New Girls Bermuda Shorts from French Toast

The updated Girls Bermuda short by French Toast is is an instant classic on warm-weather days. This knee-length short is crafted with a comfortable and durable cotton blend stretch twill fabric and features functional front & back pockets. The adjustable waist helps her get a secure and comfy fit.

Features:

• Cotton Blend Twill
• Stretch, Comfort That Lasts
• Adjustable Waist, The Best Fit & Room For Them To Grow
• Non-Functional Horn Button With Hook & Bar Closure On Waistband
• Functional Fly with Zipper Closure
• Front Slash Pockets
• Back Welt Pockets
• Knee Length
• Functional Belt Loops

Fabric and Care: 

• 98% COTTON, 2% ELASTANE. 
• Machine Wash Cold With Like Colors. 
• Only Non Chlorine Bleach When Needed. 
• Tumble Dry Low. 
• Warm Iron If Needed.

Sizing:

• Youth 4-20, 
• Plus 10 1/2 plus to 20 1/2 plus
• Women’s 2-22

Regular Price

 $15.98 - $19.98

For a limited time you can use this Uniform Mom affiliate link for 30% off Polos & Shorts.

Free Embroidery on all Styles at French Toast!

This never happens!

French Toast is having a special promotion for free embroidery. Yes, it's early, but hurry and stock up on all the embroidery items that you need for back to school this fall. Order now for delivery by July 15th, 2019. Its a savings of over $5 per item! That adds up quick.

When I read the back to school articles on school uniforms from our friends across the pond, most schools seem to require uniforms to include the school crest. Here in the US, we don’t call them “crested” uniforms, but instead, simply talk about the option to add the school logo to shirts or sweaters. US private schools are more likely to require that logos be added certain uniform items, but most public schools, that have adopted the standard student attire model of khakis and polos, typically offer logos as an option.

Wearing the school logo on the uniform can be a show of support for school pride. This also carries over into the wider community when those students are out around town wearing school colors with the logo. Every year, I see a comment from a British mom talking about how her kids “look smart” in their new uniforms.

When choosing to add a logo to a school uniform item, adding it to all polo tops is a natural choice. If you live in a colder climate, adding a logo to a sweater, sweatshirt or a fleece jacket is also a smart spend since students wear them over the polo tops. If your school uniform includes a blazer, it is the perfect item for the school logo.

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast.
If you use these links and decide to make a purchase, I receive a small commission. 

Here are a few items that would be great to order during this sale:

• BasicPolos (Short Sleeve Pique Polo / Long Sleeve Interlock Polo)
• Long Sleeve Interlock Knit Polo with Picot Collar (Feminine Fit)
• Short Sleeve Peter Pan Polo
• Fleece Hooded Sweatshirt
• Pom-Pom Zip-Up Sweater
• Anti-Pill V-Neck Cardigan Sweater
• Fine-Gauge Knit Cardigan Sweater
• Blazers (School Blazer/Girls Dress Blazer)
• Hooded Windbreaker
• Hidden Hood Jacket

When in elementary school, my daughter had a favorite Zip Front Sweater (like the one shown above).  She kept in her backpack and wore in the classroom nearly every day. It became a ritual to dig it out of her backpack on Friday evenings and wash it every weekend.  Does your child have a favorite sweater?

Be sure to order soon, this sale ends June 23rd.  The discount applies at checkout. No Code Required.

And feel free to share this article to your school's message board so others might also take advantage of this sale.

Boys Double Knee Pants from French Toast

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast. If you use these links and decide to make a purchase,
I receive a small commission. 

Update - This post was updated in May 2019 with new links, pricing and color options.



Are you looking for quality flat front pants for everyday school wear for your son?  Check out the Double Knee Pant with the Workwear Finish.

• First, they are made from Wrinkle No More fabric which is great because really, who loves ironing?  
• Second, they have the Power Knee (TM) fabric to prevent against knee blowouts.  
• And third, they have an adjustable waist so you can modify the fit as your child grows during the school year.

The price is right at $21.98. The French Toast brand items are carried by many different retailers making it easy to find them on sale.   The sizing starts as small as a boys size 4 going through a size 20.  Regular boys sizes also include slim and husky options, and now they have a young mans sizing up to size 38 waist.  They are only offered in 7 different colors including the basics of navy and khaki.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or @navyplaid on Twitter for coupons.

