School uniforms

Annie will be starting kindergarten in the fall at a charter school with uniforms. How many pieces, particularly bottoms, does she need? I plan to have a minimum of 5 shirts, but I have no idea how many skirts/pants to get. I don't see a need for shorts because she can wear the skirt when it's warm.

What do you recommend? Thanks!

 

My girls wear uniforms to school. They both start out the year with two pairs of pants, two skirts or dresses, and a pair of shorts or capris. They each have 5 shirts in different colors (depends on what your school allows). Then as the year goes on we play it by ear and just get them what they need. Usually the two pairs of pants are good enough to last the whole year if you make them change when they get home. I love having uniforms. It makes shopping and getting ready so much easier.

P.S. Old Navy and Target uniform pants are really nice and last for a long time.

 

So 5 bottoms.

They can wear white or red shirts; I'm leaning toward mostly red so it looks cleaner. The last Catholic school I taught in finally let the K and 1st graders wear hunter green shirts in addition to white. The shirts, though clean, were looking rather cream colored by the middle of the year.

I do plan to have her change her clothes and shoes (they want plain white tennis shoes) the minute we get home!

Thanks, Heather!

 

Don't get white shirts!!! I learned that the hard way with Joel his first year. Now they all wear navy blue.

Each of my boys have at least 5 summer, 5 fall tops and 5 pair of pants. I have a few shorts they can wear too, probably 3 each. Even though they are supposed the change out of their uniform when they get home, they still often can't wear them the next day because they are filthy.

 

Just a thought on the shorts--in my kids' elementary school, they spent a lot of time sitting on the floor in the morning through at least 3rd grade for reading time. It can get difficult to sit modestly in a skirt on the floor. Don't know if your kids' school does anything like that, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

 

We go to a charter school with uniforms, too. I would base how many uniforms on how often you do laundry. I try to have about 6 pairs of pants for my kids since I only do laundry once a week. I second the rec NOT to buy the white shirts, unless you want some to go under jumpers. My boys are just too hard on theirs. I also learned that it really pays to shop at Sears and Shopko for school pants, because they'll replace them for free with the same size and same pair if they are worn out. My daughter is pretty neat with her clothes, but my oldest son has ripped holes in SO many pairs of pants.

 

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It can get difficult to sit modestly in a skirt on the floor.

Her skirts have the shorts built right in, so that won't be a problem. Thanks for the reminder, though!

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I would base how many uniforms on how often you do laundry. I try to have about 6 pairs of pants for my kids since I only do laundry once a week.

Oh, dear! My girls have so many clothes, mostly all hand me downs, that I do their wash every week and a half to 2 weeks. Looks like school uniforms will be a load of their own on the weekend!

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I also learned that it really pays to shop at Sears and Shopko for school pants, because they'll replace them for free with the same size and same pair if they are worn out.

That's a great idea!

Looks like I will be returning the 2 skirts I bought in favor of 2 hand me down skirts. They're not nearly as cute, but I can use that $17 to buy shirts! That leaves her with 1 jumper, 2 pants, and about 4 skirts.

I knew I could get some help here! Thanks!!

 

We have 5 shirts each in assorted colors ( no white). Right now we only have 3 bottoms each. 2 cargo type shorts & 1 dressy pair. We are waiting on pants in case they grow some before they are needed.

 

Thankfully, my sister's 3 children attended the same private school so we have TONS of hand me downs...
Our white shirts seem to wash rather well... I just toss them in w/ my load of whites, on HOT, w/ bleach... they come out great, and even the school logo stays intact.
They like having the option of a 3rd color. (Navy, Red, White) Dress uniform shirt is only Mondays lt. blue/white striped oxford~also goes in the white laundry load...
They try to alternate shirt colors so that people can decipher who is who...even though they are in sep classes. (they share lunch/recess time)
They just aren't allowed to wear the white on spaghetti or lasagna hot lunch days...

 

The girls went to K in Louisiana and they had uniforms too. We had a jumper too, and that lasted 1 wear, because no one else ever wore them. So, be aware of that. We used mostly shorts (so hot in Louisiana) and the skirt with the built in shorts underneath. For each girl we had, 3 shorts, 2 capris, 2 skirts, 2 long pants, 4 short sleeve navy shirts, 2 white shirts, 2 long sleeve navy shirts, 2 long sleeve white shirts, a few school t-shirts, and 1 school sweat shirt. That did pretty well too. I wasn't running to wash their clothes every other day, but I was doing about 1 load of school clothes a week. And if you think they are going to be able to wear an 'outift' more than once before washing, it won't happen. My kids came home covered in their work (paint, markers, pencil, pens, glue, glitter...you name it!). Best of luck!! I loved having uniforms. We are back in PA now, so it is back to street clothes. Too competitive with that. I much preferred the uniform.

 

Being in Mid-MI too, I would do less skorts/jumpers, more pants. Ally wears a uniform, and she has 5 pairs of pants, 5 long sleeve tops, 5 short sleeve tops, and and just 2 skorts for when it's warm out.

Dealing with thick tights under the jumpers/skirts in the winter is a big PITA, especially if she's not used to wearing them all the time. It could lead to potty accidents if she can't get them down quick enough.

 

My girls will be going to a University-Model School so they only have school twice a week. I'm getting them two short sleeve shirts, two long-sleeve shirts, two pants, and two skorts. Hopefully, that will last them the year since I will definitely be having them change when they get home. Also, since my girls are identical and will be in the same class I got them different colors of uniforms so the teacher would always be able to tell them apart at a glance. (white shirt with navy pants for one, blue shirt with khaki pants for the other).