School Uniform count, does this seem like enough? Update #26

[AnnieW625]

I am already starting to budget for uniforms (September is not when I want all of this stuff due!) and wonder for a kindergartner if this is enough? We must buy everything but shoes and socks (and probably bows) from our vendor Vicki Marsha Originals (any input on vendor would be great too!).

Here is my list so far (total is $291 if I have to buy new; not that bad IMHO. I might do a want ad on Craigslist; I think the hand me down sale already happened!:():
1 Cardigan w/logo (will buy slightly big so I can get at least two years out of it)
2 sweatshirt w/logo
3 polos w/logo
2 skorts
2 flat front or pleated pants
1 flat front capri
1 pleated short
1 belt

I figure with the polos she can wear them every other day and having a 3rd as a back up, and do the same thing with the bottoms, but I can see the skort being her favorite option, but not sure if I would get 3 skorts though. I haven't seen any of this stuff in person yet so I have no idea how it's going to fit. I like the idea of the capri too, but wonder if I should just do another pair of pants instead (which I already know is going to be her least favorite thing because boys wear blue long pants!).

[traciann]

DD wore uniforms this year for kinder. I would recommend 5 polos. She got so dirty sometimes, and its stressful enough in the evenings with homework, and getting to bed early to have to do laundry on top of that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

The thing is, if you wait till July/ August they will be on a good sale, usually. So, I'd stop buying for now if you can and wait. Every store offers deals on uniforms practically (if you can buy them anywhere, I should say). Also, you should see if your school has a uniform exchange ours does. You can turn in your old uniforms and they sell them at a super, duper discount at certain times during the school year- like $3 pants.

I would also get at least a total of 5 polos, but 7 would be even better, imo. Don't forget you need to send in an extra set in cases of accidents or big messes so buy enough for that. I'm confused by your count and what she will be wearing the days she doesn't wear a polo shirt. A sweatshirt seems to be the only other real shirt on the list.

Skorts are super popular at my ds's school and I could see getting a pair more of those.

You can wait and see what works for your dd and your laundry style. We have 5 bottoms, at least, on hand and then probably 10 polo shirts. We don't need any of the extra stuff (sweatshirts...).
Beth

[cuca_]

I agree with the PPs who recommend getting more polo shirts. Does she have to wear a gym uniform any of the days? DD has to wear her gym uniform twice a week to school. I did not take this into consideration when buying her uniforms and as a result overbought.

[HIU8]

I bought:

2 pr khaki shorts
3 pr khaki pants
1 pr navy pants
2 white ss polos
2 navy ss polos
1 sweatshirt (will be getting a school sweatshirt also).
1 navy turtleneck
1 white turleneck

I asked parents actually and it turns out that for our school the boys tend to wear short sleeves all winter with sweatshirts over them. I may buy 1 more navy shirt and 1 more pr pants to keep at school. Also, K-4 does not wear a gym uniform, so their shoes have to be solid white or solid black sneakers.

[Indianamom2]

I would say you definitely need more polos (unless she can wear some other type of shirt that you didn't mention).

For DD's K year this past year, we had 4 polos (2 long-sleeved and 2 short-sleeved). Even with using long sleeved t-shirts under the short sleeved polos, I wished we had more. Not to mention, if you get a stain that won't come out, it will be nice to have an extra shirt or two. For this year, I plan on having at least 5 polos (her long-sleeved ones will still work for this year).

Also, I'd probably consider buying at least one more skort. DD really balked at wearing pants this year. We had three skirts and 3 pants, but almost all year, she wanted the skirts. I'll definitely do more skirts this time around.

[Neatfreak]

After two years of uniforms, six tops and six bottoms is going to be my plan for the next school year. That way I can do a load of laundry during the week!

[mom2ethan]

Also, I'd probably consider buying at least one more skort. DD really balked at wearing pants this year. We had three skirts and 3 pants, but almost all year, she wanted the skirts. I'll definitely do more skirts this time around.

DD, in her first year in a uniform, wore pants exactly 1 time this year and shorts 3 or 4 times. She wanted to wear her jumper every day. Is your daughter a skirt/dress only girl or will she wear pants?

