Featured Basic: Cotton Jersey Uniform Pleated Skort

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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If your daughter doesn't care for the cotton twill fabrics used in many skirts and pants, she could try this Uniform Pleated Skort from Crazy 8. It is available only in gray. It is a pull on skort made with 100 cotton jersey but has the button tab details and side pleats like traditional uniform skorts. The length is the above the knee which most young girls prefer with the built in shorts underneath that most Mom's prefer. It is machine washable. It currently retails for $14.99.  Now through 4/23/15, you can get it 30% off.

Has your daughter tried this skort? Share your opinion of it in the comments section below.

Frugal Find: Cherokee Girls Knit Blazer

The Frugal Find Series shares uniform pieces for boys and girls that comply with uniform dress codes at many public, private, charter and parochial schools. Because many of these items are on clearance, they may not be available in all colors and sizes. You'll have to act quickly to snag the deal.

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I love this Cherokee® Girls' School Uniform Knit Blazer which is sold at Target as an online exclusive. Knit blazers are comfortable, like a sweater, but look smarter. They work well as an extra layer most of the year, but are perfect during the season transitions as a light jacket. This version has a more feminine shape and features the less formal, three button style with the shawl collar. It also has cute detailing on the front pockets. It is on clearance and still available in navy small and x-large.  It normally retails for $24.99 and is on clearance for just $8.74.

8 Steps for School Uniform Wardrobe Refresh

Warmer temperatures means its time to dig out those Spring clothes and put away the heavy Winter sweaters and coats. Save yourself from any unnecessary morning craziness by reorganizing the kids wardrobe this weekend.

Here are 8 Steps for a Spring Wardrobe Refresh:

1. Do laundry first. It doesn't make sense to do this task twice, so get the laundry done so all clothes are ready to be sorted.
2. Dig out any seasonal items that you may have put away from last year or if you received a bag of hand me down items from a friend. Sort through those items and pull out any Spring items in your child's size. Launder them, if needed.
3. Take everything out of the dresser drawers. Pile the clothes on the bed. This will keep you from overlooking items by forcing you to touch everything. Dust out the dresser drawers while they are empty.
4. Pack away the winter items like heavy sweaters and outerwear like coats, hats gloves, and scarves if they meet these two criteria.
   

   a) Does that item have some useful like left in it? And
   b) Will your child be able to fit in it again next season.

   
   If the answer is "no" for either question, put it aside in the donation pile.
5. Sort the clothes organizing like items. Phys Ed clothes, long sleeve t-shirts, short sleeve t-shirts, shorts and bottoms, pajamas, accessories, and activity/sports uniform items. Pull out items that your child has outgrown. Fold items neatly and put them back in the dresser.
6. Next, open the closet and pull out outgrown items. Reorganize by putting like items together. Sort uniform items from non-uniform clothing. Tops, Sweaters, Skirts, Dresses, Pants, and coats.
7. The only items remaining item should be in your donation pile. Pack up uniform items with useful life left in them for the school uniform exchange program. Pack up the remaining items in a large trash bag and take them out to the car so you can drop them in the local Goodwill bin when you are out doing regular errands.
8. Review your progress and spot check against the Uniform Mom Printable Shopping Lists. Make a list of key uniform items that need replacing to get through the next season.

Image Source (Public Domain).

Classroom Girls Narrow Leg Pants from Schoolbelles

The folks at Schoolbelles asked me to take a look one of the items from their value uniform line of clothing. They sent me a pair of Classroom brand narrow leg pants as the basis for this review. No additional compensation was received for this review.



Image from Schoolbelles
Used with permission.

Schoolbelles' offers a value line of uniform items at a lower price point. These uniform line includes most basics like solid navy pants and basic white polos and tops that work well with most standard dress codes. They state the value line products are created to be fashionable, durable school uniforms tested in real world situations with real kids. The value line is made up of Classroom brand items.

We tried the girls’ value stretch narrow leg pants. I guess I was expecting the value line pants to be of average quality. However, the first thing I noticed when I opened the package is that the quality of these pants would rival the higher end competitors in the US uniform market. The material is a soft yet durable blend of 53% Cotton, 44% Polyester, 3% Spandex. Have you ever noticed loose seams and threads on clothing at certain retailers?  Not these, on this pair of pants, the seams are tight using a finishing zigzag seam showing better quality in the workmanship.

(c) 2015 Rene Shonerd
All Rights Reserved.

My daughter has a slim, athletic build. These narrow pants flatter her girlish figure so she looks trendy without looking inappropriately dressed for school. These were a little long on her, but because they have a narrow leg, we simply rolled them up one turn, While I've found other Schoolbelles items from their brand to run larger than many national retailers, these Classroom brand pant were true to size. The cut of the pants have a contemporary look with a short fly and button closure. They have a mid-rise, pockets on the behind and a narrow leg. The description says the youth sizes (4-6XR) have a center back elastic waist, while the youth sizes (7-16) feature an adjustable interior waist. They are machine washable. They are available in navy and khaki and retail for $17.75 in youth sizes.

