This is the second in a series of posts from the Back to School Uniform Challenge. Participants completed a survey with basics information, including the back to school shopping budget. It was my job to find and recommend options that fit the dress code, the kid, and the budget.
Finn will be attending Kindergarten this year at a public school. He is average size for his age.
At the time Finn's Mom completed the information in the Uniform Challenge, Finn was scheduled to attend a school in Georgia with a uniform dress code. Over the summer plans changed, and Finn's family just relocated and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. The climate is mild there. Not too hot in the summers and not too cold in the winters. There is no uniform dress code at Finn's new school so this wardrobe offers more flexibility than most.
For basic polo tops, I'm going to recommend she pick up a few Izod polos from JCPenney and two long sleeve interlock polos from French Toast. Boys oxford shirts can work for school or other dress up occasions. French Toast offers great pricing on these in both the short and the long sleeve versions.
Finn's Mom reported that he previously blew out the knees on his pants for preschool, so I'm going to recommend he try both Land's End Iron Knee pants and the French Toast's Boys Double-Knee pants. Since they are at two different price points, maybe she can report back to us any differences they notice in quality and wear during the school year. Since the climate is mild, I'll recommend Boys Izod shorts to use in the fall and spring.
Again because of that mild climate, he is unlikely to need a winter coat. The mornings can be chilly, so a few sweaters and hoodies would come in handy. Old Navy has a cute zip up, a pullover and a hoodie. French Toast carries a reasonably priced water resistant fleece lined jacket.
Given that there is room in the budget, I'd recommend quality Stride Rite shoes. For basic school shoes, Finn can try the Harpin Oxford. For basic everyday sneakers, the Cooper Lace. It also comes in a Hook and Loop version if Finn prefers the convenience of a velcro closure.
As I've mentioned before, French Toast carries boys accessories at a great price. So when ordering the other items recommended above, add in the reversible dress belt and a boys tie to the order.
To round out the back to school essentials Finn will need a backpack and a lunchbox. Lands' End backpacks are known for quality and I like that they carry backpacks in smaller sizes for the littler kids. The Solid ClassMate Small Backpack
would be a perfect fit for Finn's slim frame. Because his Mom is eco-minded, I''ll recommend she get started on the right track with the EcoLunchbox Three- in-One.
So here's how the recommended options break down for a boys wardrobe for public school:
Meet Finn
Finn will be attending Kindergarten this year at a public school. He is average size for his age.
The Budget
The average cost on uniforms for school is $249 (per Statistics Brain), but Finn's Mom has budgeted a bit higher than average, $400 for a full year's wardrobe, including extras like a new backpack and lunchbox.The Climate
At the time Finn's Mom completed the information in the Uniform Challenge, Finn was scheduled to attend a school in Georgia with a uniform dress code. Over the summer plans changed, and Finn's family just relocated and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. The climate is mild there. Not too hot in the summers and not too cold in the winters. There is no uniform dress code at Finn's new school so this wardrobe offers more flexibility than most.
The Recommended Wardrobe
For basic polo tops, I'm going to recommend she pick up a few Izod polos from JCPenney and two long sleeve interlock polos from French Toast. Boys oxford shirts can work for school or other dress up occasions. French Toast offers great pricing on these in both the short and the long sleeve versions.
Finn's Mom reported that he previously blew out the knees on his pants for preschool, so I'm going to recommend he try both Land's End Iron Knee pants and the French Toast's Boys Double-Knee pants. Since they are at two different price points, maybe she can report back to us any differences they notice in quality and wear during the school year. Since the climate is mild, I'll recommend Boys Izod shorts to use in the fall and spring.
Again because of that mild climate, he is unlikely to need a winter coat. The mornings can be chilly, so a few sweaters and hoodies would come in handy. Old Navy has a cute zip up, a pullover and a hoodie. French Toast carries a reasonably priced water resistant fleece lined jacket.
Given that there is room in the budget, I'd recommend quality Stride Rite shoes. For basic school shoes, Finn can try the Harpin Oxford. For basic everyday sneakers, the Cooper Lace. It also comes in a Hook and Loop version if Finn prefers the convenience of a velcro closure.
As I've mentioned before, French Toast carries boys accessories at a great price. So when ordering the other items recommended above, add in the reversible dress belt and a boys tie to the order.
To round out the back to school essentials Finn will need a backpack and a lunchbox. Lands' End backpacks are known for quality and I like that they carry backpacks in smaller sizes for the littler kids. The Solid ClassMate Small Backpack
would be a perfect fit for Finn's slim frame. Because his Mom is eco-minded, I''ll recommend she get started on the right track with the EcoLunchbox Three- in-One.So here's how the recommended options break down for a boys wardrobe for public school:
Item
|
Qty
|
Unit Price
|
Total Price
|
2
|
$29 ea
|
$58
|
|
2
|
15 ea
|
30
|
|
2
|
10 ea
|
20
|
|
2
|
8 ea
|
16
|
|
2
|
10 ea
|
20
|
|
10
|
10
|
||
9
|
9
|
||
25
|
25
|
||
23
|
23
|
||
18
|
18
|
||
Stride Rite Cooper
Lace Sneaker
|
40
|
40
|
|
Stride Rite Sperry
Top-Sider Harpin Oxford
|
40
|
50
|
|
7
|
7
|
||
5.5
|
5.5
|
||
34
|
34
|
||
25
|
25
|
||
18
|
18
|
||
$400
|
$40
also carries this items, and other plaid jumpers, with a regular retails price on their site for $17-19.99, so check around to see who is offering the lowest sale price.
$85
