Review of the Girls Izod Short-Sleeve Woven Shirt

On my first back to school shopping trip last fall, I took my daughter to JCPenney.  I had scoped it out ahead of time.  They had created a School Uniform section in the store between the boys and girls departments.  I knew this would allow us enough choices to see what type of school clothes my daughter preferred and for me to figure out her size.

photo by Uniform Mom

I don’t recall that she had ever had a button up shirt previously, so she was excited about the Izod short sleeve peter pan woven top.  She noticed the little bit of a puffy sleeve and it seemed to make her feel special.  We even took a picture right in the dressing room when she tried it on.  At $8, I didn’t blink at the price.  We bought it and a few other items that day.

She chose to wear it on the first day of school with a navy skirt.  We were so in a rush to get to school on time that day, I only have one photo of her back taken in the elevator on the way out of our building.  I know you all can relate to those kinds of mornings.  Anyway, she wore the shirt a few more times last fall either with shorts or a skirt. One day in late fall when there was a chill in the air, I had her wear a white cami t-shirt underneath. 

I’m not sure exactly why, but it fell out of favor and is no longer part of our weekly wardrobe routine.  I see other girls from her school wearing that style shirt often.  Many times they are worn under a jumper style dress.  My daughter has always hated jumpers.  Even when she was a toddler and had no opinion of her clothes, if given a choice she would always choose to wear whatever other option I presented.  So honestly I’m not sure if she picked up on that or not.  Or maybe she simply prefers the softness and ease of the polo shirts.  

I had picked up the long sleeve version of this shirt at the school’s Uniform Locker exchange program, but she has never worn it. The long sleeve version does not have the same cap sleeve as the short sleeve version. It is unlikely I will buy this product again for next year, only due to my daughter’s current preferences and the flexibility in her school’s dress code. 

So here’s my Mom take on this item. If your daughter likes to wear jumper dresses or if it is a required part of your school’s dress code, this is a great blouse to wear underneath.  The shirt is well made but is thin.  It can be worn alone, but it looks better with a cami underneath or with a jumper or sweater over top.  It washed well and only needed a quick touch up with the iron to look crisp and sharp again. It retails for $8 at JC Penneys, so it doesn’t break the bank and you could stock up on several.  In fact, the full regular price of this shirt is typically less than similar styles offered by other brands.

Related Posts:

• Izod Flat Front Uniform Skirt, a review
• Izod School Uniform Bermuda Shorts

Uniform Consignment in Denver

I connected recently on Twitter with @UniformConsign. After checking out their website, I wanted to learn more.  I exchanged a few emailed with Kim Vigil, the company's owner to conduct this virtual interview.  I also think its worth noting that she offers highly personalized customer service to local customers in the Denver area, they have expanded to partner with schools in El Paso Texas and Birmingham, Alabama.

Q) What motivated you to start this local business?

A) Uniformconsignment.com is a  family owned business based in Denver, Colorado that wants to make the buying and selling of school uniforms a simple and less expensive process. We are committed to our schools, the children, and their families to help provide quality garments at all times. We understand that it is hard to make it to the uniform shop during their hours, especially if they are across town from your home or workplace. We support our children, and any type of clothing swap that happens at the schools, but we wanted to provide an alternative since, let’s face it, most of us get up early and stay up late to keep our families running!

Belts for School for Kindergarten and Elementary aged Kids

I'm aware of the controversy that requiring a belt as part of school dress code can stir in different communities. Some say that it simply completes an outfit. Others argue that it is a way to fight the fashion trend known as sagging, to get kids to wear their pants with the waistline above the hips. Debating the merits of such "droopy drawers" laws or the motivations of them is not why I bring it up today. Instead, I bring it up to open the conversation around compliance and enforcement in school uniform policies, especially for the youngest students.

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)

Uniform Locker Program at LCTA

I first learned of the Uniform Locker program at my daughter's local school during Kindergarten Prep orientation week. The PTA had sent a flyer to the parents in the K-Prep materials that the Uniform Locker would be open on the school playground after school pick up one afternoon that week.

School Uniforms at Walmart - Retail Round Up Series

Walmart is a multinational corporation that  runs chains of large discount department stores.  In the US, they are located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico including over 625 Walmart discount stores,  over 3,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters, and the online store at walmart.com

The online School Uniform Shop offers all the basic items needed to assemble a school wardrobe for girls and boys that attend schools with a uniform dress code.  Uniforms are offered across all sizes: Toddler 2 - 5, Girls sizes 4 -16, Boys 4 - 22, Juniors 3-15, and the Young Men's link which includes Men's and Men's Big and Tall items.   Most items offered are George brand (a Walmart store brand), Dickies, or Hanes.  All uniforms are tagless, treated with Scotchgard, and have reinforced knees.

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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