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)

Land's End School Uniform Girls' Kiki 3-strap Skimmer Shoes

(C) Rene Shonerd. All Rights Reserved.

I wasn't shopping for school shoes, but happened upon the Winter sale on Land's End items at Sears this past winter.  I spied the Girls' Kiki 3-strap Skimmer Shoes - Classic Navy, 13 which are cute navy slips-ons.  They were the last box on the shelf and happened to be in my daughter's size at something like 60% off!  At that great price, I thought they would be a great shoe to wear to Sunday school with her dresses on the weekend.  I tried to purchase clothes for Sunday school in pretty bright colors since it is really one of the only times she isn't in uniform.  But I did intentionally choose outfits that would coordinate with, or at least not clash with, her basic school shoes.

Because these shoes are solid navy, she can also wear them to school on occasion with a skirt or dress.  As a slip on style, they aren't as good running around at recess.  My daughter is also in the after school program which allows for additional playground time each day, weather permitting.  Once she got them quite dusty and dirty with mud from the playground.  After a simple dust off with a shoe brush, they still look fine. For an older girl that doesn't spend as much time on the playground, I think these shoes would be a great option for an occasional school shoe.

These flats have a suede upper and come in navy and black.  They have 3 elastic straps across the front of the foot with silver buckles. It regularly retails for $44.

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School Shoes at Lands' End

Lands' End has a great selection of children's school uniform clothing.  Their selection is one of the largest available.  So it was surprising when I reviewed their offering of school uniform shoes to find few items that I would consider a daily school shoe.




For girls, the best choice is the Girls' Party & Play Mary Jane Shoes - Classic Navy which are a classic Mary Jane with a Velco strap and a rubber sole. They come in a suede material in black, navy or brown, as well as a black patent. They were recently redesigned to look dresser and some comments indicate the shoe is now too narrow. It is offered in Regular and wide in toddler sizes starting at 5 through girls size 7.It retails for $39.

For boys, the best choice is the School Uniform Boys' Ryland Classic Buck Shoes which a made with a rubber sole.  The litter chestnut brown shoe is made from a canvas material and spice brown version is made from suede.  They are offered in boys sizes 9 through 7 in regular width and retail for $49.

If you have direct experience with either of these shoes, please let us know your opinion in the comments below.

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Related Posts:

Land's End School Uniform Girls' Kiki 3-strap Skimmer Shoes, a review

Lands' End School Uniforms in the Retail Round Up Series

ISO Feedback on School Uniform Fundraiser Programs

So naturally, I'm curious to hear feedback from schools that participate in school uniform fundraising programs.  Do parents take the time to enter the school code in their online orders, and if so what kind of royalty does the school receive for their efforts?

If your school has promoted a school uniform fundraising program in the past year and are involved with the administration of the program, I'd like to hear from you.  Please complete the survey below.  If you participate in programs with several brands, please feel free to complete this brief 4 question survey multiple times.

If you weren't involved with the program but you know who was, please forward this link to them so they can complete the survey.

Based on the feedback collected, I'll plan to share the feedback in a future post.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Lands' End School Uniforms in the Retail Round Up Series

Lands' End was founded in 1963 as a sailboat company which expanded into clothing and home furnishings. Traditionally they were primarily a mail catalog company, later expanding to include an online business with a few retail locations in the Midwest. The brand built its reputation on its guarantee policy, which allows for returns or exchanges at any time and for any reason. In 2009, the company was bought by Sears which now offers the Lands' End clothing line in many of its retail locations in the US.

The brand proclaims to be "America's premier school uniform provider". Lands' End school uniform catalog is one of the most expansive collections available. As I read about schools researching and developing a uniform dress code, I'll often see references that the school worked with Lands' End to develop their policies. They even have a administrators portal website dedicated to supporting school administrators with their uniform programs. The site states that they are supporting over 4500 schools and outfitting over 1.5 million students.

Lands End Girls Uniform Pleated Twill Skort

During the same shopping outing when we found the Lands End knit dress that is a favorite in my daughter's kindergarten wardrobe, we also bought her the Land's End pleated twill skirt.  I thought that this item would be a weekly staple. It has a flat front with pleating beginning on the front hip bones and continuing around the back. It can be worn with a top and cuff socks in the early fall and early summer, with knee sock during fall and spring, and with tights during the winter months.  The waist is adjustable with a side zipper and knit shorts built in underneath.


