What's New at Children's Place for Back to School 2017

As the 2017 Back to School season gets underway, I checked out the school uniform collection at the Children's Place to look for anything new or updated. The most notable change is that they now allow returns of online only items to their retail and outlet stores. Yeah! Several of the school uniform items are offered as "online exclusives". Previously, if you took a risk and ordered an item online and it turns out that it didn't fit, you them had to go through the hassle and expense of mailing the item back. Now, you can simply return the item to your local store.  This change is a win for consumers.

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Skater Skort

Last year they began to offer a popular style of the skater skirt in their uniform collection. The downside for the item was that it was a skirt and not a scooter. This year it was been updated to include the built in shorts underneath. Yeah again, this simple change simplifies shopping because you don't have to find separate shorts to wear underneath. Built in shorts give girls the confidence to run and climb on the playground at recess.

Boys Uniform Long Sleeve Mock Neck Zip Sweater

I also noticed a long sleeve mock neck zip-up sweater in the boys uniform collection. I believe this classic style is new in the Children's Place collection, but has been a best seller at competing retailers.  This zip up style is 60% cotton and 40% acrylic. My daughter loves the zip-up style sweater, and I don't see any reason why Moms should shy away from ordering this sweater for their daughters. I plan to test and review this item this season, so I'll let you know how the color and quality hold up.

Fun Fund: Girls Uniform Polo Short Sleeve Skater Dress

I recently wrote about how I've been seeing new skater skirt styles in the school uniform collection's this season. Here is the dress version of that trend.

This Girls Uniform Polo Short Sleeve Skater Dress skater style polo dress from the Children's Place is made of 97% cotton/3% spandex piqué. I like the longer length that is designed to fit above the knee. I would still have my young daughter wear bike shorts underneath, but that's just me. I think it is a missed opportunity that they do not offer this dress is navy.  It is currently only available only in hunter green and red which will not work for as many girls that wear uniforms to school.  It retails for $19.95.

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Fun Find: Girls Long Sleeved Ruffled Cardigan Sweater

This long sleeved ruffled cardigan from Children's Place is a fashion friendly option for girls that are required to wear school uniforms.  It is available in sizes XS (4) through XL (14) and is made from 100% cotton jersey.  It seems like it would be perfect to have handy during the warmer months when she might need a light layer while inside in the air conditioning. The style is versatile that she can wear it over dresses too. This sweater is offered in navy or gray retailing for $24.95.

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Skater Skirt Trend Arrives in School Uniform Collections

I have been loving the skater skirts and dresses for girls. It is nice to see this trend making its way to the school uniform collections of major retailers.  Because the skirts are full and loose at the bottom, check if they include built in shorts.  If not, you will want to have a comfortable garment to wear underneath that offers modesty without bulk.  If you need some ideas, check out one of our most popular posts on modesty on the playground.

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Here are some examples of new girls skater skirts in school uniform collections:

Cat & Jack Girls' Ponte Knit Skater Skirt 

This skirt has an elastic, but not an adjustable waist, so check the size chart to get a good fit.  It has shorts built in underneath. It is made from a shrink resistant ponte knit fabric and offered in navy and khaki. It retails for $12.99.

Children's Place Girls Ruffled Skater Skirt
This pull on skirt is made of 73% polyester/23% rayon/4% spandex. Note - no built in shorts underneath. It retails for $16.95.  It is offered in navy or gray.

Lands' End School Uniform Girls Solid Side Button Skirt

This button skirt has the cut of a skater skirt with the cute button detail on the side.  This skirt is different from those above because it features an adjustable inner waistband in girls sizes. The toddler style has an elastic back waistband. It is 65% polyester/ 35% rayon Easy-care fabric resists stains, wrinkles & fading. It has a single pocket on the right hand side.  It retails for $35 and is available in gray, navy and khaki.

Izod Skater Scooter Skirt
This option has shorts built in! It is available in toddler and girls regular and plus sizes at JCPenney. It retails for $24.  It has an elastic waist, but not the adjustable waist, so check the sizing chart before ordering.

