Fun Fund: Girls Uniform Polo Short Sleeve Skater Dress

I recently wrote about how I've been seeing new skater skirt styles in the school uniform collection's this season. Here is the dress version of that trend.

This Girls Uniform Polo Short Sleeve Skater Dress skater style polo dress from the Children's Place is made of 97% cotton/3% spandex piqué. I like the longer length that is designed to fit above the knee. I would still have my young daughter wear bike shorts underneath, but that's just me. I think it is a missed opportunity that they do not offer this dress is navy.  It is currently only available only in hunter green and red which will not work for as many girls that wear uniforms to school.  It retails for $19.95.

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Marks and Spencer's launch autism-friendly school uniform collection

The National Autistic Society in the UK teamed up with Marks & Spencer, a UK retailer, to support the development of their brand new ‘Easy Dressing’ school uniform collection. According to reports, the idea came out of a product development campaign called ‘Inventors Wanted’. M&S received suggestions asking them to do more for people who struggle with clothing – especially children on the autism spectrum.

The easy dressing line includes 3 basic items. The first is a pull-up trouser so kids don't have to fuss with zippers and buttons. There is no back pocket and the care label is sewn inside the pocket. The second item is a no iron shirt that has been modified removing the top 4 buttons and replacing them with soft velcro. Again, less buttons less fussing. The last item is the basic polo where they made similar modifications swapping buttons for velcro.

These modifications are brilliant.  They make it so much easier for students with sensory issues to focus on school work instead of the itchy tags.  It makes it easier for these parents to get these kids off to school each day so getting dressed is simpler.  If you are interested to try these items for your child, I have good news.  Marks and Spencer offers shipping to the US. And in case you would need to make a return, return shipping is to a US based address. M&S will also be donating 10% from every item sold to The National Autistic Society.

Boys School Uniform Wardrobe for Under $100

Each fall, parents everywhere purchase new clothing, accessories and school supplies for their children.  Estimates vary wildly on how much we spend each year. According to the National Retail Federation's Back-to-School Spending Survey conducted in 2015 by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 planned to spend $217 on clothing and accessories., excluding shoes.  I recently got an email from a reader that got me wondering if you could get an entire school uniform wardrobe for half of that national average.

Q - "I am on a very tight budget.
Where can I get the best deal on school uniforms for my son?"

I learned her son is a second grader at a school with a casual uniform policy that requires basic khakis and polos in solid colors.  Many national retailers now carry school uniform items these days and all of them have great sales where you can regularity snag uniform clothing items for less than half of their regular retail price.  But if you are pressed for time and don't have time to shop the sales, I'd recommend you place an online order with Walmart.

Walmart offers school uniforms at one of the lowest price points in all of the major uniform clothing items that we track in the Best Bets Series.  If you shop online, you can order only what you need and avoid getting distracted with an impulse buy in the store. While they carry several brands, we've personally had good success with their George brand uniform items.  The quality held up for an entire school year and my daughter found the fabric very comfortable. 

I reviewed the website and mocked up this sample order for our reader's son. Check it out! All of the basics for a school wardrobe designed to last an entire school year for under a 100 bucks!

Sample Boys Uniform Wardrobe from Walmart

Item	Quantity	Total Price
Short Sleeve Polo	4	16.88
Long Sleeve Polo	2	11.50
Sweater	1	14.97
Pants	4	17.82
Shorts	2	16.00
Jacket	1	10.00
Long Sleeve Oxford Shirt	1	11.00
		$98.17

This order takes advantage of Walmart's uniform bundles where the quantity is more than one. I am a big fan of how Walmart offers these bundles. They  allow you to take advantage of the lowest price on items you need multiples of anyway.  The coolest part about their bundling, it that it allows flexibility to vary the items in the bundle with color of the item or even the size.  For example, you can get 4 polos in 4 different colors and 2 pairs of pants (one navy and one khaki).  If you think your child might have a growth spurt halfway through the year, you can order 2 pair of pants in their current size and 2 in the next size up.

By virtue of this exercise, I learned that it is possible to get a full wardrobe of school uniform for half of what most spend on a back to school shopping. You might be able to find a similar items at another retailer if you catch their best sale, but you cant beat the prices for the quality, ease and convenience on this George brand wardrobe from Walmart.

 

 

Retail Round Up: Rainbow Shops

Until recently, I had never heard of Rainbow Shops. I learned that they are a international retailer and reseller for French Toast and Lee brand school uniforms.  I checked out their website and saw that they carry low priced fashion items for women, plus size, kids, and baby including accessories and shoes.  Then I saw one of their physical locations near a local outlet store here in Virginia.  When I looked up their locations online, I was surprised to find 16 more locations within a 10 miles from my house.  In fact, they have 1100 locations in the US and territories.  I did some further research and stopped in a location near me just yesterday to check out their inventory in person.  Note that not all locations carry the kids collections, so check the website for details. 

When I shopped their website, I found it easy to use.  They make it simple to shop for school uniforms with a menu right on the site's primary navigation.  You can easily filter on gender, brand, size or price.  They carry French Toast brand uniforms in preschool (4 - 6x) and children's sizes (7 - 20H) and Lee brand for young women.  All uniform items come in basic colors of navy, black and khaki, except the polos which are offered in many color choices.

For girls they stock the French Toast brand Bermuda shorts, adjustable waist pants, stretch skinny twill pants,  a short sleeve polo top, a short and long sleeve version of the peter pan blouse, the two tab scooter, the below the knee pleated skirt, and the V-neck pleated jumper.