I do laundry every day and would freak out if I did it just once a week! :) We had a much smaller wardrobe than others mentioned. DS was easy and had 3 of the basics (3 short sleeve polos, 3 shorts, 3 long sleeve polos, 3 pants). All shirts were the same dark color, which made it simple. He also had PE sweatpants and a school fleece that he wore like a sweatshirt. I bought more in years past but we just didn't need it.

DD had 4 jumpers (because I was given some hand-me-downs) and a similar number of SS and LS polo shirts. She also had a blouse, a sweater, those darn pants/shorts, at least 4 pairs of bike shorts to wear under her jumper, and a school fleece. She never wore her sweatpants and sweatshirt (luckily, hand-me-downs from DS). It seemed like she had a lot of clothes.

I'd get some basics now and wait to see what your DD wants after she starts school.

[AnnieW625]

Thanks for all of the recommendations and tips. My short list to start off the school year will be 4 polos, 3 skorts, and 2 sweatshirts. The kindergartners can only wear one royal blue polo, and their bottoms must be navy blue; this is so they can be easily seen on the playground. DD is very much a skirt and dress girl so I am pretty sure she'll be happy with the skort option. We'll figure out pants once it starts to get cold; she wears jeans, but I can't see her going for the "boy pants" (she is very much in a blue is a boy color unless it's in a dress).

All polos, sweatshirts, and bottoms must come from the uniform company, and the polos and sweatshirts must have the school logo on them. As far as sales go I only saw one sale in January that the school advertised at the school (when we went in for the kinder. eval.), no news on whether they will have a back to school sale or not.

I do laundry usually once or twice a week, it just depends. I might do an emergency load if needed at night, but I don't want to make a habit out of that. I'd rather error on the side of caution, but I don't think I need we need more than 4 polos.

No PE uniform is needed until the 4th grade. Athletic shoes must be mainly white but can have blue on them. They suggest that kids in K-3 wear an athletic type shoe all of the time.

[KDsMommy]

At DS's school they must wear the uniforms from the uniform company, so no pants or shorts from Target, JC Penny, or anywhere else for that matter. The Pre-K and Kindy students wear the PE uniform 4 days a week, which consists of the school logo t-shirt and navy shorts. He only wore the traditional uniform on Tuesdays. We did 5 t-shirts, 5 PE shorts (1 set for his "extra" set left at school), 1 navy polo with school crest, 1 pr khaki shorts, 2 pr. navy pants (for those rare cold South Florida days). He also has a navy Hanna survivor jacket for school. They offer a school sweater and jacket, but it's not required, so I went with the HA.

[twodogs]

I know you have already bought your uniforms, but I will add my 2 cents in case anyone else reads this thread later.

At my daughter's school, the kinders could wear a jumper, pants or shorts. The pants and shorts were identical to the boys' pants and shorts. She told me up front she didn't want pants or shorts, so I didn't purchase them. Thought I would see how it went and buy them if needed. NOT ONE GIRL in kinder ever wore pants or shorts the entire year. They didn't want to look like the boys. In winter, they are allowed to wear plain tights under their jumpers, so that is what we did. We live in the South, so the winter was not as cold as some other parts of the country, so she didn't **need** pants. Even on super cold days, I don't think she would have worn them if we had them. Just my experience!

[AnnieW625]

I know you have already bought your uniforms, but I will add my 2 cents in case anyone else reads this thread later.

At my daughter's school, the kinders could wear a jumper, pants or shorts. The pants and shorts were identical to the boys' pants and shorts. She told me up front she didn't want pants or shorts, so I didn't purchase them. Thought I would see how it went and buy them if needed. NOT ONE GIRL in kinder ever wore pants or shorts the entire year. They didn't want to look like the boys. In winter, they are allowed to wear plain tights under their jumpers, so that is what we did. We live in the South, so the winter was not as cold as some other parts of the country, so she didn't **need** pants. Even on super cold days, I don't think she would have worn them if we had them. Just my experience!

I haven't bought anything yet. I plan on taking her to the store sometime in the next month and I will most likely purchase in person. I have a feeling if the girls at her school are anything like her girl preschool classmates this year (and I think a few from other classes will be at the same school) this will be very common. No pants, just skorts. Now I will just have to convince her to wear tights, but if it's pants or tights I think she'll choose tights.