School Uniform Wardrobe Review for a 3rd Grade Girl

What's in our School Wardrobe?

It's been a while since I looked in my daughter's closet, took inventory of what's in her school wardrobe and shared a full school wardrobe review. My last full review was 3 years ago when I shared our Kindergarten School Uniform Wardrobe. This year, I really didn't do much back to school shopping. She hadn't grown much, so many items from last school year were still in good shape and still fit. But we have added a few new items that I picked up on sale.

Since the year started, we've transitioned all of her shirts rotating out all of her girls size medium shirts (7-8) to girls size large (10-12). The list below shows the types of wardrobe items in the school wardrobe including which brand. I think it is a good example of how diverse her wardrobe is by brand. A handful of these items were received complementary for evaluation in a review, however, most were purchased from the family budget. Disclosures are included in the full review posts, when relevant.

Girls School Uniform Wardrobe Inventory

• 3 short sleeve polos (Dockers, Classroom, French Toast Waist Tuck)
  
• 3 long sleeve polos (Lands' End Peter Pan, Cherokee, Children's Place Ruffle-Placket)
  
• 3 pair of Cherokee Flat Front Uniform Pants (While we've tried other brands that I liked, my daughter prefers these bootcut basics from Target.)
  
• 6 scooters (Cherokee Pleated Scooter, Cherokee Uniform Scooter, Lands' End Ponte Button Front, Schoolbelles Side Pleat Skort, Lands' End Solid A line Skirt and a Dockers Scooter)
  
  Before you ask - Yes, its a fair question. Why do we have 6 scooters? If you're building a school wardrobe for the first time, I would only recommend purchasing one or two. We've acquired these over time. My daughter seems to get the most value from scooters as some of these skirts have been in the rotation for 3 years already.
  
  The Docker's one has been hanging in the closet with tags on it for since Kindergarten waiting for her to grow into it. It has an elastic waist, but it is not adjustable. The skirt may be too short once her waist grows into it. Lesson learned; adjustable waistbands are key.
  
• 5 sweaters (Lands' End Performance Zip Front Cardigan, Children's Place Uniform Cardigan, Primary Cardi, H&M, Gap)
  
  Again, you don't need 5 sweaters. My daughter now has a favorite which she now carries with her in her backpack daily. The rest hang in the closet and might be worn on the weekend. But it did take trying different brands and styles to find her favorite.
  
• 2 pair of Boot Cut Yoga Pants (Children's Place Bootcut Foldover Active Pants and Lands' End Yoga Pants)
  
• 4 short sleeve t-shirts (Children's Place t shirt, Primary Polo, French Toast v-neck T, French Toast crew.)
  
• 2 long sleeve t-shirts (Circo, Children's Place)
  
• 2 pair of shorts (Gap, Lands' End)
  
  Both of these were leftover from last year's wardrobe and will need replaced for Spring because she has finally outgrown them.
  
• 4 active skorts (Children's Place)
  
  Again, you surely wouldn't need 4 of these in a first year wardrobe. In fact, you might not need any. My daughter likes to wear the Children's Place active skort for PE days during warmer months. We have 4 of them because I kept buying them on clearance forgetting that I had already put one away in the next size up. Yep, that happened 3 times. Oops.
  
• Sneakers for PE (Striderite)
  
• Mary Jane style shoes (Striderite)
  
• Accessories : bike shorts for under the skirt (French Toast), cuff socks (Gold Toe), knee socks (Code Socks and French Toast) and tights (Circo and French Toast).

What's missing?

Jumpers or dresses. Simply because my daughter is not a fan. She has a strong aversion to jumpers, always has. Maybe it's hereditary since I'm not a fan either. I used to be able to get her to put on a cotton polo dress, but not since first grade. She simply prefers to wear separates. If your daughter likes dresses and jumpers, you'll need fewer separates.

The Hunt for Girls Boot Cut Yoga Pants

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We have been fans of the Bootcut Foldover Active Pants from Children's Place for several years. My daughter doesn't like tight fitting leggings, so she much prefers boot cut or flare yoga pants.  Both for weekend wear and for PE wear for school, she has worn and outgrown many pairs of these active pants. I shared thoughts about them in a previous post touting that they are great for PE days.