For young women, they stock the Lee brand Bermuda shorts, short sleeve polo, a 5 pocket school uniform pants, and a skinny leg chinos.

For boys, they stock the short sleeve and the long sleeve polo, the flat front adjustable waist shorts, the adjustable waist straight leg twill pants, the adjustable waist pleated double knee pants, a short sleeve and the long sleeve oxford shirt, a sweater vest and the cardigan sweater.

When you shop online, you get free shipping if your order is over $50 in the continental US.  They take returns of unused items in their original condition at their physical locations or via mail using the return shipping label that is provided with web orders.

We'll be publishing reviews for the French Toast items they sent us to try that I've never reviewed before. I also found a few casual clothing items for my daughter that she loves. The high low striped dress with the racer back and the hoodie is super cute as a beach cover up or with sandals for running errands.  So, I also encourage you to browse around at the non-uniform clothing items and accessories on their website.  Their prices are great.  The uniform items seem to always be on sale for a great price.  If you sign up for Rainbow Shops' e-mail newsletters, you'll receive a 10% discount off your next purchase!

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Skater Skirt Trend Arrives in School Uniform Collections

I have been loving the skater skirts and dresses for girls. It is nice to see this trend making its way to the school uniform collections of major retailers.  Because the skirts are full and loose at the bottom, check if they include built in shorts.  If not, you will want to have a comfortable garment to wear underneath that offers modesty without bulk.  If you need some ideas, check out one of our most popular posts on modesty on the playground.

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Here are some examples of new girls skater skirts in school uniform collections:

Cat & Jack Girls' Ponte Knit Skater Skirt 

This skirt has an elastic, but not an adjustable waist, so check the size chart to get a good fit.  It has shorts built in underneath. It is made from a shrink resistant ponte knit fabric and offered in navy and khaki. It retails for $12.99.

Children's Place Girls Ruffled Skater Skirt
This pull on skirt is made of 73% polyester/23% rayon/4% spandex. Note - no built in shorts underneath. It retails for $16.95.  It is offered in navy or gray.

Lands' End School Uniform Girls Solid Side Button Skirt

This button skirt has the cut of a skater skirt with the cute button detail on the side.  This skirt is different from those above because it features an adjustable inner waistband in girls sizes. The toddler style has an elastic back waistband. It is 65% polyester/ 35% rayon Easy-care fabric resists stains, wrinkles & fading. It has a single pocket on the right hand side.  It retails for $35 and is available in gray, navy and khaki.

Izod Skater Scooter Skirt
This option has shorts built in! It is available in toddler and girls regular and plus sizes at JCPenney. It retails for $24.  It has an elastic waist, but not the adjustable waist, so check the sizing chart before ordering.

Name labels from StickerKids, a Review

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The bin of unclaimed items in the lost-and-found bin at dance school was overflowing onto the floor.  I saw tap shoes that run $55 a pair, a basketball jerseys from the local recreation league, and tons of sweaters and jackets, including a leather bomber jacket. I don't know about you, but I sure would be one mad mama if my daughter lost a leather bomber jacket!

You know I am a big fan of using name tags on kids stuff. The folks from StickerKid Name Labels sent me a set to try.  We got the shoe tags which are a cute heel shape to fit right inside the shoe. I ordered them with a cute butterfly icon, my daughter's full name, and my phone number.  Her dance recital is next week, so I put fresh stickers in all of her dance shoes.  And as we prepare for summer camp, I put them in all of her sneakers, flip flops, and soccer cleats.

We also got a set of peel and stick clothing labels.  They are a small size perfect for placing directly the clothing or on the manufacturer clothing tags already inside her jacket and sweaters.  I put them on the tags inside her swim suit, her cover up and on her towel. When we head back to school in the fall, I will put tags on all of her jackets and sweaters.  I prefer the peel and stick name labels, over the iron-on kind.  I've tried both, and I just like the simplicity of the peel and stick.  So far, the StickerKid's labels have lasted several trips through the laundry cycle and they are still solidly adhered. These labels are water resistant, dishwasher safe, microwave and freezer safe, so they are great for so many things.

I recommend you order up some name labels to prevent your kids gear, and your hard earned money, from ending up in the lost and found bin. One of the unique items that they offer is  name labels with a photo image of your child right on the label.  Love it!  Check out the great options from StickerKid today!

Featured Basics - French Toast School Uniform Shorts for Spring

Uniform Mom is an affiliate partner with French Toast.
If you use these links and decide to make a purchase, 
I receive a small commission. 

It is a perfect time to pick up new shorts.


Girls Shorts
These classic girls uniform shorts are called the Bermuda Short. They are made from stretch cotton twill, knee length with 2 front pockets and an adjustable waist.  They come in navy, khaki, black and grey in girls sizes 4 - 20, plus, juniors and women's.

If you don't need the extra length, you can try the Mid-Thigh Short. And the youngest girls should check out the Pull-On Girls Short for less fuss and confidence with potty training skills.

Boys Shorts

The classic boys uniform short is the Flat Front Adjustable Waist Short.  They are a knee length twill with an adjustable made from a wrinkle no more cotton blend with 2 pockets in the front and 2 in back.  They are available in navy, khaki and black in boys sizes 4-20, husky and guys sizes up to a 38 YM.

As an alternative, you can try the Pleated Adjustable Waist Short.  Again, check out the Boys Pull-On Shorts for younger boys.