French Toast changes to alpha sizing on Polo Shirts

I complained last year when the Children's Place changed the sizing of their yoga pants from numeric to alpha.  My daughter couldn't wear their yoga pants leggings because she was between sizes.  So I am sad to see that French Toast is also changing the sizing of their polo shirts in both boys and girls styles from numeric sizing to alpha sizing.

I found the following message on  product detail pages for the polo tops:

"If your numeric size is out of stock, get the new alpha size! French Toast has simplified shopping with our new alpha sizes XS, S, M, L, XL. See our size conversion chart below to find your best fit."

The numeric sizing scale includes 7 size options in the elementary school size range while the alpha sizing reduces that to 5 sizes.  I understand how this helps a manufacture with inventory management, but it is a bummer for the kids waiting for the next growth spurt while they are between sizes. I expect alpha sizing from the box stores where the uniforms are just one collection in their seasonal offering, but I have come to expect more from retailers like French Toast that specialize in school uniforms.

If you have a child that is between sizes, act quick before they sell out of all the numeric sizes and stock up on a few polos now.

Basic Kids T-shirts from French Toast

I’ve purchased more than a handful of basic t-shirts from French Toast over the past few years. One summer, I bought a few of the girls short sleeve shirts in solid bright solids for my daughter to wear to summer camp. I then picked up a few of the Boys crew neck t-shirts for my nephew. And recently, I’ve bought a few plain white ones for my daughter to wear on PE day.

They are soft, have some stretch to them, and are offered at a very inexpensive price point. The girls’ shirts come in 2 styles, a crew neck and a v-neck. Both styles gather a bit at the neckline which adds a feminine detail. They are thin, so they are great for layering with sweaters and vests or under jumpers. The colored t-shirts have held up very well for us, retaining their size and color even after many trips through the wash cycle. The white ones tend to shrink a bit when you wash them in warm water, even when you dry them on low, so I recommend you size up.

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast.
If you use these links and decide to make a purchase,
 I receive a small commission. 

French Toast to Ship Internationally

Heads up to our readers outside the US -
French Toast now offers international shipping.

Regular readers of this blog will recognize the brand French Toast as a US based children's school uniform and fashion retailer. You can order direct online and find their clothing in many US retail stores. International purchases are managed through Borderfree. They are sent to the Borderfree shipping hub in the United States and then Borderfree ships the order to its international destination.

You can read more about their company background the types of items they carry in their school uniform collection in our French Toast retail roundup post. Uniform Mom is an affilaite partner with French Toast, so you can also check out some of their products that have been reviewed or featured:

• French Toast Dollars in Uniform Fundraiser Program
• French Toast Two Tab Scooter and Polo from Rainbow Shops
• French Toast brand Skinny Stretch Twill Pant and Peter Pan Blouse, a Review
• Belts for Kindergarteners
• Reviews of Girls Cardigan Uniform Sweaters

French Toast Two Tab Scooter and Polo from Rainbow Shops

Recently I introduced Rainbow Shops as a re-seller of French Toast and Lee brand school uniform items. They gifted me some items to try for purposes of this review. I selected several French Toast brand items for my daughter that we haven't reviewed here previously.

Copyright 2016 Rene Shonerd All Rights Reserved

The first item is the French Toast girls two-tab scooter. This item is a uniform staple offered by many brands. The French Toast scooter is made of 100% machine washable polyester so no ironing is not needed. Yeah, score one for Mom. It has an adjustable waist. I've learned the hard way that an adjustable waist is much preferred to an elastic waist. It had pleats on the front side of the skirt and solid fabric on the back. The details is the 2 silver buckles on the left hip. The closure is on the side with knit shorts built in. The side zipper might be too much for the youngest girls, but works fine for those well beyond the potty training years with strong manual dexterity skills. Th length of the skirt hits above the knee. French Toast offers this skirt in 6 colors and Rainbow Shops offers the most popular options black, navy and khaki in girls sizes 2T all the way through girls size 14. It retails for $12.99 and can be found 25% off via Rainbow Shops.

Copyright 2016 Rene Shonerd
All Rights Reserved.

