Uniform for secondary school - do you buy just one size bigger or two?

[therestishistory]

Hi all, as September is approaching, can I ask how many size up you are buying your blazers? I know all of us will be buying larger size to grow into, but just wondered those with experience, are you buying two sizes up, or just the one size up? Your advice would be appreciated.

I just buy a size that fits but with a bit of room to grow. I don't buy them massive because the sleeves would be too long and would get in the way. 2 sizes up would be ridiculously big.
Even though I don't buy them excessively big we usually get at least 18 months wear out of them before they look too small and need replacing.

My DD is getting one stab at this secondary school uniform lark. I fully intend for the blazer and skirts to keep her going until she is 16. She may have to wear bricks on her head if it helps slow the growth down.

I must be the odd one out then but the blazers for my sons school are only £38 so I think that's good value for 18 months wear. He does actually wear it everyday too, rather than just sticking it in his bag. If they cost £80 and spent all the time in a bag I might have had a rethink.

I so buy the games shirt big because that costs more than the blazer (reversible games shirt), gets worn only once a week, can be tucked in if required and doesn't have the sort of sleeves that will get in the way if they are too long.

I don't buy them big, because then I think it makes the child look smaller.

Which is the last thing I want my Y7 to look.....

Mine 'lost' his first blazer, had the second ripped when someone threw him into a hedge, and then moved schools for reasons not entirely unrelated to the above.

If none of the above are likely to apply, then buy larger.

The advice given to my mum was to buy ridiculously big when we were at school. As a result it lasted from y7 to y11 but looked ridiculous for the first three years!

We've got to have ds's specially made. The standard price is £75 but we need one two sizes smaller than the smallest available so it's going to be about £100!!!

Ds is very self conscious about his size so I want stuff to hit him.

Dd's blazers are about £35. Here has lasted 2 years but she's had a huge growth spurt. We bought it so it was generously fitted but not ridiculously large

It does need replacing anyway though as its gone very worn looking.

I buy uniform with a bit of growing room but not huge as I don't want them to look ridiculous.

In terms of blazer sizes, DS1 started Y7 in a size 32 blazer and even now (end of Y10) he is still only a 36.

DS2 started Y7 in a size 30 blazer as 32 looked ridiculous on him. It still fits now (end of Y8).

Ds needs a size 24!!

Trying to find secondary uniform in a chest size 24 must be awkward. The problem we have for DS2 and DS3 is the trousers. DS2 started Y7 in age 9 uniform trousers.

It's hirrendous.

Ds is in age 7-8 trousers at the moment. The uniform is a suit though so he has to have a school specific pair (like the girls do) I can't just go to m & s like I do at the moment.

Thankfully mine are at a school where the everyday uniform (apart from blazer & tie) can be purchased from anywhere.

The games kit and the PE kit are much trickier as all embroidered with logo. The tops are OK as it doesn't matter if they are a bit big, and I altered the waistband of the shorts to make them smaller. The tracksuit trousers are the kind with zips, which makes altering them beyond my sewing skills. I asked the school what to do about the tracksuit trousers (smallest size will fit DS2 and DS3 when they are in Y10!) and they sensibly allow plain tracksuit trousers in the same style.

My DD's school have the logo embroidered onto the PE kit. Best uniform hack I was told was that most local dry cleaners have the logo on their machines and yes they do! Rather than pay £32 for ill fitting black PE trousers with logo, I now get £7 sports direct plus £6 logo fee and they even include in that fee DD's name prettily underneath so looks hugely fab and no one can get away with wearing her trousers AND I don't have to see in a name tape. win, win, win. If only so many other aspects of uniform were as simple...Careful with girls as they spurt out in all directions, I remember my mother lamenting the arrival of 'hips' that despite generous length of skirt entailed buying three skirts in one year and taking the skirt up on each one and the waist in on each one to allow for, erm, lateral growth and to stop them looking like a bag on me. If you don't sew, find a good dry cleaners who does simple alterations as it can save your sanity as well as your pocket.

I bought dd the size that fits her now because I don't expect that she will grow much. Dd1 went up 1 size in the seven years she was there, I bought two lots of uniform and 1 PE kit in all that time. Dd2 is even smaller than dd1 was so expect the smallest size to fit until she is y10 or thereabouts

I would say that it is common for new y7s to have blazer sleeves that reach to the knuckles. So I think that long 'fits in' rather than stands out. And you can't stop y7s looking small, they just are compared with y11s or even y13s.

I bought PE kit as big as I thought I could get away with, especially as there was no way DD1 was ever going to wear it to matches or anything.

DD1 pretty much stopped growing by y8, and I've only needed 1 blazer and 1 set of PE kit - result! PE kit still in fine nick, good enough for DD2 when she goes.

I buy what fits.

I tend to buy what fits with a bit of room and, if it's year 7, a spare in the next size up. Sports kit should be huge though - it's the rule lol. The dd1 s kit fitted her from year 7-11 and then dd2 joined the school and used the same kit year years 7-11too :). Mind you I still don't believe the " compulsory crested sweatshirt" was ever worn, by either of them.

Remember , with teenagers they do wear stuff out too - Blazers last 2yrs for the girls but only ever about 2.5 terms for DS ! The shirts are very good but get stiff under the arms so no point in buying too big!

Just one size too big.....school uniforms are nowhere near as expensive as they used to be,so don't fret.
They are good quality too,so last ages.
Now shoes,that's a different,more expensive story.

DS is very annoyed at me for buying too big which only started to fit him just before he left, don't make my mistake.

DD has barely grown in last 2 yrs, which is handy!

I buy what fits too, I hate ill fitting clothes. Ours are about £30 and I think that's fine for a years wear. I have the next size ready in everything for when it's needed.

I buy a uniform that fits. If that means a bit of growing room great.. I do not wish my children to look like Charles Chaplin in a overgrown suit.

ds has needed a blazer for year 7 and for year 8 but this time going into year9 he wont need a new one. I don't think overall I will end up spending more than others.

DD1 and 2 wear sweatshirts I simply bought when needed.

DD3 will need a blazer. For September again we will get one that fits.

I do not tend to go for the " one size to big" I find it hugely frustrating to wear to big clothing or ill fitting clothing and I don't feel my children should have to either.

The school supplier suggested actually they insisted that I buy DS a blazer that was too big for him when we went shopping in the summer before he joined year 7.

Two years on, and the blazer fits him at long last, but its worn out, so needs replaced.

I think the answer about how big to buy is best answered with hindsight because it depends on when the puberty growth spurts are going to come. Some children shoot up when they start secondary, whilst others haven't had the big growth spurts by the end of year 8.

If someone knows how to tell when their child will have a growth spurt, I'd be grateful if they could lend me their crystal ball!