School uniform - what to buy, what not to buy, marks and spencer quality better than the supermarkets?

[Snappyteabread]

I'm about to do a big shop for starting school. Will probably do this beginning August. There are so many different ranges, not quite sure where to start. Is Marks and Soencer better quality better than the supermarkets?, thinking of jumpers and trousers in the main. Is their "storm proof" stuff good? I'm going to be buying for a wild boy who I know will "wear" his school clothes a lot and I don't want to be buying cheap, paying twice, so want to know what you more experienced mums suggest.
Also, does marks do a 20% off school uniform and if so when is it normally?
What about Tesco and Asda? Is their stuff any good?
School shoes I'm thinking probably clarks or Startrite. Have read too much about people buying supermarket shoes then just having to replace more often.

So top advice from you seasoned school uniform buyers?

Sainsburys are very good. I don't find M&S to be very good quality now.

Supermarket shorts/trousers are hard wearing enough if they fit. DS1 wears Next slim fit as he's to skinny for the supermarket stuff. The Next ones are really good.
I also find Next polo shirts wash a bit better and are longer than supermarket ones but ds has a mixture of both and the cheaper ones are fine.
I bought supermarket shoes and then ds1 wet himself several times in his first few weeks of school, they stank so I machine washed them and they didn't survive.
I bought him some Clarks ones on the condition he tried his best to keep them dry. The wetting greatly reduced but still took him about two terms to stop wetting completely, each time getting wee in his shoes.
The Clarks have been through the washing machine, hung on the line then had bicarb in overnight about 5 times and still look great. They are the Stompo ones, very hard wearing though a little thick soled in my opinion.

I find the Aldi uniform is really quite decent if you want to go super cheap. I have 4 dc so we get through a lot. I've bought jumpers & cardies from everywhere in last 7 years and the only stuff that doesn't fade or shrink is John Lewis. I buy next trousers as they are good enough to hand down & fit my my kids better (I have 3 boys who don't go through knees!) but other brands are absolutely fine. The only boys school shoes that seem to last for us are Noel, I'm not bothering with Clarks again!

How are people pre-patching trouser knees? I like the idea of using this year's trouser so patch next year's!

Sainsbury's. M&S cost more but you're not paying for extra quality.

I've bought m&s and next school uniforms plus polos from tesco. I buy slim fit as I have a little waisted ds!

The m&s trousers seem really good quality and wash well. They seem really tough and have adjustable waists.
Next ones went bobbly at the knees as soon as he fell down etc but they didn't need as much ironing.

Next polo shirts are very good and keep their shape well but they are thicker and take longer to dry. Tesco polos come up smaller sized and have shrunk a bit. Plus the collars are quite narrow and don't sit that well over his jumpers whereas next ones do.

I get all my primary uniform from Asda. 3-5 of trousers/polo shirts last the year easily.

I get my secondary DC the long non iron shirts from M&S, again 5-6 so washing doesn't become as issue. Both have Asda v-necks. Ds1 has Asda trousers and dd1 is currently wearing a black skirt I picked up in a charity shop and cheap skinny trousers from Primark as the older girls school uniform doesn't really fit her (skirts too short and big thighs/hour glass make trousers tricky)

Having used Asda previously, I now get most of my uniform from Matalan as I find the sizing better for my 3 boys.

Is your DS allowed to wear shorts and long socks instead of trousers? I only ask because my eldest wore through trousers knees at a rapid pace, but this got around the problem and still looks smart.

Also, used to buy 100% cotton polo shirts but I hate ironing so switched to polyester/cotton blend which I hang straight up from drier and are fine like this.

Born the quick and lazy way which works beautifully as a preventative measure is to use Wundaweb and a square of old trouser behind the knee.

I must say that now DS is in y2 his clothes are less beaten up. Whether that's because I've mainly ditched M&S for Morrisons and Matalan, or because he's more capable of staying on his feet, is anyone's guess.

Another vote for shorts whenever possible. Much more practical. Here they wear them with short black/grey socks which is perfectly smart enough with a polo shirt.

Just jumping on this thread - I have to order DDs polo shirts and the sizes given are 24" 26" or 28" - what is this measurement? Chest? Height? What?! She's not yet 4 and average height but a bit skinny with a sticky out toddler tummy still. Currently in age 4-5 shirts as she likes them baggy but still fits in 3-4. What do I buy?

Usually chest Anathema if you order from the school, can you visit and ask to try one on your dd?

I know our school has the jumpers on reception (office not class) and as long as you go at a 'quiet' time, they are happy to let you try them for sizes

Our school jumpers are sized like that.

My 4.5 year old wears a 26 and he is also wearing a mix of 3-4 and 4-5 if that helps?

Ok thanks. Great help

Ive got a wide range of polo shirts from variety of stores. The Asda ones are lovely and soft where as the rest are quite rough now.

M&S or JL for bottoms. Sainsburys for polo shirts, jumpers and cardigans.
Clarks or start rite for shoes.

