Uniform/shoes in high school

[charli73]

I already starting research for my DD to start secondary school. Strict uniform policy states black leather shoes with no buckles, black lace ups only.  I’m wondering what the older girls are wearing apart from Clark’s or other shoes and Sox choices. In my day it was Clark’s Harrison’s but no buckles and a few Doc Martens here and there.. 

Did your DD need two dresses and two sport Polos? There’s a wooden jumper but I never see girls wearing it just the blazer. Do girls wear them or just in winter? My DD hates tracksuit pants but all the girls seem to be wearing them in winter too.
My DS grows faster than my DD so I bought him larger sizes to last longer, she does not grow as quickly. Yes I’m a planner and I realise it’s only October but I like being organised. These uniforms are going to be close to $900 for the full things so don’t want more than I need.

Edited Saturday at 10:21 PM by charli73

[Kerilyntaryn21]

The amount of uniforms depends on how often you wash and also how many days they need the sports uniform.  We just got shoes from Kmart or big W.  To help with uniform costs generally second hand is usually available too

I'd get the trackpants ask your dad if she actually would wear it, otherwise i wouldn't buy it.  I wouldn't buy the jumper either.  Is the blazer optional or for particular year levels.  If you buy id definitely get second hand

[Crombek]

If your DD's school has a sports uniform day per week (our catholic high does) & well being activities additional to PE or she is likely to do a sport then yes to multiple polos. We have 2 + the school rep polo and it's a battle making sure they are all ready to go every week. I'm about to grab a third house polo & maybe even a second rep top this term. But they will be passed down to DS2 so it's worth it for us.

Also yes to 2 (or even 3) dresses. I know its expensive but they do get paint on them, and also teens are just...stinky. Get them as big as she'll let you & take them up heaps, most people do it that way.

[Bereckii]

My kids prefer these to Clark's. They say more comfortable and more like a trainer than a stiff leather shoe. They're NOT cheap, so check they comply with the uniform policy before investing. 

https://www.theathletesfoot.com.au/ascent-apex-medium-womens-black.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcw7wwo4cnozcAz2XFKt5pkmLIBblHjLz1AgJZ6oFy36ZRbP669LQ32BoCC40QAvD_BwE&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&ef_id=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcw7wwo4cnozcAz2XFKt5pkmLIBblHjLz1AgJZ6oFy36ZRbP669LQ32BoCC40QAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!6457!3!!!!x!!&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1

[charli73]

DD isn’t that sporty but may need to do multiple sport days and there is a separate house colour polo too. Blazer is compulsory for travel to and from school and they have a polar fleece vest also. I am not sure if they have a seconds uniform shop just yet but will ask around.

[Ghost Girl]

Very strict uniform here, we actually have 4 dresses, 3 sports and 2 jumpers. The girls wear the jumpers all year long, as the dresses are awful and it allows them to hike up the dresses a bit!

We also shop at athletes foot fir the shoes. No buckles, just laces.

I've bought alot second hand. Noone notices.

[Crombek]

3 minutes ago, charli73 said:

DD isn’t that sporty but may need to do multiple sport days and there is a separate house colour polo too. Blazer is compulsory for travel to and from school and they have a polar fleece vest also. I am not sure if they have a seconds uniform shop just yet but will ask around.

There's usually a Facebook group floating around for uniform sales too. 

[SleepyBear]

Our school is very strict uniform policy, no official 2nd hand via the school however there is a Facebook group specific to uniform BSS that everyone uses. 

While tempting to get organised I would buy what you need as you need it as jumper use vs vest vs just the blazer will depend how she feels the cold and adapts to the uniform. Your school may also dictate what is worn in different months eg our uniform policy dictates the different summer and winter uniform and includes when different items can be worn vs must be worn. 

Her electives may also impact uniform choices. 

[STBG 2]

Many years ago most of my girls had 2 dresses, 2 polos and 2 shorts as there was a choice to wear a tailored short with a white polo as well as the dress. I had one girl who only wore dresses in summer so she had 3. Our son had 3 polos and 3 shorts.

In winter the girls had only one winter skirt and one pair of pants ( they were not tracksuit pants). Our son had 2 pairs of pants.

They all had 2 woolen pullovers and none chose a blaser as it was not compulsory.

Shoes were allowed to have a buckle so they wore the Harrison's T bar initially but all ended up in Doc Martins by year 9.

 

I think the number of uniforms needs to meet up with the household ability to keep up with the washing. Teens still get dirty and smelly and despite showering and deodorant they would not wear a shirt for more than one day and rarely would they wear a dress 2 days in a row.

I tried the cheaper black shoes, for us it was a waste of money as it was often a pair a term. Once they got past mid secondary their shoes often lasted a good 2 years.

Even back then their uniforms would cost us several thousands of dollars a year and this was a state secondary college.  But still I preferred this than then going to a non uniformed school.

They had one sports uniform each but the school provided uniforms for inter school sports.

[Sincerely]

15 minutes ago, Bereckii said:

My kids prefer these to Clark's. They say more comfortable and more like a trainer than a stiff leather shoe. They're NOT cheap, so check they comply with the uniform policy before investing. 

We also went for the most comfortable black leather shoes in the store. The kids always tried on the shoes and walked around to find the most comfortable pair. Sometimes they were Clark’s, sometimes other brands depending on what stocks of shapes and styles the shop had, but usually in the $100 - $150 range (3-15 years ago).

