once. He dirties clothes very quickly and trashes them very quickly, so, apart from the official school sweatshits which are good value and last quite well, we just buy 3-packs of polo shirts form M&S or Next for him and replace those when stocks start to get low.

DS has 3 pairs of trousers/3 pairs of shorts,3 school jumpers and 6 polo shirts (because they came in packs of 3!)

Id buy less jumpers/cardigans than you were planning to and more polo shirts/blouses because they are the things that will get destroyed the quickest esp if they are white. Whoever thought white polo shirts for 5 year old boys are a good idea needs shooting lol!

DD (nearly 5) has clean everything, everyday as she's a mucky pup and they paint/craft without aprons. I wash uniform only at week ends so she has loads of it.

Winter - 2 gingham blouses , 4 red polo shirts, 2 skirts, 2 trousers, 2 pinis, 3 cardis, 2 sweatshirts. Loadsa tights because she trashes them so easily. 1 official school winter coat.

Summer - 5 dresses, 1pr grey shorts, 1 pr red shorts, 2 gingham blouses, 3 cardis. 1 official school summer coat, school baseball cap.

I do stock up on uniform in the sales/Ebay or from the school 2nd hand rail.

State school btw.

DS1 and DS2 have:
3 prs trousers each
3 polo shirts each
3 jumpers each
2 pairs of shorts each for summer

DD has:
3 pinafore dresses
3 jumpers
5 polo shirts (hers are white whereas the boys' are red, I don't do a whites wash as often as a coloureds so she has more)
2 summer dresses

Plus obviously PE kit etc.

All three have everything clean every day as everything is always covered in mud and paint!

I wish someone would make boys school trousers with reinforced knees..they would make a fortune.

My dd2 (in primary 2) has -

5 polo shirts
1 sweatshirt
1 cardigan
1 skirt
1 pair trousers
1 summer dress
1 'proper' shirt and tie (for formal things).

I am caving and buying her the school kilt for next year as she has gone on and on and on and on about it!

2 of the polo shirts have school logo on, the others were a 3 pack from tesco.

So it's a good idea to buy summer dresses now, for September? DD1 going to regular state school and they have school jumper, will all the rest be easily available then or is there anything else to stock up on now?

YY but make sure summer dresses bought now are plenty long enough as you would hope to get some wear next summer.

Tho I usually find that summer dresses last one term only I mean in terms of length - they are usually in perfect condition!