Over last summer, our daughter grew an inch or two, so her navy PE pants were getting too short.  I logged onto the Children's Place website to order a few new pair. Much to my disappointment, they changed them.  And these new active pants just aren't working for us.

In the past, the active pants came in numbered sizes (4 - 14) making it easy to move up a size with each growth spurt.  Now the active pants come only in sizes, XS thru XL.  This eliminated 3 sizing options for the girls from 8 sizes to only 5. My daughter wears a size 8 or 9 in most brands that offer numbered sizing. She is currently too tall for the medium size, but the large is too big in the waist and way too long for her.  The active pants in the size large seem as long as other brands pants in a kids 10-12 size.   I recall we had similar difficulty finding pants when she was between a 6X and a 7. There was a 4 inch difference in the inseam with most brands.


The Children's Place also changed the fit of the leg on the active pants. The bootcut pants had a "slightly flared leg opening for a flattering fit".  The leg of the Skinny Foldover Active Pant is a straight leg pant.

The Children's Place change in sizing of the active pants combined with the change in the leg style has us shopping other brands.  So, I then logged on to another of my favorite go-to sites, Lands' End. I was surprised to learn that the Girls Yoga Boot Cut Pants are now also only offered in XS - XL sizes. I reviewed them for the Back to School season in 2014 and at that time, they were offered in numbered sizes 4 - 16.

I am not liking this trend of eliminating the numbered sizing options.  I can understand that it is better for the retailer making inventory management easier, etc.  But as a Mom, this is frustrating.  Like most Mom's, I take care to provide appropriate clothing for my child to wear.  I don't like her wearing "floods", or pants that are too short, or shirts that are too snug with her belly hanging out the bottom.  On the other hand, I hate when the next larger size is so big it looks like she's drowning in it.

If I had the time and skill, I could alter the items to fit her properly.  But I'd much prefer to have the option to buy her a size that fits, with just a bit of wiggle room to grow.

As I end my rant and this hunt, I concluded the hunt after finding that the medium size Girls' Yoga Pants at Target were 2 inches longer than the size 7 Children's Place active pants.  I found one pair at our local store. Then, a friend gave us a pair of size 8 hand me downs from Lands' End.  This is getting her through her two back to back PE days each week, at least until the next growth spurt. Then while I was in a Children's Place Outlet store just last weekend, I found a few pair of the number sized boot cut active pants in navy that were left over from the previous season.  I bought 2 pair.  I would have bought them in the next size up, but sizes were limited. The boot cut style disappeared from the Children's Place website for a few months, but I see that they are offered again now.  I'm hoping this is a sign that they are coming back and not just a short lived, inventory clearance offering.

Are you noticing this trend too?  Have you had trouble finding leggings for school that fit properly? Tell us what your noticing and add your opinion in the comments below.

What's New at Children's Place for Back to School 2015

I spent some time on the Children's Place site browsing for new items in the Uniform Collection.  The largest number of new items are the PE wear, or more casual clothing that is appropriate for Physical Education class.  I noticed and shared these items back in January.  In case you missed it, go take a look. 

I also found a few pieces that appear to be new for this Back to School season. 

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Girl's Skater Skirt

I just love, love the look of this girls skater skirt. I just wish it also had built in knit shorts.  Since it doesn't, you'll also need to wear some bike shorts under it.  It is an above the knee length in a pull on style.  The fabric is blend of 75% polyester/20% rayon and 5% spandex ponte.  It is available in dark gray and navy.

Uniform Pullover Box Pleat Jumper

I also love the easy look of this Uniform Pullover Box Pleat Jumper. The pullover style has single box pleat at center lower bodice. Like the skater skirt, the fabric is the same blend of 75% polyester/20% rayon and 5% spandex ponte in dark gray an navy.




