Can we have a school uniform thread?

[lottieandmia]

I'm going to post my experiences with different brands and also ask about school shoes.

Next - I like the style of the cardigans but they tend to go bobbly.

The pleated skirts are very nice and wash / wear well. They also do nice track suits for PE.

Sainsbury - great polo shirts which stay white and wear well

Cardigans also very nice but although they don't bobble they do fade in colour.

Marks & Spencer - generally good quality - I have to buy skirts for dd3 from there because nowhere else does green.

John Lewis - do the best most hardwearing summer dresses. Also the shirts are very good. Unfortunately as my girls become older I'm finding the styles they do aren't as fashionable as other places though.

Usually we buy Startrite or Clarks shoes. This year I was wondering about trying Next shoes as I've seen some reviews saying they are comfortable. I also wondered about M&S. Does anyone have a view about that or do they all get similarly trashed?

M&S for dresses, skirts, wash up great and still look new after a full term.
Tesco t- shits ok, not tried any other supermarket brands
Used to always buy clarks but last year got Leila Kelly plain black Mary Jane style (no bows or gimmicks) and lasted amazingly well.

I second Sainsburys polo shirts, I get the 100% cotton bionic ones as they don't aggravate the boys skin and they seem to keep looking smart for longer than others we've had.

Ds1 likes Next jean style school trousers as they have a popper fly which he prefers.

Poor ds2 is getting what he's given as hand-me-downs . I hope they suit him cos it's tough if not.

I got dd a pair of m&s black patent boots last year for nursery and they lasted very well and were very sturdy. She starts reception this year and I am going to give their shoes a go. They do half sizes and different widths now and are much cheaper than clarks. That said, ds's clarks shoes lasted him all year last year

I buy Geox school shoes from Amazon

M&S non iron shirts

Tesco or Asda school trousers/shorts for DS2

Uniform shop trousers for DS1 - they are the only ones that fit him! Large thighs, which means most school trousers don't get much further than his knees.

Sweatshirts and polos - all logo ones so have to be bought from the specified shop. Quality pretty poor.

After 5 years of school purchasing, I now buy m&s everything as I was sick of having to replace. Not even tatty at the end of the year, but hems on trousers always need doing straight away.

I had girls who never trashed shoes. We actually polished the shoes several times a week which helps with preserving them and they were only replaced when they were grown out of. Startright or Clarks were fine.

Any supermarket or matalan for polo shirts.

Asda for shorts/skirts/trousers. Sometimes matalan. Used to be m&s but tbh the asda ones are just as good and cheaper. Asda does the adjustable waist and different fits in all sizes which is rare, often adjustable waists stop at age 8 which is just stupid. Actually dd1s skirts were from lidl last year and were amazing!

Just bought dd1 school shirts from asda too but can't rate them yet.

School shoes I have always bought from clarks previously but they have got poorer and poorer. Especially in girls shoes. DD1 has some hush puppies this year which not only fit her and are comfortable but also fit her orthotic insoles in. They were only a few £ more than the terrible unsupportive clarks I got her last year- she ended up wearing trainers most of last year but is now going in to yr 7 and the secondary school is a lot stricter. Ds has some kangol shoes from sports direct. They don't look amazing quality but are proper leather uppers and look the same quality as clarks but for half the price so even if I need to replace them it's not the end of the world (ds wears through both tops and bottoms of his shoes normally)

M and S for trousers as they are the only ones that do slim fit which just about fits DS

Asda polo shirts I have never had any issue with

I went to a clarks outlet this year. Got shoes for £22 not a style I like but they have flashing lights on them which sold them for my 5 year old DS. Last year he had Clarks and they lasted the entire year.

M&S outlets are a good place to try for trousers. I got a load last year for £2.50 a pair. They do a slim fit which looks much better on my ds. (Although not quite as hard wearing as the supermarket ones) Ive seen skirts there too but I don't t have any girls so haven't paid any attention to them.

Sainsburys or Tesco for polo shirts. (Asda and Aldi ones didn't wash as well)

V neck fine knit jumpers, I've only tried Asda but they were fine (and very cheap!!)

Vote for m&s shoes. Ours lasted all year and are not so clumpy as Clarks crap

I wonder if M&S have improved in the last few years? I bought everything from there for DS1 when he started school about 9 years ago. First year the polo shirts were great and washed well, kept their shape. The next year they were awful, really thin and bobbled in the wash. The hems always came down on the trousers too.

Just remembered I bought DS1some trousers for high school last year from M&S and the waistband separated from the trousers. Not great!