The next item we tried is the girls long sleeve interlock knit polo shirt. This is a classic uniform wardrobe staple.  The temperatures are warm now during back to school season, but temperatures will drop soon enough.  You'll want to snag at least one or two long sleeve polos early in the season while they are easy to find.  The French Toast interlock polo is available in 6 colors at Rainbow Shops and in sizes ranging from toddler through girls plus size 18-20.  The sleeves on this polo are hemmed but not banded.  Right now the sleeves are too long on my daughter, and you might be able to notice in this picture, we simply folded up the sleeve.  The collar and placket are standard, but the subtle flower shaped buttons offer a cute feminine detail.  I've found that the French Toast polos wash up easily and hold their shape.  My daughter is required to wear white tops so I bleach out any stains to keep it looking fresh through the school year.  It retails for $11.99 but is currently on sale for 25% off, or $8.99 which is right in the Uniform Mom target price range sweet spot for polo shirts. Got boys? Here's the link to the boys long sleeve French Toast polo instead.

Shop 25% Off Kid's Uniforms Sale!

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Retail Round Up: Rainbow Shops

Until recently, I had never heard of Rainbow Shops. I learned that they are a international retailer and reseller for French Toast and Lee brand school uniforms.  I checked out their website and saw that they carry low priced fashion items for women, plus size, kids, and baby including accessories and shoes.  Then I saw one of their physical locations near a local outlet store here in Virginia.  When I looked up their locations online, I was surprised to find 16 more locations within a 10 miles from my house.  In fact, they have 1100 locations in the US and territories.  I did some further research and stopped in a location near me just yesterday to check out their inventory in person.  Note that not all locations carry the kids collections, so check the website for details. 

When I shopped their website, I found it easy to use.  They make it simple to shop for school uniforms with a menu right on the site's primary navigation.  You can easily filter on gender, brand, size or price.  They carry French Toast brand uniforms in preschool (4 - 6x) and children's sizes (7 - 20H) and Lee brand for young women.  All uniform items come in basic colors of navy, black and khaki, except the polos which are offered in many color choices.

For girls they stock the French Toast brand Bermuda shorts, adjustable waist pants, stretch skinny twill pants,  a short sleeve polo top, a short and long sleeve version of the peter pan blouse, the two tab scooter, the below the knee pleated skirt, and the V-neck pleated jumper.

For young women, they stock the Lee brand Bermuda shorts, short sleeve polo, a 5 pocket school uniform pants, and a skinny leg chinos.

For boys, they stock the short sleeve and the long sleeve polo, the flat front adjustable waist shorts, the adjustable waist straight leg twill pants, the adjustable waist pleated double knee pants, a short sleeve and the long sleeve oxford shirt, a sweater vest and the cardigan sweater.

When you shop online, you get free shipping if your order is over $50 in the continental US.  They take returns of unused items in their original condition at their physical locations or via mail using the return shipping label that is provided with web orders.

We'll be publishing reviews for the French Toast items they sent us to try that I've never reviewed before. I also found a few casual clothing items for my daughter that she loves. The high low striped dress with the racer back and the hoodie is super cute as a beach cover up or with sandals for running errands.  So, I also encourage you to browse around at the non-uniform clothing items and accessories on their website.  Their prices are great.  The uniform items seem to always be on sale for a great price.  If you sign up for Rainbow Shops' e-mail newsletters, you'll receive a 10% discount off your next purchase!

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Featured Basics - French Toast School Uniform Shorts for Spring

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast.
If you use these links and decide to make a purchase, 
I receive a small commission. 

It is a perfect time to pick up new shorts.


Girls Shorts
These classic girls uniform shorts are called the Bermuda Short. They are made from stretch cotton twill, knee length with 2 front pockets and an adjustable waist.  They come in navy, khaki, black and grey in girls sizes 4 - 20, plus, juniors and women's.

If you don't need the extra length, you can try the Mid-Thigh Short. And the youngest girls should check out the Pull-On Girls Short for less fuss and confidence with potty training skills.

Boys Shorts

The classic boys uniform short is the Flat Front Adjustable Waist Short.  They are a knee length twill with an adjustable made from a wrinkle no more cotton blend with 2 pockets in the front and 2 in back.  They are available in navy, khaki and black in boys sizes 4-20, husky and guys sizes up to a 38 YM.