For the boys, they also added quite a few casual pieces like sweatpants, fleece pants, pull-on cargo shorts, crew neck sweatshirts, and short and long sleeve basic tees in all the expected uniform colors earlier this year.

Otherwise, not many changes in the boy's department.  I haven't noticed this Uniform Rain Jacket until now, so it might be new this season. It is basic enough to be a unisex rain jacket.

Uniform Rain Jacket Features:

Made of 100% nylon twill

Lined in 100% polyester taffeta

Treated for water resistance

Snap button front over zipper closure

Front envelope pockets

Frugal Finds: School Uniforms on Clearance at Children's Place

This girl's Uniform Jumper is on sale at the Children's Place.  It retails for 24.95 but is on sale for $8. Hello, that is more than 65% off!  If you have a little girl that likes the jumper option for school wear, scoop this up now.  Order in multiples, getting her current size and then one size up too.  It is available in khaki and navy in almost all sizes. It is 98% cotton ad 2% spandex.  We haven't tried this jumper, but our other navy items from Children's Place have held their color very well.

In fact, just about all uniform items are on clearance at Children's place right now. You can pick up some girls Uniform Shorts for $6. The boy's Chino Shorts also a couple of bucks off at $15.00.

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FeaturedBasic: Girls Uniform High-Low Hoodie

The Featured Basic Series shares basic uniform pieces for boys and girls that comply with uniform dress codes at many public, private, charter and parochial schools.

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My daughter is obsessed with the current Hi-Low trend in girls clothing. These items are cut to intentionally hang lower in the back than the front. We recently picked up a Hi-Low dress and a hi-low t-shirt for her weekend wardrobe. Children's Place has added a Uniform Hi-Low Hoodie to their girls school uniform collection. The hoodie is offered in basic navy and fuchsia.  Reviewers describe it as a thin extra layer that would be good indoors, but not warm enough to serve as a spring jacket. I think this item will be a hit with many school aged girls.

What do you think of the Hi-Low trend?

New Phys Ed Wear from Children's Place

I was browsing online at Children's Place when I noticed what I think are a few new uniform items in their uniform collection intended for PE class.

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For Boys, they have expanded their uniform collection to also include basic short sleeve tee shirts in 8 different colors, long sleeve basic tee shirts in 9 colors, a uniform pullover sweatshirt in navy and gray, and basic sweatpants (see left) in navy and gray.  They continue to offer the uniform hoodie zip up in 5 colors. And even though these basics are listed in the boys section of the site, These items could also work just fine for most girls.



For the girls, they added a few new items that also serve as PE basics.  The added a uniform gym pullover in navy and gray.  It has a cute front pocket. The uniform hi-low hoodie in navy is more feminine with a ruffle style bottom that is a bit longer in the back. The girls uniform gym sweatpants also come in navy and gray.



As I have mentioned before, my daughter and I are fans of the Children's Place active short from the Active collection.  My daughter has lives in them during the summer months and we have several in navy that she wears on PE days in early Fall and late Spring.  We even have 3 of them that I picked up on clearance tucked away in my daughter's next size.  So, I love the cute and comfy look of the uniform gym skort made in french terry and offered in gray.   I hope they add an option for this skort in navy.




I realize that I might be one of the only people that gets excited about new school uniform items, but I am excited about the new girls uniform gym shorts.  Like the skort, they are a 100% cotton french terry.  What makes them different is that they have a longer inseam that will pass the fingertip test and comply with most uniform dress codes.




I look forward to checking out these new items in person.  I will add an update when we do.  You should note that most of these items are offered online only and can only be returned via mail.

Related Posts:

Children's Place School Uniforms - Retail Roundup Series

Children's Place Girls Active Wear - Great for PE Class

Children's Place Uniform Shorts, a Review

Children's Place School Uniform Cotton Sweater, a Review

New Phys Ed Wear from Children's Place

Featured Basic: Girls Uniform High-Low Hoodie

Pin These Budget Friendly School Uniforms for Girls

If you have a tight Back to School Budget, check out these school uniform options for girls that were selected for the our Back to School Best Bets:

Follow Uniform Mom's board Best Bets on a Budget for 2014 Back to School Uniforms for Girls on Pinterest.