Sainsburys for me this year.
M&S don't seem to be doing the 20% off offer so I went to see Sainsburys selection.
I was impressed with the quality and fit. Son loved the soft polo shirts.
M&S seem really expensive in comparison and the quality definitely not as good. I might have bought some trousers if they were doing the offer.

Next all the way! DS went through the knees of his Asda trousers by October half term in Reception and he spent half of that time in shorts or on half days!

His original shirts were Next (tall and thin like him)- still going strong nearly 2 years later. Many, many washes, bleaching ink out, soaking school dinner stains out. Just a bit small now, but fine to hand down to dd next year.

I replaced his 7 week old Asda trousers with Next too - also still going strong, but a bit short now! I recently got some Saknsbury's school trousers and they have washed very badly.

I will be replacing DS's school uniform before the start of Next year with Next again. More expensive but well worth it.

Anathema my just-four wears 3-4 & 4-5. I have bought him a 26 (inch chest). A bit big on, but they shrink slightly and "a bit big" means it's easier for them to get on and off independently, especially on PE days.

I'd forgotten how lovely it is to see Reception at pickup on a PE day - all inside out and back to front.

All a much of a muchness really. Also, don't discount matalan for their uniform. DD is still in a cardigan which she has had 2 years in and it is only now that it is looking tired, but to the extreme that it is unwearable, it will go in the charity bag at the end of the year bevause its now a bit too short in the length.

The coulottes I got from matalan have also washed really well.

For girls, I've only found M&S temperature regulation (can't think of the right name) tights the best. The cheap supermarket one lose their elasticity around the waist after one wear.

I used to get trousers in M and S thinking they would be better. Always had a bloody problem with hems coming down and I do remember returning a pair once but I can't remember why. Last year I got Sainsburys and they have been great. Shirts I get from anywhere but most recent ones are Sainsburys. With their 25% in was £3 for 3 shirts. We get Clarke shoes and I have a boy who is very hard wearing on his school shoes. Every year they have lasted us the whole school year! Get the ones with the rubber bits on the front and not wear there is a seam along the top of the shoe.

Don't buy Clarks school shoes, they're rubbish! I'm seriously contemplating buying DD Doc Martens for next year as she seems to be a bit of a shoe wrecker.

Stevie77 Sorry but Clarks shoes have always lasted fine for us, well the one time they didn't they replaced them for free after 1 months wear.
They usually wear out just after my DC should have told me they have outgrown them.

Admittedly Start rite rarely fitted my children properly, and I am still cross about a fitter from the local Start Rite shop who reduced my 5 year olds DS to tears because he didn't like the shoes which she said fitted him best. She really didn't understand why I refused to buy them, and walked out of the shop.

Start Rite are sold here by the posher shop.

All my DCs have had Doc Martens. Started as a fashion but now because they last and look after their feet.

M&S jumpers were awful for one of mine, the whole neckline ripped off during a particularly boyish playground kerfuffle. I would buy Supermarket uniforms as they're easy to replace and do the job, a rip is a rip at the end of the day whether it cost you £5 or £20. Unfortunately mine have to wear proper named school jumpers/sweats which does leave me panicking slightly!

We're only just getting to the end of the first year of reception but so far I've decided I really like M&S trousers. I bought Tescos and Sainsbury's ones first (bought both to compare) but then found a couple of pairs of M&S ones in the local charity shop for 50p each, so bought them to compare. They are so much softer than the supermarket ones, and fade less quickly. They also fit better on my skinny boy, and they are pre-patched behind the knee.

I started with supermarket polo shirts, but DS would never take his jumper off however warm it was - turns out he likes having the school logo, and doesn't like wearing a plain shirt as people can't see what school he goes to... So I've just bought him some polo shirts from the school supplier with the logo on. At £4.50 they are certainly more expensive than supermarket ones, but they feel lovely and seem to wash well so far - and I'd spend that on a normal T-shirt for him, and he's wearing these every day. They came in 24"/26"/28" which was confusing, but he was able to try them on first. We ended up with the 26" (I think) which says 4-5, but they are pretty huge on him.

I bought Sainsbury's shoes first and they lasted three weeks... I then bought Clarks and they are still going, although they are beginning to fall apart now. His feet don't seem to grow very fast!

DD is very tall and very slim, and Next was the only place I could get her a school skirt that was long enough, and had an adjustable waist that went thin enough. The quality is good. We got a couple of school shirts and cardis from there while we were at it. Summer dresses can be in two colours (blue or yellow) and she has one of each. The blue is from Sainsburys and I think it's better quality in terms of the fabric than the yellow which is from Debenhams. The yellow fabric just seems pretty thin. Her school have some things with embroidered logos (polo shirts, jacket etc.). They are from Tesco and the quality is good. Shoes from Startrite. I have mostly got her Clarks shoes before now because her feet are narrow and they fit well, but actually the Startrite ones are much sturdier, and have much thicker soles. They are better for an active girl like DD who enjoys running and clambering around. A lot of the Clarks girls shoes in her size averred thin soled and seem more designed to look nice than be active in.