As an alternative, you can try the Pleated Adjustable Waist Short.  Again, check out the Boys Pull-On Shorts for younger boys.

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.

French Toast Refreshes their Website

The big news from French Toast this past fall was that they were again offering additional children's clothing items that are not part of the "standard student attire" of uniform clothing. Now, you can find children's graphic t-shirts as well as print and pattern dresses for girls and patterned shirts for boys. I might call it - weekend wear. The boys items are appropriate for church or other occasions when you have to dress the boys in something nicer than a t-shirt and sweatpants. The girls items are cute for a weekend birthday party or family outing. But different from the boys, the girls non-uniform options don't rise to the occasion of church or special occasion outfits. They are firmly in the casual category.

To better promote the new offerings, French Toast revamped it's website to make it easier for us to navigate the school uniform items and their entire collection. The site still features main navigation menus for Girls Uniforms and Boys Uniforms, but now also features more inclusive general labels such as Boys and Girls. I like that they still included a easy way to navigate right to the Shop by School and the clearance items.

The new site makes it much easier to find the non-uniform items in their offering. While shopping for holiday gifts this year, I ordered a few of the boys non-uniform items for my nephew. I ordered a stripped polo and patterned collar shirts, both long sleeve and short sleeve. While I haven't been able to witness how well they have held up to wear and tear, I gave them a Uniform Mom quality inspection before wrapping them up as gifts. The quality of the items was comparable to other items I've previously ordered form the uniform selection. Great colors and fabric with solid seams with no loose threads. I also ordered a few of the girls t-shirts, some for school and others for weekend wear.  I will share more abut them in a later post, but my quick opinion is that French Toast non uniform clothing items are similar to the uniform items in that they are a great quality for the price.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Kids that Wear School Uniforms

Got a uniform wearing kid on your holiday gift list?
Here are a few gift ideas for school aged kids:

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Fleece Accessories
sold by Lands' End

Keep 'em warm at the bus stop with these fleece accessories from Lands' End. Some of my favorite are linked below:
Kids Fleece Gloves  - ThermaCheck®-100 fleece
Kids Fleece Hat - ThermaCheck®-100 fleece
Kids Fleece Hat - ThermaCheck®-200 fleece

Code Socks

These fun socks are designed specifically for kids that wear school uniforms and must comply with a dress code requiring solid navy or white socks.  Three fun designs are featured only on the bottom of the foot staying hidden inside the shoe.  See the full review.

Hair Accessories -300 Piece Combo Pack in Carry Bag
sold by French Toast

Hair accessories in navy and white. 300 assorted rubber bands, hair clips, ponytail holders, barrettes and elastics, in a purse-style case that she will love to take anywhere she goes.

Girl's America Doll Plaid Dress
sold by the Ideal Uniform Store

These doll sized dropped waist jumper fits any 18" doll. It come in a wide variety of plaids and solid navy. Girls love when their doll looks and dress like them.

What's New at French Toast for Back to School 2015

Big news from French Toast.

They have relaunched their Active and Casual line of clothing. Matthew Buesing advised that "You will find this line to be very school-centric as well as versatile for any occasion in a child’s life. It is a great complement and natural extension to our school uniforms. Leveraging our past success as leaders in school wear, we now provide a uniform for a kid’s life.”

French Toast can now become a one stop shop.  You can order all of the school wear for the kids and pick up some weekend wear too.  The kids will love to wear these fashionable items and you save time and money shopping with a brand you know and trust to hold up wash after wash. 

“French Toast has a 30 year heritage in the classroom. However, we are evolving the product line to be a part of a kid’s life at different times of the day. Once you combine style with our 50 wash tested durability and features like Power Knees™, you have a versatile product that moms love and kids want to wear." 

French Toast’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Mitchael

Here are a few of the new items you'll find available online:

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New for girls is a Short Sleeve V-Neck Tee shirt in a variety of fun colors. They also come in a Long Sleeve V-Neck Tee for when the weather turns cooler. The short sleeve is 5.98 and the long sleeve is 6.98.

Polyester blend jersey
Tag-free
V-neck, Decorative ruching at neck
Rounded hem
Machine washable, Imported





Girls will love this Short Sleeve Graphic Tee featuring a cute cat. It is nicely priced at $7.98.