At the time, my daughter was just growing into size 6 clothing.  Trying to stretch the life of the uniform item, I had her try on both a 6 and a 6x.  The 6x fit only after I adjusted the waist to the tightest button.  We bought the  6x and she wore it to school the first week.  As I was getting her dresses for school that morning, I realized how small the button was on the top of the side zipper.  What was I thinking? A side zipper! She's never worn bottoms with a side sipper before.  And although she can manage buttons herself, large buttons are easier for her than small ones.  What if she struggles with it in the restroom and I'm not there to help her? I made it a point to show her how it worked.  Since she seemed unfazed, so I let go of my concern and thought, "we'll see".

She did not report back any issues getting in and out of it in the restroom.  It looked as good on her at the end of the day as it did that morning, so she then wore it again the following week before I washed it.  After washing, it needed touched up with an iron.  The pleats held their form fine, but the bottom hem needed ironed flat.  When we went to put it on her again, we couldn't get it buttoned.  I loosened the adjustable waist a few buttons and we tried again.  I loosened it to the loosest button, it closed but it was tight.  She didn't like the way it felt, so that was that.  She was done with that skort.

So because the item shrunk in the wash, we did not get the amount of use from it that I was hoping. At full price, it cost $27.  It is currently on sale for $14.99.  I doubt we'll purchase this item again. Because it otherwise seems to be a good quality and would last the school year, I would pick one up at a uniform exchange in a size larger than my daughter is currently wearing.  I'll be donating ours to our local uniform exchange program and hope that another girl is able to make good use of it.

I would be interested to here from others that own this skort.  Did you have the same or a different experience?  Please let us know in the comments below.

Related Posts:

Izod Flat Front Uniform Skirt, a review

Cherokee School Uniform Scooter, a Review

Lands' End School Uniforms in the Retail Round Up Series

Review of the Lands End Knit Ruffle Front Dress

Reviews of Girls Cardigan Uniform Sweaters

Review of the Lands End Knit Ruffle Front Dress



The last year or so of preschool, my daughter quit wearing dresses. Her best friends were all boys and they were into playing superheroes. No more cute sweater dresses with tights, instead she wore jeans everyday with simple t-shirts, many with images of her favorite superheroes. Thank goodness Old Navy carries superhero T-shirts for girls.  But don't take me too literally, this was not some form of preschool gender identity crisis, just a brief tom-boy stage to fit in with her friends.

So when we headed out shopping for school clothes, I was mildly worried about her pitching a fit over not being able to wear jeans. But she took the whole uniform thing, including navy bottoms, in stride. While in Sears, I pointed to a Lands End Little Girls' Short Sleeve Knit Ruffle Front Dress - Classic Navy and asked if she would like to try it on. To my surprise she said yes.

Throughout the fall, she wore that dress once a week. At first with simple cuff socks and school shoes, later with knee socks as the weather got cooler. It has fallen out of rotation during the winter months, but she could be wearing it with leggings underneath and a sweater. I was so thankful she took to this dress because I enrolled her in Sunday school shortly after school started and she is again willing to wear dresses.  Still not "girlie girl" dresses, but cute casual dresses.

The Lands End knit ruffle front dress is made from 100% cotton fabric that is noticeably softer to the touch than the mesh polo knits.  It has a slight A-line shape and has a small cap sleeve.  After many washings, only minor fading and no piling so far.   It doesn't need any ironing as long as you get it from the dryer in a reasonable amount of time.  Little girls definitely need to wear bike shorts underneath to cover their underwear while sitting crisscross applesauce in circle-time and while playing on the playground.  I would definitely buy this dress or a similar style dress in cotton knit fabric from Lands End again.  In fact next year, I'll likely look for a sale and get both the short sleeve and the long sleeve version of this dress.  

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Related posts:

• Lands' End School Uniforms in the Retail Round Up Series
• Lands End Girls Uniform Pleated Twill Skort
• Review of the Lands End Knit Ruffle Front Dress
• Reviews of Girls Cardigan Uniform Sweaters



Reviews of Girls Cardigan Uniform Sweaters

As this is our first year buying school uniforms, I bought sweaters by three different brands with the intention to see which lasted through the year while continuing to look good.

The first item I bought for my daughter was the School Uniform Girls' Fine Gauge Cotton Cardigan Sweater - Classic Navy. My personal preference for a quality soft material may have factored into this purchase.  I had read great reviews online. I got it at the Back to School sale at Sears when all Lands' End items were 30% off.  The navy color faded a bit initially after the first time it was laundered, but it has held steady in repeated washings since.  The buttons are small which may be difficult for little fingers still learning to button and unbutton. It is the favorite of the three and is the one that gets packed in the backpack most days.

