Emergency - battle over school skirt! Can anyone find a LONG jersey/tube skirt in navy?

[GraduallyGoingInsane]

I am in desperate need of your help.

DD1, 2 and 3 go to a school where in winter/spring terms, they wear a school-issued kilt/tartan pleated number. Whilst I'm pretty sure my not so darling DDs rolled up their kilts every day, they never looked that bad.

In summer terms the school appears to lose it's mind, and lets them wear a 'navy blue, straight skirt to be worn at knee length.' In previous years, they've worn a cotton number, which looked ok. Similar to this:

www.johnlewis.com/17335/Product.aspx

DD1 declared before Easter that nobody wears them any more, and she wanted a stretchy one as it would be more comfortable. Yesterday she returned from a shopping trip with her friends with this:

store.americanapparel.co.uk/rsa7303.html

It's not quite as unbearably short on her as it is on the models, but needless to say, the words 'over my dead body' were used.

Now my problem is finding a compromise. So, has anyone seen anything halfway decent that's jersey but longer? It has to be navy blue sadly - I could just about deal with something like this one, but it only comes in black:

www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-and-Spencer-Skirt-Stretch/dp/B003VWY4E2?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_4&nodeId=57312031&sr=1-4&qid=1334493634&pf_rd_r=1WBQEQTVPAHZ4DQDTH5C&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=57312031&pf_rd_p=215570647&pf_rd_s=related-items-3

She's 15, very very skinny, and small for her age, so if it's an adult shop it'd need to be in a size 6.

I know DD1 well enough that if I just say no way and make her wear the cotton one from previous years, she'll either change at school or hitch the old one up to ridiculous levels.

Ladies, I have 1 week to solve this dispute! Help!

I bet they have something at ASOS

There

This one is a petite

Primark have stretchy jersey pencil skirts at the mo; I've got a couple. Sure they har navy...

faustina, it has to be navy. They're both black. I've scoured ASOS pretty well I think, and come up with nothing. Plus I think below the knee might be too long, although I could hem it.

Mombojombo, oooh, I will have to have a look in Primark.

Bonus points if anyone can find a less clingy one too!

this is what they all seem to wear at DD's school. The 6-8 should be fine as DD is a 6 and it fits her.

Short an dclingy is what they want to wear

Frankly the school dress code sounds bonkers - to change to a different skirt in the summer term. A dress, I could understand, but a different skirt?

Ooh bigTillyMint that one could work. Although what's the fabric like? She had a bright pink one from H&M that's a similar style but shorter and if the light catches it you can see through it.

The dress code IS bonkers. They wear the same jumpers and blazers all year. In winter they have kilts, tights, long sleeved blouses and ties. In summer they have straight skirts, socks and short sleeved patterned blouses without ties. Bonkers. Especially as the kilt with socks strikes me as much more appropriate than these skirts with socks. But what do I know?!

That's H&M and Primark on the list for the battle against the short and clingy then

Does anyone do actual schoolwear that fits the bill?

They are pretty thin and disposable, but she will only need it (or 2) for a term and at that price....

John Lewis may have something that you prefer, but I bet your DD won't!

All fashion atm is reminding me of my youth in the early 80s. The skirts look similar to those I used to wear.

My Mam used to go to Fenwicks and buy tube material and then just sew a waistband in with elastic. Possibily this would work? Get thee to JL or Fenwicks!

Hey what about this one or these or this Think you will have trouble with the jersey/stretch material. Tends to ride up and most schools disapprove obviously, this is the idea teehee

www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-and-Spencer-Skirt-Stretch/dp/B003VWY4E2?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_4&nodeId=57312031&sr=1-4&qid=1334501418&pf_rd_r=1E7EPFM1N60FR4V5CPYC&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=57312031&pf_rd_p=215570647&pf_rd_s=related-items-3 this one was in navy over the summer, M&S staff tell me they are in the middle of rolling out school uniforms over the next few weeks so perhaps some navy will appear??

American Apparel have one, she can exchange the mini

True, it does only need to last a term as no doubt next year something else will be 'in'. Will definitely have a look.

Her last one was from John Lewis but is now desperately uncool. DD2 has one from there, and I just ordered one for DD3 (Year 7) from there, so just hoping DD1 keeps her big trap shut and doesn't say anything off putting to her sisters!

ElectricSoftParade - if I tried to sew a skirt, I can almost guarantee it would either fall down, be too big, too small, uneven hem, seam falling apart... My MIL used to be a seamstress, so I could ask her, but I'm not feeling equal to the 'she's a CHILD, she will wear what you say, school is not a fashion parade' speech!

wellbegunishalfdone, I like the Next one, that's the sort of thing I'm after, but it only comes in black/grey. Is navy really an unusual colour for school? Lots round here have it?

Gradually This was the beauty of the tube skirt! The material is all one piece and all you need to do is sew some elastic into the top.

Sorry but I have just recently taken out my sewing machine from storage and am FULL OF IDEAS. They may not translate into real life though

I don't know any schools that would tolerate girls wearing those H&M ones tbh. DD1 lives in them at weekends and they are very, very short and very, very clingy - deffo not okay for school.

That later American Apparel one looks a bit better. Warehouse sometimes do them in a slightly more tailored style too.

WHY has that girl on the AA site with the pink skirt got her norks showing like that? Is it supposed to be attractive and encourage us to buy things? How very strange.

Don't know if this helps?? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TUBE-SKIRTS-PLAIN-FULL-STRETCH-SCHOOL-OFFICE-5-15YRS-/260698885730?pt=Girl_s_Clothing&var=&hash=item3cb2dd4e62

Gradually the middle one from Next is quite modern isn't it...there is one next to it in Navy but i assume it is the wrong style for your DD. How annoying for you. We do have alot of schools which have Navy here and M&S is the only real place to uniform shop near me to be honest! Good luck on your hunt

I can confirm that the double layer H&M one that bigTillyMint linked to is a good bet - (but make sure you do get that one, not the shorter, single-layer £3.99 ones they also have).

It can be pulled down to a respectable teacher-pleasing knee length, and looks fine when rolled up a bit as well.

Having had this battle a few times the rule is"if you bend over and I can see too much!( bottom) its too short.in the end I had so many more important battles to fight at this age that other than the rule above and making sure they walked out the door appropriately dressed(I know they hoiked it up the minute they left)I decided to let her take the rap from the school and let them enforce their own rules.I ended up rowing over uniform until it got ridiculous .Another approach....you attend the school,you keep to their rules....maybe a suggestion to change schools with different rules.....if the uniform skirt is rubbish maybe a little note to the head/governors.
It,s hard work is,nt it?

psammy your DD knows the tricks too then

What Tethers said. And if she moans, threaten to get the maxi instead.

American Apparel's advertising is really creepy. Google the bloke behind it and you'll see why.

Or threaten this