Cotton blend jersey
Tag-free Crew neck
Screenprint with glitter
Machine washable, Imported





I love this Football Graphic Tee. Pair this with a pair of jeans and your ready for the weekend.  It retails for $8.98:

Polyester blend jersey
Tag-free Crew neck
Screenprint with glitter
Rounded hem
Machine washable, Imported





For boys, one of my favorite items is this Long Sleeve Striped Hangdown Polo.  It retails for $14.98.

100% thermal cotton sleeves
Cotton blend pique top
Tag-free
3-button placket
Machine washable, Imported





This Long Sleeve Contrast Henley is made from a soft cotton and a cool color contrast, this is a perfect everyday top he just won't stop wearing. It retails for $9.98.

100% cotton with cotton chambray placket
Tag-free
Crew neck with 3-button placket
Machine washable, Imported

This Long Sleeve Chambray Pocket Shirt is a fun plaid with contrasting solid pockets that make it a hit at $16.98.

100% cotton chambray
Front button closure with 2 front pockets
Machine washable, Imported

Featured Basics: Bermuda Shorts from French Toast

Update - This post was updated in May 2019 for links and sizing options.

It seems like we had a few days of spring then we fast forwarded right into summer.  We had temperatures in the 80's this week, and I had to go digging through my daughter's off-season clothes to find her shorts.

If you find you need new shorts for your daughter, check out these uniform basics from French Toast. The shorts are 97% cotton and 3% spandex.  They have an adjustable waist, button closure, and a modern fit, low rise.   They retail for a very affordable $12.98.

These Bermuda shorts are a best seller for French Toast.  They have them in all sizes: Toddlers (in a pull-on style 2T-4T),  girls (4-20), plus (10-20), and adult.  They also carry the Lee brand bermuda short in Junior's sizing (0-13).

If you need boys shorts instead, check out French Toast's Flat Front Adjustable Waist Shorts. The boys have a hook and eye closure instead of a button.   They are also available in all sizes:  Toddlers (in a pull-on style 2T-4T),  boys (4-14),  husky (10-20) and young men (31-38).

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast. 
If you use these links and decide to make a purchase,
I receive a small commission. 

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.

French Toast's Mobile Website

This month I received a copy of the Spring 2014 French Toast catalog in the mail.  I browsed through it to see if any new items were featured.  The clothing items featured included the same classic items that parents count on.  Instead, I noticed several features promoting their mobile website for "on the go shopping".

I spend a good amount of time on my iPad, so I picked it up to see if I noticed anything different on their site. I didn't; I was still browsing the full, regular site.  However, when I browsed the French Toast site from my iPhone, I was redirected to a mobile version with simple text menus for navigation.  The menus are consistent with the choices available on the full site, so they were familiar and easy to use.

I work in technology so I am very familiar with the trends showing rapid growth of consumers using tablets and phones to connect with brands and shop online.  I applaud French Toast for making the effort to develop a mobile friendly version of their site.

So what does this mean for us?  Well, next time your out and about and your little one rips a hole in the knee of his school pants, you can go ahead and place a quick order to have a replacement pair sent to you. Instead of waiting until you get home, you can place an order during warm ups at soccer practice or in the waiting room of the pediatricians office or wherever you find a few spare minutes. As parents, we have a lot going on.  In my opinion, all efforts to simplify things and help us easily cross items off the family to-do list are greatly appreciated. Less time on family chores means more time for family fun.

So give it a try and chime in here to let us know what you think of the new mobile friendly site at FrenchToast.com.

French Toast brand Skinny Stretch Twill Pant and Peter Pan Blouse, a Review

I received complementary school uniform clothing items from Ideal Uniforms to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Ideal Uniforms offered me the opportunity to review their web site and several items of French Toast brand clothing. I had only recently learned of them, so I was happy to learn more about the company and the products they offer. They are based in New York with two retail locations in Brooklyn and Elmont. Those of us outside the NY area can visit their website. Below are a few quotes from the About Us page on IdealUniform.com.

"For over 83 years, Ideal Uniforms has been a family owned and operated business. We specialize in designing and distributing professionally styled apparel, work-wear and outerwear for men, women and children. Ideal Uniforms is your one stop shop for all your educational, medical, corporate and scouting needs. Ideal presently outfits hundreds of schools, hospitals, boy and girl scout troops, and businesses. Ideal Uniforms has been a family owned and operated business. We specialize in designing and distributing professionally styled apparel, work-wear and outerwear for men, women and children."

