school uniforms

Having just read through this 'chat' I would like to say that many parents are currently buying school uniform in preparation for the new school year in September! Why have I weighed in on this? Well I work in a school outfitters....as Nanapug states usually school outfitters offer a discount at this time of year...the reason why? Well mainly as outfitters have to apply to be an official supplier of uniform for each particular school....all schools have different styles, colours, logo's etc and the small independent outfitters has to order each schools items many months in advance and all sizes......some tartans are designed by school then material needs to be woven, sent for making kilts etc up before being delivered to us.
Logos are embroidered onto garments... each school can have 6 different 'house logos'....completely impossible having enough sizes, house colours for everyone mid to late August! So disappointed children having to wait past return to school for uniform!
We measure each child...ensuring we allow for growth spurts.
Name labels are ordered (embroidered) ones, which patents will iron on hopefully a few days before start of term.
If (I have never had it happen) a child has grown out of uniform riot to start date we will happily exchange for next size up! Happy unstressed parents.
So let's be nice and nor post negative comments to a thread that was obviously from a proud 'nanna' about her granddaughter.

And yet they say so many children are overweight! All the girls I see seem to be very thin.

That's what I thought anno but SiL warned him that 'things would happen' during the first few days including a bit of roughing up on the bus! The tie thing was the only one thankfully as T is a delicate wee flower, but he coped....

Marmight, your GS's 'initiation' sounds more like bullying to me. When I was at school, we had royal blue blazers which, in the salty sea air eventually looked more like sky blue. I always got a new one, as there were two younger sisters to inherit them.

It's also an extra expense if the uniform has to be bought from a designated store, as were my DSs' 31 years ago. It sounds as if this was the case with your GD's uniform, nanapug.

When I went to my senior school, which happened to be the same one Nanapug went to too, my blazer was so enormous when I started that my hands were invisible and by the time I left 5 years later, the sleeves were half way up my forearm! Things were meant to last back in the '60's
I spent a jolly hour or two in January (in Oz) ironing name tapes onto gs's new school uniform including one on the label of his tie. On day one he returned home with said label and half the tie cut off; apparently it's part of the 'initiation' dealt out by older boys to new boys . His Mama was not too pleased.....

A little tummy is a very useful thing to have Bellanonna!! Yes, annodomini it certainly was. They also charge £3 a garment to have the child's initials embroidered on to all their stuff but fortunately my DD has an embroidery machine so she has also saved there!! The Cash's order is going in as we speak!!

That 25% discount was worth having, nanapug. It's a pricey business kitting a child out for school. Just cross your fingers that she doesn't grow 5 inches in the next year! DS2 and partner both work for a retail company that gives them 25% discount, so they are in the right jobs! Incidentally, for those grans who sometimes (like me) get the job of sewing on name tapes: I looked on Google to see if Cash's names were still in business and found that, as well as the old woven ones, they now do iron-on labels, so ordered 50 for each of the two youngest GSs, one of whom has a long record of losing things at school and cubs. jjcash.co.uk/

Ah, nanapug it sounds as though you enjoyed your day out with the family. "My" little 4 year old has the same problem. She is really skinny and skirts do tend to fall off her so she wears mostly dresses and dungarees. Her 2 year old sister, on the other hand, has a nice little tummy to keep things held up.

Thank you all for your apologies. I understand why, but when one puts a chatty thread up and gets what comes across as criticism, it makes one question the forum. I too apologise for biting back but sadly have experienced similar before. I think there is a problem with the written word as opposed to the spoken word and people come across harsher than is meant. Yes, you are right annodomini, it is easier with girls. She was very excited and we made a day of it, having lunch out and then going to buy a new pencil case with all the trimmings!!What more does a girl want!!

Sorry, nanapug. I didn't mean to be censorious. I'm glad you enjoyed the shopping trip to buy uniform. I remember when we moved north, having a traumatic, not to say prodigiously expensive, time buying complete sets of uniform (and games kit) for two teenage sons whom it was very difficult to round up and persuade to take the matter seriously! It must be easier with girls.

nanapug I wasn't at all being critical of your daughter or your post come to that! I was merely responding to the posts on this thread....

Apologies from me too,Nanapug.

'Our' two are also growing soooo fast and very sporty, tall and bordering on the (very fit) but skinny. I certainly would NOT buy any uniform for them 4 months in advance ...

Nanapug I feel bad now, as yesterday on another thread I mentioned that non-genuine posts sometimes appear at half term, often on the subject of plimsolls/school uniform, written by someone who's never been seen before and the backstory is clearly fictitious.
I know you've been on GN for ages and you are genuine but it would have been easy for others to jump to conclusions.
Sorry

As I said in the post above Jenty61, the offer of 25% discount is the reason, and they allow plenty of room for growth. Good for you that you got yours a week before they went back to school but please do not criticise my daughter for doing something that you know nothing about.

Ha ha, I actually have three grandchildren starting at new schools in September so yes my sewing skills will be in demand for the name tapes LullyDully, but as you say, it will have to be last minute!! I am very lucky x

how can you measure a child for a school uniform ready for september this early...a child can have a growth spurt and it wont fit come september...I always got my kids uniforms a week before they went back to school....

That sounds good, better not sew in the namespaces. 25% off....that's a great saving. My gd going to new school in September with a rather frightening clothes list, that would be a good saving. Glad you too enjoy your group, after no sisters, 2 sons and 3 grandsons I adore mine.

Gosh, what negative comments on a perfectly innocent thread saying what a lovely day I had had and mentioning our frustrations. I thought this was supposed to be a place where one could chat about anything. It reminds me of why I rarely come to this forum. Yes, she is being fitted now "pensionpat" because there is plenty of room for her to grow heightwise and she is not going to get any fatter between now and then, and also they offer 25% discount to parents who get it all ordered early and if the children have grown too much by September they will exchange. Not that I should have to explain myself to you.

Probably the making them grow!

I have noticed that the summer seems to be a 'sprouting' time for my GC. I'm not sure it's a good idea to buy school uniform so early. Feet also grow during the summer, but have you seen children's shoe shops at the end of the summer holidays? Huge queues on a ticket basis! It's a rock and hard place situation. And all too often when your number is called, the style/size your fussy offspring wants is out of stock.
One of my GSs is another of those very slim children for whom it's very difficult to buy trousers that fit. It's difficult, too, to hand down clothes to his younger brother who is taller and chunkier, a completely different species!

Oh no, it's not is it . Apologies nanapug

Thank goodness

I was just about to think "Oh no not again" but it's not one of those other school uniform threads.