Our school does not mind if you buy generic. However you must buy monogrammed merchandise from the approved vendor. We do not do laundry during the week so we buy 6 boys pants, 6 uniform short sleeve shirts, 2 pairs of sneakers - mostly black or mostly white. For my DD we buy 6 jumpers, 1 blouse, 5 short sleeve uniform polos, 5 gym shorts, 1 pair of mostly white sneakers, 2 pairs of uniform shoes. We try to buy the shirts used, we buy maybe 2 new.

We will fill in with 2-3 long sleeve shirts in the winter but the kids often wear short sleeves and sweaters or sweatshirts. We buy the sweaters and sweatshirts at the used uniform sale as well.

Anonymous wrote:Exactly PP. Don't want to hound them with uniform questions or sound uncooperative...but blue shorts are blue shorts...in fact, the ones we have look a bit nicer.

The point of a uniform, for many schools and families, is for no one kid to look any 'nicer' than anyone else. They're supposed to be an equalizer.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for your great responses. 2 Follow up questions.

1) Does Lands End have a uniform sale every year? If so when-ish?

2) Is your school super strict about standard items coming from specific vendors? For example, mine requires flat front navy blue shorts for boys from Lands End. We just got some from Kitestrings, and I am wondering if we could use those. Don't want my son in trouble because of me at his new school, but I also don't want to buy extras we don't need.

Thanks soooo much!

I bought the Lands End for that reason the first year, then realized that wasn't necessary. Just as long as they looked similar. The JCP or Children's Place is the way to go. Boys destroy pants in particular. Also, check because in many cases an extra set at school for younger kids is required. You may need a used or inexpensive set of everything to keep at school.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for your great responses. 2 Follow up questions.

1) Does Lands End have a uniform sale every year? If so when-ish?

2) Is your school super strict about standard items coming from specific vendors? For example, mine requires flat front navy blue shorts for boys from Lands End. We just got some from Kitestrings, and I am wondering if we could use those. Don't want my son in trouble because of me at his new school, but I also don't want to buy extras we don't need.

Thanks soooo much!

We'll be new in K as well, but our handbook specifically says that pants/shorts that are not purchased from Lands End must be the same style and color as Lands End. I picked up some shorts from our school's uniform exchange, and, while they were mostly Lands End, I also got some French Toast, Chaps, and another brand I had never heard of before.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for your great responses. 2 Follow up questions.

1) Does Lands End have a uniform sale every year? If so when-ish?

2) Is your school super strict about standard items coming from specific vendors? For example, mine requires flat front navy blue shorts for boys from Lands End. We just got some from Kitestrings, and I am wondering if we could use those. Don't want my son in trouble because of me at his new school, but I also don't want to buy extras we don't need.

Thanks soooo much!

1) This is our first year so I don't know that much about the Lands End sales. There's one right now through tomorrow for 25% off all bottoms, and free shipping for orders over $50. And they had a "logo for a penny" sale about a month ago. I stocked up on shirts then because I don't fear my son outgrowing shirts the way I do his outgrowing slacks. And I've heard they have a sale during the "tax free" week, usually in August, but I can't confirm that.

2) My son's school is not strict with vendors at all. But it's a small school. They told me it's more like a dress code than a uniform. As long as the shirts are the right color and have a collar, and the slacks are the right color, we are all good. I asked which brand had "better" knees, because my son blows out the knees on all this slacks within weeks, it seems, and they told me Land's End. Does your school's website or student handbook have more information on uniforms? Maybe they just say something like "suggested" vendors or something.

Exactly PP. Don't want to hound them with uniform questions or sound uncooperative...but blue shorts are blue shorts...in fact, the ones we have look a bit nicer.