When I began researching Ideal Uniforms, I found some negative online reviews. Comments centered around two types of issues, poor customer service and inventory management. Knowing that most companies pay attention to online feedback, I asked if they had made any efforts to address customer concerns in these areas. Jack Kassab, a Vice President at Ideal Uniform, told me that they made a large investment this year in both areas. He said, "We now have a system which helps us with inventory control as well as forecasting to avoid running out of merchandise prior to school opening. We also made some changes in our customer service department and we have been getting great feedback."

I had fun browsing the online store where school uniform items are organized together making it easy to view their selections. You can filter by gender and then type of clothing with logical groupings as "pants and shorts" and "blouses, knits and polos". You can also add additional filters by size and color. Because my daughter had recently outgrown her button up shirts, I selected both a French Toast brand short sleeve and a long sleeve peter pan blouses. I also selected the French Toast Girls Skinny Stretch Twill Pant. My final selection was a "Girl's American Doll Plaid Dress". I found these uniform dresses designed to fit the 18" dolls too cute to pass up. It is listed under Accessories and is available in many different plaid patterns. It made a perfect gift for my daughter since grandma planned to give her an American Girl doll as a Christmas gift this year. Personally, I had a positive experience shopping online with them. They contacted me via email to let me know the doll outfit was out of stock and requested feedback on how to fulfill the order giving me the option to wait until the items returned to stock or an alternate pattern. The correct items were shipped to me quickly as one complete order.

© 2014 Rene Shonerd

I had only previously seen the French Toast Girls Skinny Stretch Twill Pant online and in catalogs. They look skinnier in the photo than they really are. As you can see from my photo, they are thinner through the knee than a straight leg pants by about a 1/2 inch yet still have a boot cut bottom. These would be a nice option for girls that want to wear the currently fashionable skinny tight fitted pants if the school's dress code prohibit the fitted pants. They are made from cotton with 3% spandex which gives them the right amount of stretch. The do not have an adjustable waist. Instead they have several inches of sturdy elastic across the back to give them some wiggle room. Currently my daughter has been wearing a 6x in pants with any adjustable waist fully extended and no hem in the length. Her natural waist is a 22" while measuring the area where a waistband would hit her measures at 23". I ordered the French Toast girls size 7 pants which are labeled to fit a waist at 23 1/2" which seems about right since these are still just a bit too big for her. They fit nicely through the backside and the legs. They are labeled as machine wash cold, tumble dry low and iron when needed.

© 2014 Rene Shonerd

The peter pan blouses she'll be able to begin using right away. The fabric is 55% cotton and 45% poly. I ordered these in a size 7 also. Her similar blouses in a 6x are too short, showing her belly as she moves around and making it very difficult to keep her shirt tucked into her pants as her dress code requires. This short sleeve blouse fits her perfect. The long sleeve needs the sleeve turned up once which is expected as she is just growing into this size. The weight of the shirts are perfect for layering under a jumper or sweater; however, they are also thick enough to be worn alone or simply paired with a criss-cross tie. They are labeled as machine wash cold, tumble dry low and iron when needed. I put the "Wrinkle No More ™" fabric to the test. This photo shows the short sleeve blouse on the right straight from the dryer. The long sleeve blouse on the left I touched up with the iron. While I prefer the crisp look of the ironed blouse, I admit that I'd let my daughter wear it to school without ironing, especially if she would be wearing it under a jumper or sweater.

Overall, I had a positive retail experience with Ideal Uniforms. I am also pleased with the quality of the French Toast brand items I received. I like that they stock school uniform items year round so you can find the items you need in stock mid-year. You can connect with them online on Facebook or on Twitter to get a heads up when items go on sale and find useful coupons codes. To learn more about the items they carry, check out the details from the Ideal Uniforms post in the Retail Round up series.

Currently, Ideal Uniforms is sponsoring a giveaway that is being organized here on Uniform Mom. One lucky reader will win a prize pack which includes your choice of one top and one bottom of French Toast brand clothing for either a boy or girl! It ends on 1/13/14 at midnight ET. Enter now so you too can get a chance to pick out an school uniform outfit from Ideal Uniforms.

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