Ideal Uniforms has been a family owned and operated business for over 80 years. They have two locations in New York City and have a newly redesigned website with an online store. Below is a quote from their web site:
"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. This allows us to retain a vast inventory which is stocked year round. Ideal manufactures many of its own products to ensure that customers get what they need when they need it."
They carry the following brands in children's uniform clothing: A+ School Apparel, Classroom, Elderwear, French Toast, Rifle Kaynee, Becky Thatcher, Dickies, as well as their own brand Ideal brand. They also sell scouts uniforms, dancewear, backpacks, and caps and gowns.
Boys bottoms include four different brands of flat front pants, two brands of pleated pants or pull on pants. Boys shirts include polos in short and long sleeve, turtlenecks, and short and long sleeve button up dress and oxford shirts. In sweaters, they carry acrylic vests, cardigans, and v-neck pullovers. Finally, they carry the Rifle Kaynee Unisex Blazer in five colors. Boys accessories include a variety of ties and belts.
Girls bottoms include French Toast, Becky Thatcher and Dickies flat fronts and basic shorts. In skirts, they carry a basic kick pleat in solids and plaids, plaid knife pleats, and plaid kilts. Girls tops include polos, turtlenecks, peter pan blouses in short and long sleeve, pointed collar blouses and oxfords in short and long sleeve. In sweaters, they carry acrylic vests, cardigans, and v-neck pullovers. They also have two options for vests, a bolero (open in the front) and a pointed (button up). The v-neck jumpers are available in solids and plaids and the slit neck jumper in plaids. Finally, they carry a wrap around kilt in solids. Finally, they carry a fun selection of coordinating criss-cross ties, scruncies, head bands, bike shorts and tights.
They have a typical return policy, or most items, for a full refund with a receipt within 14 days for items in their original condition, unwashed and unworn. Exchanges can be made within 30 days.
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.
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.
