School uniform is an important aspect of school-life; get it right and the child could be spared getting in trouble over it with teachers. Get it wrong and the child could receive this hassle, and more from other pupils. As parents it’s our responsibility to ensure that our children are fully prepared for school as to make their lives easier. Kids have enough to worry about as it is, without having to worry about their school uniform too. It can be hard to provide this for your children in some instances, as the grip of the recession is tightening and child benefits are being slashed in tough austerity measures. Here’s a few tips to make sure your child gets what they need, and at the right price.
Buy Large
As you know, children grow excessively in a short period of time. As a result it’s important to buy a uniform that will last. Buying a few sizes bigger is acceptable, as long as it will not be too embarrassing for them and they’re not literally drowning in their clothes!
As parents already know, it’s important to get a little room in the end of school shoes. Even I can remember back and picture my mother pinching the ends of my shoes in Clarks as a child. Some school shoes like the Kickers Kick Lo style are a timeless playground classic, as a result of their functionality and cool looks. The Kickers Kick Lo shoe, like other shoes with similar style, incorporates a tough rounded toe with plenty of space inside, and a durable leather material for construction. These features in a shoe can save money in the long run, as buying a decent pair of shoes that will last is obviously economically viable, especially as the children get older and their growing feet slow down a bit.
Recycle
In one child families, as the child grows out of their uniform, sometimes the pieces are sold second hand to the families of children in the younger years, as you would expect with other things like textbooks. This can be a great way to get hold of ‘official’ school uniform, and it’s obviously a lot easier on the pocket as school branded blazers or jumpers always cost a fair amount to buy brand new. The school may provide a facility for these exchanges, or check the listing boards in the shops local to the schools.
If you are a family with more than one child it is definitely worth hanging on to school uniform from one child to give to their younger siblings. This obviously only works if the children will be, or are already, attending the same school. Again this works most effectively with school branded items. Something to bear in mind is that from time to time schools do rebrand, especially in recent years with the creation of academies and schools becoming specialist ‘colleges’. So whilst recycling may get you through a few years, and save a few pennies, there is always the chance that the school will rebrand and you will be forced to buy a brand new uniform.
Shopping Around
When looking for brand new items of school uniform clothing it’s worth shopping around a little to find items that are both reasonable in value and comfortable for your child. Shopping online is a good way of picking up some items, although it does have its drawbacks. Whilst being in most cases quite cheap, there is always the disadvantage that your child can’t try anything on before the purchase. Although returning items bought from online stores is getting easier and easier, it’s still a lot of hassle.
If you’re shopping for trousers or plain shirts, a local supermarket can be a great source. In recent years most UK supermarkets have dramatically diversified with regards to the types of products they stock. With the full buying force that the supermarkets enjoy, branching out into clothing has delivered truly affordable clothes to the high street. In most cases the supermarkets have brought onboard designers to help design their clothing ranges. The clothes are inexpensive and last a reasonable amount of time. During the summer holiday period it is really easy to find school uniform pieces especially geared to the local schools within these retail giants.
Citations:
For the girls Kickers Kick Lo head over to Peppermint where they have a great collection of Kickers shoes available including the iconic Kickers Kick Hi.
