Where do you buy your kids school uniforms?

[Grommit]

Dd starts school in Sept - so many shops are stocking uniforms - where is the best? I would normally buy these sort of things in M&S but it is more expensive and I am not sure it is any better quality. Thanks!

We found M&S pinafore the best last year but they have changed the supplier this year and I have just emailed them to say I think the quality has dropped. We have found different items in different shops. This is waht I think is the best for wear and price:
Pinafore M&S £12
Cardigan Asda £5
Polo shirts Adams (not sure of price but often buy one get 2nd half price)
Pumps M&S £4
PE shorts Adams
Tights BHS

I forgot - summer dresses we buy in asda £5

Have just bought dd's pinafore and a skirt from Tesco - they seem pretty good quality. Have bought ds's uniform from Tesco, Matalan, Wilkinson and Woolies - all were fine though Matalan's needed repairing in the crotch (sorry) area several times so wouldn't recommend, but all half the price of the school uniform shop and about the same quality.

Asda's great - prices are so much lower than M&S. For instance it costs £19.00 for two long sleeve shirts for my oldest son in M&S as he takes a 15" collar size now. In Asda the two shirts cost £5.00.

Adams is good, too.

I resort to M&S only when Asda and Adams have sold out, as our M&S keeps a good stock of school uniform all year round whereas for Adams and Asda it is more a seasonal line. So get those bargains asap!

I have also tried getting school uniform from a catalogue - littlewoods. The shirt quality was not brilliant and the sweatshirts were very strangely proportioned.

Got ds's school trousers from john lewis.£5 a pair and seem good quality.Jumpers etc had to be ordered from school and don't look like they will wash well.

I usually buy the boys' trousers in BHS, but have started using a school uniform shop (which stock short trousers all year round rather than BHS which only stocks them occasionally). Tbh, the school shop is just about the same price as BHS, so I wouldn't dismiss all of them out of hand.

Another place you can look is Argos Additions. ISTR that they do school uniform at very reasonable prices. Never bought from them so can't comment on quality.

I've just started the dreaded uniform-shopping for ds1, who starts school in September. His shirts are from Asda (2 for £5). I had to get his trousers from BHS as bizarrely the only trousers ASDA had for little ones had zips and buttons on them rather than just an elasticated waist.

I wouldn't worry about trousers having zips and buttons, provided they are elasticated at the back. Mine have just treated them as fully elasticated and pulled them up without bothering to fiddle with zips and buttons.

I buy from all over the place but proper shirts I only buy from Adams. All the other shirts at different stores have the pleats in the back which makes it harder to iron. Adams are flat at the back and iron in half the time. Always a must for the lazy mother!!

Thanks, Freckle. Ds1 has a very slim waist so that idea would probably work for us too.