The last 6 years or so I've been buying mostly from Asda and can't fault any of it. The polo shirts wash well and are lovely and thick, the school shirts are great and the shorts, trousers and skirts are good quality too.

Another vote for M&S shoes, last year dd got through 3 Pairs, 2 of them Clarks, and they just didn't last through all the walking she does. Gone for M&S this year in the hope they'll be better. Asda plain white school shirts are brilliant, cheap as chips, and wash well again and again.

Another vote for M&S shoes, last year dd got through 3 Pairs, 2 of them Clarks, and they just didn't last through all the walking she does. Gone for M&S this year in the hope they'll be better. Asda plain white school shirts are brilliant, cheap as chips, and wash well again and again.

I have never had any issue with the quality of m and S uniform. One pair wore through the knees at the end of last term but that was ds not the pants and I think they where about 18 months old by then

Asda - short sleeved shirts had very narrow arms so returned them. Dd likes three skater school skirts though

Tesco - got short sleeved shirts from here instead (They lasted the whole of last year too). Ds has their school shorts and got plain white t-shirts for PE too

Have used bhs in the past but no more. Found m&s shrunk in the wash when I got polo shirts from there (before the school changed to shirt and tie)

This thread is really handy getting back to uniform after a few years break.
Although I am jealous of those of you that have children's feet that don't grow for a year.

ANother plus for M and S is they do shirts where the top button is replaced by Velcro and a "fake" button. I am trying them for ds who is going into year 3 but can't do buttons as he is desperate to try shirt and tie like a lot of his friends are

M&S shorts are fab - have been through 2 DS wearing all year round and still look like new.

This is the first year I've had to buy shirts and have gone with tesco for now and will report back later in the year previously it has always been branded polo shirts.

Any views on shoes for boys? My eldest gets through a pair of clarks at least every term but he is very hard on them and plays football, climbs trees, walks at least 5 miles per day in them. His feet barely ever grow (size 10 at almost 8) but he trashes shoes, even those with substantial soles and toes.

Asda for trousers. Sainsbury's trousers fall apart so much faster. Aldi polo shirts surprised me by finishing the year in better shape than any others we'd bought.

We had one pair of Lelli Kellis but unfortunately they didn't seem to be very supportive.

I bought DS2 (he's 9) shoes from Next in May as his Start Rite ones from Sept had fallen apart. They were £30 instead of the usual £48 for Start Rite, and have worn well so he can go back in them in Sept.

Next do a slim fit school trouser for my 14 year old but sadly the age 16 are now too short so I need to find him similar in men's (with an adjustable waist??!!) could be interesting.

Morrisons white polo shirts have been fab this year and DS2 is actually going back in some in Sept which is a first.

Also like Sains or Asda for plain jumpers, and Sains did lovely summer dresses when DD was still in primary school.

Bunny there are some trousers in M&S which come in an age 16 and you can choose the length up to XLong. My ds is 5ft10 and they are a bit long for him. Plus I think some of the M&S school trousers come in a couple of sizes bigger than an age 16, not age sizes but men's sizes.

Asda summer dresses. The sporty ones. Not as thick material as otger brands however for something worn a term and likely ruined by a my messy child and the sunscreen stains they are perfect. Wash and dry really well and easy to get on or off.

Sainsbury's shirts and polo shirts with the butterflies. Look lovely and wash and tumble dry well.

Sainsbury pins. Thick and very smart looming wash and dry fab and last for ages.

Bit I'm also going to recommend the asda pinafores for reception/yr 1 kids as the zip is so easy they are light and comfortable and out did m&s where the zip broke within days the asda lasted and looked good the entire yr and was grown out of befire it looked old and scruffy.

I love the next pleated skirt too. Pleated skirts have the ability to look really quite silly if they are too long( well they do on my Dds anyway) the next one we got second hand was a nice length.and looked nice.

But again yay asda as the flippy skirts are fantastic for new starters they wash tumble dry well and don't need ironing either. What's not to love.

For the price i find m&s overrated. They are no better quality than many of the supernarkets. They may look slightly nicer originally but they soon start to look a state I find and don't hold up to being worn any better than anywhere else. Great of all you are after is the nice reception photo. Not so great when you discover you are washing it practically every day and scrubbing paint out of it.

Thanks eleven I will investigate M&S! My DS is 5'11 and skinny so that sounds great. We managed to get him shoes in a Clarks outlet yesterday for £30.....he's very 'particular' about what he wears but school are clamping down on uniform this year so I haven't got much wriggle room in negotiating!