Children's Place School Uniform Cotton Sweater, a Review

Last summer, I spent time researching clothing items for the "Best Bets" series for Back to School. When reviewing the options for girls school sweaters, I found that many retailers offered inexpensive acrylic sweaters, but only a few offered them in cotton.  The most budget friendly of the cotton sweaters was the Crew Neck Cardigan Sweater offered by The Children's Place. I picked one up in navy at the local outlet for my daughter to try this year.

During the cooler months of the school year, I pack a sweater in my daughter's backpack everyday. Sometimes she comes home wearing it and sometimes it is still in her bag.  I never want her to be cold, so I make sure she always knows that there is a sweater in her bag. Each Friday, I put it in the laundry pile for the weekend.  Once clean, it goes back in the bag.  So this year, I alternated between her favorite sweater from last school year and this new one.  Both are made of cotton and very soft.

Children's Place
Crew Neck Cardigan Sweater 

I am pleasantly surprised that this Children's Place sweater has not shrunk or faded.  It has held it's color as a true navy through many washings so far this year. It still looks new and we're half way through the school year.  We found it to be true to size.

It retails for $19.95.  It is still available online in limited quantities in white, pink and heather gray. Please note that these colors are online exclusives and can only be returned by mail. Recently, I was back at my outlet store again where I saw the navy sweaters were still available.  That day they were 30% off.

These sweaters are great for school. They can be worn over a polo or peter pan blouse. They are also perfect for over a jumper or a even a "non-uniform" dress. And the cotton jersey fabric works well with casual as well as outfits for dresser occasions. If you are shopping for a boy instead, the Children's Place carries a Boys Uniform V-Neck Sweater in the same cotton jersey fabric.

My daughter loves this sweater. Being honest, she only cares about two things. 1) Fit - if it's too tight she'll pull it right off. The sleeves on this sweater are just wide enough that she can comfortably wear her long sleeve polo under it on really cold days. and 2) Texture - it's gotta be soft. Itchy fabrics are a no-go for her. I like it too and would definitely recommend it. I care about price; it's a fair deal at regular price and an even better deal if you can catch a sale. I also care how it looks and how it holds up. Since it still looks good after 3 months of regular use, I would definitely buy this item for her again. In fact, I just picked up two more Children's Place cardigan sweaters in different colors and similar styles for her to wear over her Sunday School dresses.

Children's Place Uniform Shorts, a Review

I picked up another pair of girls school uniform shorts at the Children's Place outlet in the spring. The regular retail price is $14.95, but you can frequently find them on sale.  Because they are 98% cotton, they are softer than some of the other brands we've tried. However, being cotton they do not look crisp and neat straight out of the dryer. They look better ironed.  They are available in khaki and navy in girls sizes 4-14.  The waist is adjustable.  They come with a cute ribbon belt. My daughter is still too young to manage it on her own, so she hasn't used it. It would be a great for older girls.

The other day helping my daughter with a quick change to head to an after school activity, she expressed frustration with the button on these shorts. As a first grader, she can manage smaller buttons without assistance, but seems to prefer bottoms with the 'hook and slide' closures.

We now have a few pair of these shorts and they all have held up well to frequent wearings and washings. The color has held up well and they seem to get softer after each time through the laundry.  I used to iron them each week for her, but these days I'm too busy blogging to iron these days. ;)

A Year in Reviews-Kindergartner's School Uniform clothing items

School's out!

It seems like just yesterday we were attending Preschool graduation. Tomorrow is the last day of school for our daughter, and I can't believe how fast this school year has gone. During her first year at elementary school, she has made new friends and learned many new things, probably most importantly reading and writing simple sentences and basic addition and subtraction.  Socially, she made new friends and learned how to hold her own on the playground with the big kids at after school care.

