school clothes in natural fibres.

[hellymelly]

My DD is five and just starting school full time,so now she needs to wear school uniform.However browsing online I can only find a sea of polyester and/or teflon coatings.I don't want to buy something synthetic,and I definitely don't want toxic teflon coatings,so where do I buy clothes? She needs s Summer dress(green gingham) and grey things for the Autumn (pinafore dress I suppose)Anyone found anything?

bump

Marks and Sparks do not one but two green summer dresses in 100% cotton.

www.marksandspencer.com/Easy-Cotton-Classic-Check-Dress/dp/B0032OUUN8?ie=UTF8&qid=1277078357&categor yNodeID=53882031&ref=sr13&page=&node=57026031&sr=1-3&mnSBrand=core&_encoding=UTF8&rh=

www.marksandspencer.com/Pure-Cotton-Classic-Gingham-Dress/dp/B0032GLYVI?ie=UTF8&qid=1277078437&categ oryNodeID=53882031&ref=sr17&page=&node=57026031&sr=1-7&mnSBrand=core&_encoding=UTF8&rh=

Grey things are a problem, last year I bought 100% cotton pinis and trousers from Tesco and John Lewis. Neither have them this year. Marks has cotton black skirts/trousers.

Lint kids have grey cotton skirts/ trousers, but I've found they wash appallingly (unless things have changed recently)

www.lint-kids.co.uk/

Cotton polo shirts are available at any supermarket, ditto cotton cardis, unless you need green. Marks does cotton rich cardis/jumpers in green (89% cotton, no coatings).

It's a problem, isn't it? I hate polyester and Teflon, can't understand why most kids clothes are cotton, yet they feel the need to make uniforms in synthetic fibres and coat it in noxious chemicals - bleurgh.

Cotton shirts and jumpers are easy to find (I get mine at Gap). The difficulty is finding grey trousers in natural fibres.

I do understand the need for synthetic fibres as DS's cotton jumpers are not as resilient as the polyester counterparts and do not withstand the frequent washing/drying well. Also, DS's cotton shirts need to be ironed whereas a synthetic version doesn't. Cotton trousers would be destroyed by DS and wool is not an option due to laundering issues.

I'm happy laundering wool,and I will probably knit her sweaters etc,its the rest of it thats an issue,as even the cotton dresses seem to have an easy care finish (toxic).As you say Ixia,it baffles me as most children wear a lot of cotton out of school,and sweatshirts and tough canvas bottoms seem to be virtually indestructable,so why the horrible synthetics for school i don't know.Most of the things seem to look like the sort of trousers a middle aged woman working in a dole office in 1982 would have worn.Gruesome.I wish there was no uniform for primamry school,didn't have it when I was small and we all looked nice and appropriate for a school day.I am nowhere near a Gap,but that is a good tip as maybe they would post things out (I have moved to the back of beyond!!).I honestly think I will have to make things or have things made,which is mad really,when we are all being encouraged to be as Green as possible and then all our children trot off to school in polyester and teflon.

Actually ixia I've looked at the second link and that does look as though it is normal cotton,not easy-iron coated,so that is a start!Thanks a lot for that,I don't know how I missed it.Now the bloomin' Autumn things...

don't understand why boden et al don't do some school basics,I'm sure a school skirt/trousers /pinnie in navy/grey/black would be wildly popular.

We had this problem two years ago when no shop (including John Lewis and M&S) were doing cotton gingham dresses. Polycoton was the best they did.

We went on-line in the end (but can't remember where) and bought fair trade organic cotton gingham dresses.

Since then, M&S have started to do cotton gingham but for grey pinafores/skirts in cotton you will have to look on-line.

There are several websites that do cotton grey basics. They have been set up by people whose children suffer from excema.

Wouldn't it be nice, though, if children could wear cotton leggings or jogging pants?

Well I've ordered the marks and sparks one,and another from JL that is a poly/cotton but doesn't seem to have an easy care finish.What is this thing about ironing? I am quite a slattern but it only takes two minutes to iron a child's dress and surely that is better than it being coated with some horrible stuff?