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The second sweater I bought for her was a white Fine Gauge Knit Cardigan Sweater from French Toast.  It is 100% Acrylic.  I thought she might also get some use wearing it over her non-uniform dresses.  We've also washed this sweater many times over the season and it has not held up as well.  It is piling a bit and the color is no longer bright and clean looking.  I launder most white and light in Warm or Hot water and typically with a dye free detergent. The instructions on the tag recommend cold water, delicate cycle and to dry flat.  I'm lucky enough to have a husband that helps out with the laundry which means I'm sure this item has taken a spin in our dryer on low.  I got it on sale for under $10, so I say it has "met expectations".

Later in the fall, I picked up a third sweater at Target -the Cherokee Girls School Uniform Cardigan.  I is 100% cotton in a button up v neck with pockets.  It has held up well to repeated washings, even the color has not faded.  The buttons on this sweater are much larger than on the Lands' End sweater which are easier for little fingers that are still learning how to button and unbutton.  I bought this item on sale too for around $10, and I would rate it as "above expectations".



So next year or when my daughter grows into the next size, I'll most likely pick up another Lands' End sweater for her.  The reality is that she doesn't end up wearing the sweater everyday and could get by with only one and holding on to one of these as a backup.

(Photos by Uniform Mom)

The Spend - our actual cost for School Uniforms

So after reflecting on the school uniform items we purchased for our daughter's first year at public school, I wondered how much it all cost.  I tend save my shopping receipts in a box during the year, so I dug through the box to find the receipts for all of the items I mentioned in our Kindergarten Wardrobe post.

According to Statistics Brain, the average annual cost to parents for school uniforms is $249.  Unfortunately, this source doesn't provide any background on what they include as school uniforms.  If I don't include items such as shoes, coat, backpack and lunchbox that we'd need regardless of dress code, I come in right under the average at $234.  If those big ticket items are included, my spend is way above average adding an additional $146 to my annual spend.  So here's how it breaks down:

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Tops:
Izod short sleeve polo $7, Old Navy short sleeve polo $6, George Girls' Long Sleeve Polo Shirt 2/$11, H&M short sleeve t-shirts (2) $6, H&M long sleeve t-shirt (2) $10

Bottoms:
Lands End skort $20, Izod skirt $7.50, Cherokee Uniform Pants (2) $12, Children's Place Yoga Pants $5, Circo leggings $5, Izod shorts (2) $7

Dresses and Sweaters:
Lands End dress $22.50, Lands End sweater $22.50, Cherokee sweater $10, French Toast sweater $10

Accessories:
French Toast Tights (2pk) $11, French Toast socks $7, French Toast bike shorts $8, French Toast belt $9

Other necessities:
Lands End lunch box $14, Lands End Backpack $26, Oshkosh jacket $30, Stride Rite sneakers $30, Stride Rite shoes $46

All items are rounded to the nearest twenty five cents.  In some cases, I could not locate my actual receipt, so I then substituted the retail cost of the item that I could verify online.  In most cases, I purchased items on sale, used a coupon code and/or received free shipping.

(photo used with permission from Microsoft)

Related Posts:

Our Kindergarten Wardrobe
Modesty on the Playground
Building a Boys School Uniform Wardrobe

Lands' End Iron Knee Pants

This picture was taken to commemorate the first day my daughter tied her shoes "all by herself". However, it also shows the dreaded knee patches that had become a signature accessory in her wardrobe during her last year of preschool. She blew out the knees on every pair of pants she owned. I don't know how, but she also managed to tear off or tear through the patches I'd iron on. By the end of the Spring, I'd found some success by ironing a patch on each knee on the inside of the fabric, as well as the outside of her pants. So when I saw a recent promotion for Land's End Little Boys' Pleat Front Iron Knee Blended Chino Pants - Classic Navy, I could relate.

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This product was recently awarded the 2013 Good Housekeeping VIP (Very Innovative Products) Award. For boys, they offer these in a few styles that would like be acceptable for various uniform dress codes. The flat front chinos are available in little boy and big boy sizes for $30.

For Girls, they are only offered in basic uniform pants in several styles and for jeans in toddler sizes, little girls sizes and big girl sizes 7 and 8. They retail for $34. Do you have a pair of these for your son or daughter? If so, please tell us what you think. I also found boys pants that seem to get at the same knee blow out issue by French Toast called Double Knee Pants.