Since she started Kindergarten at a school with an established uniform dress code, she doesn't know any different when it comes to school clothes. I've become a fan of the uniform dress code because it makes getting dressed for school each day very simple.  After I learned which stores carry uniform collections, shopping for her clothes is simple.  I've become a fan of several brands that have held up well for her this past school year.  Some items didn't work so well, and we'll skip over those during next year's shopping.  I've learned when things go on sale and learned to spot a bargain on the quality items.  

As we wrap up the school year, I thought I'd look back at the items from my daughter's Kindergarten wardrobe that I've reviewed this school year. Last fall, I set out to buy a week's worth of school clothes and hoped to pick items that would last the full year.  Each of these represent lessons learned- some good and some bad.

• Izod School Uniform Bermuda Shorts
• Cherokee School Uniform Pants
• Izod Flat Front Skirt
• Cherokee School Uniform Scooter
• Izod Short-Sleeve Woven Shirt
• George brand long-sleeve polos
• H&M's Organic Cotton T-shirts
• Lands End Girls Uniform Pleated Twill Skort
• Cardigan sweaters (Land's End, Cherokee and French Toast)
• Lands' End Knit Ruffle Front Dress
• Children's Place Active Skort and Fold-over Active Pants
• Myself Belt's Navy Canvas belt
• Lands End Kiki 3 Strap Skimmer shoes
• Saucony Radar LT LTT Sneakers
• Stride Rite Carla shoes 
• Cherokee uniform shoes (Falda Ballet)

(photo used with permission from Microsoft)

What to Wear Under a Skirt for Modesty on the Playground

I see London. I see France.  I see your little girl's underpants!

Egads!  You don't want to hear any kids singing that song with your daughter's name in it.  And as if that thought isn't motivating enough, here are three other good reasons you'll need to find a solution for what she can wear under skirts and jumpers at school:

• Your little girl will want to play on the playground at recess.
• Your little girl will have to sit crisscross applesauce at circle time. 
• And just in case, your little girl doesn't always act like a little lady.

If skirts and jumpers are in your regular wardrobe rotation, then you need another article of clothing to retain a little modesty.  I've found three options:

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The Bike Short  

They are tight fitting shorts with stretch. You can find them at major retailers.  Over the years, we've had several pairs of these from various vendors.  The Circo brand bike shorts at Target (update - sorry this brand is no longer available) have held up well for us. The Children's Place leggings and bike shorts are my favorite because they seem to have just the right amount of stretch to them.  Gymboree brand are my least favorite because they don't seem to have enough stretch in them and they don't hold their shape as well as the others.  Here are links to you can check out bike shorts from these retailers:

• Children's Place
• Cat and Jack at Target
• French Toast brand at Cookies Kids
• French Toast

Bootie shorts

I'm not crazy about the name either, but that's what the kids call them.



They are the boyshort style shorts usually worn by dancers and gymnasts over practice leotards. We recently bought a pair of Capezio Girls' Boy Cut Low Rise Short at our local dance-wear shop. They are also offered at major retailers such as Amazon or at a local specialty retailer. We found they ran true to size. They are made from 90% nylon and 10% spandex. You can launder them with your other workout wear, but hang them to dry.

 

Knit Shorts

I have only come across a handful of uniform retailers that carry knit shorts made for the purpose of wearing under skirts. The Gap and their sister store, Old Navy, used to carry a 3 pack, but I no longer see them available.

This year, French Toast began to offer what they call "Kick Shorts". We haven't tried them yet, but they are described as  a fitted pull-on shorts designed to be worn under a skirt or jumper. The price is right at $4.98 each. They come in all sizes from 2T through a size 16.

Cartwheel Shorts

Children's Place added a nylon Cartwheel Short with 5% spandex. They are sold in a two pack and retail for $16.95.

Children's Place also has a knit cartwheel short.  They are made from 94% cotton with 6% spandex.   Compared to other Children's Place matchables, we found these to run small.  While they are intended to be short and fit snugly, I'd recommend you go up a size.

JC Penney also carries a  2 pack of Maidenform Playground Pals (R).  While we wish they were offered in 2 packs of solids in uniform basic colors, they do offer a set in navy and white, as well as other colors.

(photo used with permission from borntobewild1946)
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