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Featured Basic: Youth Casual Sneakers

Youth Casual Sneakers

In many uniform schools, kids are required to wear basic sneakers in simple colors like white or black or another color that match the school uniform colors. At my daughter's school, the kids are required to wear sneakers on days when they have PE class that are "mostly" navy, white or black. It is my interpretation that the term "mostly" is used because the policy makers recognize how hard it is to find a basic sneaker in just one solid color.

I have commented before, that solid white or black sneakers are hard to find.  Sneaker colors today are anything but basic.  They are colorful in bright, fun shades. So I was pleasantly surprised to come across these basic sneakers in plain white.  They are also offered in a cute Dark Denim color.

They feature a leather upper, which is easy to keep looking clean. I also love the antimicrobial finish which helps prevent shoe odor. They retail for $39 at Lands' End.  Right now they are on sale for $19.99.

School Uniform Girls' Performance Zip-front Cardigan, a review

School Uniform Girls 
Performance Zip-front Cardigan-Classic

Last year, we reviewed the Girls' Zip-front Drifter Cardigan. It became my daughter's favorite go-to sweater all year long. New for the 2015-2016 school year, Lands' End began offering a similar zip-front sweater. So when my daughter's favorite zip front drifter began to get snug on her, we ordered this updated version. Here's a list of features listed in the product description:

• Resists fading and pilling for long-lasting color and comfort 
• Easy-care blend feels soft as cotton 
• Fully-fashioned construction for a great fit 
• Full-zip front 
• Easy-moving raglan sleeves 
• 60% cotton/40% rayon-modal 
• Machine wash/Imported

Compared to last year's version, the collar on this new one is smaller, more like a traditional cardigan and the fabric is a softer cotton blend.  I agree with the claim that it resists fading. We've washed the product numerous times so far and it is holding it's color well.  Also, no pilling so far.  The feel of the cotton is soft to the touch while the weight of the sweater feels substantial and warm. My daughter quickly adopted this as her new favorite sweater.  She demanded I put it in her book bag in the early fall when a lighter weight sweater may have been more appropriate.  I understood why when I visited the classroom for our first parent teacher conference of the year.  It is freezing in her classroom.  The teacher said the room is the coldest in the school and she encourages the kids to always have a sweater on hand.

I was surprised when I went to wash it for the first time.  I read the tags that recommended 'block flat to dry".  Huh?  I honestly had no idea what that meant. So, I did what any normal person would do, I Googled it. It outlined a method that made sense laundering hand knitted clothing and fragile fine fabric sweaters. I quickly decided that the process was too complicated for me, as a busy working Mom.  I don't have time to find butcher paper and trace the outline of the sweater, etc.  It all seemed like too much effort for a simple school sweater that I wash every weekend.  Instead, I tested my own simpler method.  I made sure the zipper was fastened and washed the sweater in cold water in the delicate cycle with other items that seem suited for that cycle.  Normally, I then would have thrown it in the dryer on low.  Instead, I "blocked" it, not to fit its traced outline on paper, but instead I simply shaped it resemble its original shape and size and then carefully laid it across my drying rack to air dry.

After repeating this process each week for a several months now, the sweater has held its original shape and looks just fine.  If you've devised your own simple strategy for blocking sweaters, please feel free to share your feedback in the comments below.  Also if you also have this sweater, tell us how you launder it.

My overall opinion is that this sweater is worth the money.  It retails for $50, so try to catch it on sale. At 30% off, it will definitely earn it's keep in the school wardrobe rotation.  I would guess that my daughter will end up getting at least 2 years of wear from this sweater before she outgrows it.

The Gap's School Uniform Polo Shirt, a review

During a post holiday sale about 2 years ago, I picked up two
Girls Solid Pique Uniform Polos from the Gap for my daughter that were on end of the season clearance. Normally, Gap polos are at the higher end of the price range. But I snagged them for 5 bucks each.   This time of year is a great time to keep an eye out for winter clearance sales.

My daughter is now outgrowing these Gap polos, but we got 2 good years of use from them. They held up very well. This polo is a traditional pique polo in soft stretch materials that is 94% cotton and 4% spandex. It has side vents at the hem and has satin trim inside the collar in a contrasting color. The tag inside the collar bothered by daughter, so we cut it out. The fabric is not as soft as some of her interlock polos in other brands, but it is not a traditional mesh feel either.

The girls version of the polo has feminine details such as a slim fit and longer front button placket. It is offered in 6 common uniform colors in sizes XS through XXL. It also comes in a plus size option or a long sleeve version. As an alternative, I really like this Girls Peter Pan Jersey Polo.

The Boys Solid Pique Polo is described as having a modern fit with a slimmer profile.  The  trim in the collar is in the same color fabric, and the placket is wider and shorter than the girls. The boys polo is offered in 10 different colors in sizes from XS through XXL. There is also a long sleeve version and a husky version.

Cherokee Girls Pleated Scooter, a Review

One of our favorite scooters is this Girls Pleated Scooter by Cherokee.  I was reviewing old posts over the holiday break and I couldn't believe I hadn't written about it yet.  I think we got ours from the uniform exchange program second-hand several years ago.  But it is such a classic that you can still find it at Target online.