I'm a fan of these Classroom brand pants in Schoolbelles value line. I would agree that they are great quality for the price. The Girls Schoolbelles value line also includes the Classroom Stretch Fashion pants with a straight leg and the Classroom Flair Leg Pant with a boot suit leg. 

For the boys, they carry the Classroom Flat Front Pant and the Classroom Narrow Leg Pant.  I bet the narrow leg style would work well for a slim boy.

  

American Girl Sale at zulily - Save up to 30%!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.Attention American Girl fans! 

zulily.com has American Girl dolls, clothes and accessories on sale today, up to 30% off! American Girl items always go fast at zulily, check out the sale now >> American Girl Sale - Up to 30% Off

American Girl School Stripe Dress - Girls
$44.00
$39.99

 

 


American Girl Starry Doll Holder
$24.00
$20.99





 

American Girl Light Skin, Layered Caramel Hair, Blue Eye 18'' Doll & Outfit Set
$153.00
$104.99





About American Girl - Centered on celebrating girls and all that they can be, American Girl® is all about products that spark the imagination and teach the importance of friends and family. Made to educate, entertain and inspire, this indispensable book collection features fun crafts, brain-building exercises and problem-solving strategies that will stick with a girl every step of the way.

Florida HB 7043 - Standard Student Attire

Many students in Florida already wear uniform or student standard attire to schools.  According to articles, cities like Miami and  Jacksonville have the some highest percentages of students wearing uniforms in the US. A new bill filed in Florida yesterday could increase those numbers statewide.

Last week, the K-12 subcommittee filed a bill in the Florida House of Representatives for consideration after its first reading.  The bill was assigned number 7043 and titled, Student Standard Attire.  The bill states the following details:

"The purpose of a standard student attire policy is to provide a safe environment that fosters learning and improves school safety and discipline by:

1. Encouraging students to express their individuality through personality and academic achievements, rather than outward appearance. 
2. Enabling students to focus on academics, rather than fashion, because they are able to project a neat, serious, and studious image. 
3. Minimizing disciplinary problems because students are not distracted by clothing. 
4. Reducing the time needed to correct dress code violations through a readily available inventory of compliant"

And according to the bill's summary, here's how it aims to accomplish the stated purpose:

• authorizes school boards to adopt standard student attire policy; 
• limits liability for districts that implement attire policy; 
• creates safe schools allocation to provide funding for certain safe schools activities; 
• provides for withholding of funds from districts that do not comply with certain school safety & student discipline reporting
• authorizes additional funds for districts that implement standard student attire policy (up to $10 per K-8 student in qualified schools);
• provides appropriation.

You can track this bill's progress or read the full bill for yourself. The bill awaits scheduling in the full education committee.  Here at Uniform Mom, we'll be following its progress and let you know of any updates.  Parents living in Florida can contact their state representative to share their opinion for or against this bill.

Image credit - Tallahassee FL Old Capitol rear01 by Ebyabe  CC-BY-SA 3.0

Fleece Lined Tights Paired with School Uniform

Jeez, it sure is cold outside.  The cold temps and the strong wind gusts we've been experiencing this year are brutal.  Especially if you're wearing a skirt, right?

I've mentioned before that our daughter's normal winter wardrobe routine consists of PE clothes on two days, khakis and polo on two days, then she alternates between a few skirts and a dress on the 5th day of the week. At morning drop off, the outside temperature today was 14 degrees! And that didn't even account for the wind chill.  It's just our luck that all her school pants were in the laundry this morning and it wasn't a PE day.  That meant, the only clean clothing option for her was to put on a skirt.  Brrrr.  Thankfully, she has a few pairs of fleece lined tights to match her school uniform.

She is happy to put on a skirt even when its so cold outside because she loves those tights.  She tells me that they keep her plenty warm. They can be a bit tough to find in navy, but we now have several pairs. One footless pair  in a smooth cotton, another footless pair in a cotton cable-knit pattern, and one footed pair in a smooth cotton.  I think I picked up all of them at Sears. And while the tag doesn't specify, I think they are Joe Boxer brand tights.  They run big.  The girls size 4-7 still fits my daughter comfortably when she's wearing a solid size 7 on most brands, sometimes an 8.  We also have the next size up, which is the 8-10.  They are still really big on her; bunching at the ankles.

Fleece Lined Footless Extra Warm
Tights for Girls
by Leg Impressions via Amazon

The only thing I don't like about them is the shade of navy. They don't seem to match the same shade of navy in any of her skirts which include options from various brands.  The tights are a brighter hue of navy. While I wouldn't try to pull off the navy on navy matching with any of my outfits for work, I am willing to overlook this color mismatch on her with her school uniform.  Hey - It saves me from having to do the mid week load of laundry. And my daughter is still too young to understand the subtlety of this fashion faux pas.

Does your daughter wear the fleece lined tights with her school uniform? I found this pair on Amazon by Leg Impressions of Fleece Lined Footless Extra Warm Tights for Girls.  It looks like they have all the basic school uniform colors.

If your daughter has a pair, where did you get them? How does she like them?