[lizzywednesday]

What colors are the uniforms? Light or dark?

My K-4 grammar school uniform was a dark plaid (navy, indigo & gray with a thin yellow stripe) jumper with a powder blue pointed-collar blouse and navy knee socks. The alternate uniform was navy poly pants with a navy poly vest, also with the powder blue pointed-collar blouse. (Starting in 5th grade, girls switched from jumpers to a vest & plaid skirt.)

I always had at least 5 blouses in my closet. Re-wearing them was not an option, as they had the potential to stain easily.

Also, having at least one blouse per day of the week helped my mom keep up with laundry. It's something you might want to consider above the cost of the pieces.

[AnnieW625]

What colors are the uniforms? Light or dark?

My K-4 grammar school uniform was a dark plaid (navy, indigo & gray with a thin yellow stripe) jumper with a powder blue pointed-collar blouse and navy knee socks. The alternate uniform was navy poly pants with a navy poly vest, also with the powder blue pointed-collar blouse. (Starting in 5th grade, girls switched from jumpers to a vest & plaid skirt.)

I always had at least 5 blouses in my closet. Re-wearing them was not an option, as they had the potential to stain easily.

Also, having at least one blouse per day of the week helped my mom keep up with laundry. It's something you might want to consider above the cost of the pieces.

This is a photo of the 1st-8 uniform (polos in light blue and white for 6-8: thank goodness, that's a good thing with all of the potential sweating:thumbsup:; blouses in white or light blue for 1-5th grade):
https://www.vickimarsha.com/images/graphic_girl.jpg

Kindergarten students wear a royal blue polo shirt with navy bottoms (skort, shorts, or pants/capris; no pleated skirts).

[lizzywednesday]

...
Kindergarten students wear a royal blue polo shirt with navy bottoms (skort, shorts, or pants/capris; no pleated skirts).

I think one extra polo might be smart, just in case - an art project goes terribly wrong or a pudding cup leaks or something, KWIM? It happens.

I'm sure they're pricey, which is why I understand the reluctance to buy a lot of them, but if they have a hand-me-down sale at the end of the year, can you plan to try & recoup some of your $$ to use towards next year's uniform?

[Momto1]

Maybe I'm a little dense, but if you're planning on doing laundry once a week, won't you need more than 4 polos? Or were you planning on having her re-wear once during the week?

[AnnieW625]

Maybe I'm a little dense, but if you're planning on doing laundry once a week, won't you need more than 4 polos? Or were you planning on having her re-wear once during the week?

I figure I'd have her re wear as long as they aren't super dirty.

[sariana]

Do you have to buy everything now?

I would replace one pair of pants with another shirt (polo or other). I maybe would do the same with the shorts (replace them with a shirt).

Can you augment later in the year if necessary? If so, you can always add another pair of pants (if we have an unusually cold winter) or shorts next spring (if it gets warm early next year--unlike this year!).

Really, I think you'll be happier having at least one shirt per day. And one bottom per day, whatever the combination happens to be.

I rewear jeans multiple times, but I never wear a shirt more than one day (unless I wore it only briefly). My DC's shirts always are a mess; they're always spilling something.

[brgnmom]

I would replace one pair of pants with another shirt (polo or other). I maybe would do the same with the shorts (replace them with a shirt).

Really, I think you'll be happier having at least one shirt per day. And one bottom per day, whatever the combination happens to be.

I rewear jeans multiple times, but I never wear a shirt more than one day (unless I wore it only briefly). My DC's shirts always are a mess; they're always spilling something.

great points above. I would buy at least 5 polo shirts. we're in a similar boat, except my DS's private school won't require uniform outfits on a daily basis. I think he has to dress in a particular uniform outfit 1x per week, but 4 out of the 5 days, he can wear other colors. we do have to purchase uniform shorts, but the long pants can be anything but sweats. I'm planning on purchasing the majority of clothing in late-July/early-August at the very latest.

[traciann]

I figure I'd have her re wear as long as they aren't super dirty.

I have never been able to have dd rewear a shirt last year in kinder. I have done skirts before but never shirts. They play outside for recess, pe, art activities, and lunch all recipes for dirty shirts.