The reasons we love it-

The box pleats are classic without being too traditional.  

It is a scooter with shorts built in for modesty.  It has a side zipper closure. They can be a bit tricky for the youngest students, but my daughter doesn't mind it.

The fabric has held up very well over time. it comes in both navy or khaki.  As I mentioned above, I think we got this scooter second hand and my daughter has been wearing it for 3 years.  It still looks great.  The material is listed as a 60/40 cotton poly twill blend with a peached fabric treatment.  The label says to machine wash in cold water and tumble dry on low heat.  I throw this skirt in a load with all of our workout wear then hang it on a hanger to dry. No ironing needed. 

Did I mention the adjustable waist? This is why my daughter has been able to wear it for so long. While she's gotten taller and stronger, she hasn't grown more than an inch or so in the waist since Kindergarten. We adjust the waist a button or two each season. 

This scooter has an above the knee length which is another reason it has stayed in the active wardrobe rotation for so long. Many skorts that would otherwise still fit became too short as my daughter has grown taller.  Those were taken out of rotation and passed along to the uniform exchange program. Because this one was designed to hit above the knee, it is still long enough for her to wear and pass the fingertip test.

The classic styling, the longer length, and the quality fabric make this scooter a winner. When my daughter does finally outgrow this one, I'm sure we'll order another one.

Code Socks- fun socks for kids that wear school uniforms

I am excited to be one of the first to review Code Socks, a new collection of school uniform socks.   The socks allow kids to "follow the rules, but crack the code inside your shoes."  Most uniform dress codes and schools with standard student attire require students to wear basic navy or white socks to match their uniforms. Code socks are a solid color, except on the heel and bottom of the foot where it features a fun colorful design.

What a great ideas! They are perfect for kids that aren't looking to break the rules, but may be itching to express a bit of personality in their attire.

Code Socks is currently offering 3 knee high styles in the basic white and navy.  While looking to expand their offering, they currently offer code socks in girls knee highs that fit youth shoe sizes 12-5 which roughly translates to ages 5-10. The owners sent me two pair as a basis for this review.  The socks are 85% cotton, 12% polyester and 3% spandex.  In our house, the school socks with that hint of the poly blend hold up and wash up better than other socks.  We struggle to keep our white socks white, but the poly blend ones stay a bright white.

The three styles feature cute designs on the bottom of the foot and heel which would be hidden inside the shoe while wearing school shoes.  They retail for $8 per pair or $20 for three pairs.

• The first design is a cute polka dot (shown above).
• A second design has rainbow colors along the bottom of the foot (shown to the right).
• The third design features the word hello written in cursive across the foot.  

My daughter especially loves the hello socks.  She is totally into the hi/bye trend in girls clothing, so the hello socks play right into it. She wears a size 2 shoe and they fit her fine, not too big or tight. She is also very picky about the seam that run across the toe on socks. It has to be placed just right before she'll put on her shoe. Maybe she was successfully distracted by the cute design, but the seam on these socks didn't bother her a bit. She wears knee socks to school all fall and spring with her skorts, so these will get a ton of use.

I think the designs are super cute.  The socks are very soft to the touch.  The quality of the material and the workmanship is solid.  No loose threads and the stitching is clean.  Uniform Mom is big fan of Code Socks!

Please consider supporting this small US based business with an order for the uniform girl in your life.  They will make a great gift this holiday season.

Is Your School's Dress Code Sexist?

Just after Labor Day, I noticed a spike in visits to a Uniform Mom post that featured longer skirts for girls that would pass the "fingertip test".  The fingertip test is a commonly used way to determine if the length of a skirt or shorts is too short.  If a girl extends her hands down to her sides and the skirt is past her fingertips, it passes.  If it is shorter than her fingertips, it is considered too short and therefore a uniform infraction at many schools.  Sometimes, administrators make efforts at the beginning of the school year to set the tone with consistent enforcement efforts. In some cases, the school conducts some sort of mass inspection that usually results in headlines in local newspapers and on local news channels. Girls that receive warnings that their skirts are too short may be offered a change of clothes from a inventory of donated second-hand uniforms.  Other times, they may be isolated until a parent can arrive with a change of clothes that complies with code.

I thought that increase in traffic was an indication that your daughters' might be getting caught up in enforcement efforts that left you searching to find retailers that carry skirts that are long enough to pass the fingertip test. I was relieved to learn that this wasn't the case. But....

Instead, I stumbled upon a conversation regarding "slut shaming" that referenced the post.  Stelman, a writer for Addicting Info, a popular liberal blog, wrote a post that summarized recent examples of uniform policies and enforcement efforts that he found to be sexist because they selectively applied to only girls.

This lead me to a video by Laci Green, a sex education activist with a popular channel, Sex + on YouTube.  In her video on Dess Code Sexism, Laci says that the use of school dress code guidelines are not the problem, but she presents top five reasons dress code double standards are sexist. She raises many interesting points that should cause school boards and school administrators to pause and reflect on their own policies and enforcement efforts.

So what do you think? Does your school have any policies that contain these dress code double standards? Have you seen sexism in enforcement efforts or in comments by teachers or administrators? Share your thoughts or observations in the comments below.