[mecawa]

I don't know if this will help but when DD1 was in K last year this is what we had and what worked for us.

Cold Weather Uniform- (worn October- May)
2- Cardigans (bought a little big, wore again in grade 1)
4- blouses
3- jumpers (was only going to buy two but was happy to buy three when I saw the amount of abuse they were taking)
4 pairs of heavy knit tights (probably don't need these looking at where you live)
4 pairs knee socks
2- sweat pants for gym (again glad I bought 2 when I found out this is what they wear on field trips, field days etc. especially if the event was taking place the day after gym day)
2- gym t shirts
2-gym sweatshirts

Warm Weather Uniform (worn Aug-sept, and then may-june)
3- khaki shorts (again glad to get 3, DD was always coming home with dirt on her but from sitting on the playground)
4- polos
2- gym shorts
5 pairs white crew socks.

Also at our school they need to wear the uniform, scrunchie, bow, headband, etc. They couldn't wear hair accessories not from the uniform company.

For shoes we bought one pair of sneakers, and two pairs of school shoes since that was what they wore 4 days a week (mary janes, t-straps, etc.).

As they get older I feel they need less, like grade one we just did 2 jumpers, and 2 shorts, and I'm ordering the same thing for grade 2

[SnuggleBuggles]

Do you have to buy everything now?

I would replace one pair of pants with another shirt (polo or other). I maybe would do the same with the shorts (replace them with a shirt).

Can you augment later in the year if necessary? If so, you can always add another pair of pants (if we have an unusually cold winter) or shorts next spring (if it gets warm early next year--unlike this year!).

Really, I think you'll be happier having at least one shirt per day. And one bottom per day, whatever the combination happens to be.

I rewear jeans multiple times, but I never wear a shirt more than one day (unless I wore it only briefly). My DC's shirts always are a mess; they're always spilling something.

:yeahthat:

I usually have to shop once or twice more during the school year if things get too small, too stained, worn out or we just find we need/ want different things.

I wouldn't count on rewearing polos. Just buy one more.

Beth

[daniele_ut]

Just chiming in to say I'd get 5 polos as well. DS wore a uniform to K this year and he had 5 polos, 5 pairs of shorts and 5 pairs of khaki pants. There were many times when I didn't get to his laundry mid week and I was grateful for that!

He's going to a new school this year and all of his uniforms items (except shoes) have to be bought from the Dennis Uniforms. Thankfully, the school does a uniform swap and they are doing a special pre-sale for the faculty (dh is a teacher there) so I'm hoping to find some of the things we need there. If I had to buy everything he needs brand new, it would be over $400.

[squimp]

I'd get 2-3 more polos. I usually would have 5 long sleeved and 5 short sleeved polos, but I do laundry less frequently. And we wore pants or skorts more than once but never shirts. Jumpers were actually the most popular uniform pieces in our house. I liked having at least as many shirts as pants.

[abh5e8]

hmm...i know my step mom was really glad (last year) to have 5 each of ls polo, ss polo, shorts and pants for my brothers. and 2 jackets.

[AnnieW625]

We ended up buying 3 skorts, 4 polos, 1 sweatshirt, and 1 hair bow (DD1 has never gotten excited about a bow before. WOHOO!!!:) I love hair bows on little girls). I had her try on the pants and she didn't fight me on them and she actually liked the cool magnetic belt we could've gotten to go with them; however we most likely won't buy the pants until it gets colder. I think we might have to get the windbreaker w/logo too, but am waiting for final confirmation on that in the school handbook.

Now we are just waiting to find out what kind of socks she can wear, the school hand book from last year says knee socks are okay, but the school list at the uniform company said no knee socks. Hanna has knee socks on sale for $8 until 8/14 so I'll call the office in early August if we haven't gotten the new school handbook or it hasn't been updated on the webpage.

ETA: I HIGHLY recommend going into the uniform company if you can because the uniforms ran small. If I had ordered online I would've been returning everything because DD1 is a 4 or 5 in her pants/skirts/dresses so I would've ordered her a 5 in her skorts and she would've needed a 6. I probably would've ordered her shirts in XXS small too vs. XS (5-6).