[BoyMum2]

22 minutes ago, STBG 2 said:

 

 

Even back then their uniforms would cost us several thousands of dollars a year and this was a state secondary college.  But still I preferred this than then going to a non uniformed school.

 

I didn’t know there were non-uniformed schools, where/what are these places?

[Kiwi Bicycle]

Just now, BoyMum2 said:

I didn’t know there were non-uniformed schools, where/what are these places?

The onky one I know is a private high school with liberal values. Costs $ 30k plus per year.

[STBG 2]

26 minutes ago, BoyMum2 said:

I didn’t know there were non-uniformed schools, where/what are these places?

There are schools who do not have strict uniform policies, I see them evidenced at our local shops.

There are also these, not a private schools. I am sure there are others.

https://www.bhssc.vic.edu.au/enrolments/uniform/

https://www.elthamhs.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Student-Dress-Code-Policy.pdf

Edited Saturday at 11:57 PM by STBG 2
efg

[charli73]

29 minutes ago, STBG 2 said:

There are schools who do not have strict uniform policies, I see them evidenced at our local shops.

There are also these, not a private schools. I am sure there are others.

https://www.bhssc.vic.edu.au/enrolments/uniform/

https://www.elthamhs.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Student-Dress-Code-Policy.pdf

There’s a school that is private and $30k+ that allows the sports uniform full time.. this is a brilliant idea..

https://www.kingswoodcollege.vic.edu.au/about-kwc/wardrobe/

[BeAwesome]

DD1 in large public school - I found they were fairly strict in junior school.  DD got sent home on her first day of Year 8 for having green hair.  She's now in Year 10 and says they tend to turn more of a blind eye to it now, there's  a few kids with vibrant hair colours.  She started this year with an industrial piercing, and nothing has been said.  They don't have a school blazer.  I prefer the look of fitted uniforms than 'buying them big' , so the uniforms I bought for DD going into Year 7 she's still wearing, and she never ended up growing. I 

DD2 - small Catholic all girls school - very strict on uniforms, there's regular mentions in newsletters etc about uniform requirements.  However, at the start of the school year, it was REALLY hot, so they gave the girls permission to wear their sports uniform if they preferred for all of Term 1.  That shocked me, as there's no way my similar high school wold have done the same.  DD2 isn't interested in colour hair, piercings, etc like her sister, so it's not an issue.  

Both girls I bought 3 formal uniforms and 2 sports uniforms, as we don't do washing during the week, and do it all over the weekend.  Both girls wear ROC school shoes, DD1 likes the chunky looking ones, and DD2 the regular ones.  They've pretty much replaced the same pair of shoes each year since mid-Primary school.  

[Sincerely]

53 minutes ago, BoyMum2 said:

I didn’t know there were non-uniformed schools, where/what are these places?

WRT public high schools with no uniform requirements, Mosman High School allows students to wear civilian outfits. I remember decades ago, some of my cousins attended Muirfield High School and didn’t have to wear uniforms, but the school introduced uniforms in the 90’s.

https://mosman-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/about-our-school/enrolment.html

[Bethlehem]

Is there compulsory school weekend sport? This made us get an extra sports uniform - he needed to wear his sports uniform on the training days (2 a week) and they also needed the shorts for Saturday games. 
The school went from one pe day at school per fortnight to doing a block of practical for three weeks where every pe class was practical for three weeks of term. That was nuts and really annoying as we’d gone from 9 of 10 days being formal uniform to 10/10 for some fortnights and 1/10 for other fortnight’s. 

[BoyMum2]

I have mixed views on the uniform subject. 
We don’t expect most adults to adhere to strict uniform policies at work and in the exceptions there’s usually a good reason whether it be comfort, identification or safety. 
I’m a big advocate of letting children be individuals and that extends to dress. School is such a controlling environment and it seems clothing is the one place we can allow them to have a bit of freedom. 
However, the merits of a uniform code are there. I grew up in a low socio economic area and there’s no more obvious way to identify the really poor kids than by how they dress, which unfortunately makes them a target. On the flip side, the wealthier kids would be swanning about in designer clothes if they could, further highlighting the wealth disparity in the school population. 
As a parent, it’s so much easier to just let the kids throw on the uniforms and not worry they’re wearing anything offensive - you can’t trust children to always make the right choices. 
I do not see that there’s any need to have several different uniforms costing thousands of dollars per school year. 
My kids go to a pretty relaxed school, public primary. The uniform is a single polo shirt, shorts or trackies. Girls can wear a dress but I rarely see dresses. Hats and jumpers. That’s it. 
For two kids, I’ll be lucky to spend $500 over the next 2 or 3 years. They can wear shorts nearly the whole year and everything has stretch in it so will last a couple of school years. 
The shoes just need to be closed so they wear their runners, which they would have anyway. 
The local high school seems to have adopted a similarly casual uniform policy. I’ve never seen a blazer or tailored trousers. The kids all look the same and they look comfortable.

[BoyMum2]

2 minutes ago, Bethlehem said:

Is there compulsory school weekend sport? This made us get an extra sports uniform - he needed to wear his sports uniform on the training days (2 a week) and they also needed the shorts for Saturday games. 
The school went from one pe day at school per fortnight to doing a block of practical for three weeks where every pe class was practical for three weeks of term. That was nuts and really annoying as we’d gone from 9 of 10 days being formal uniform to 10/10 for some fortnights and 1/10 for other fortnight’s. 

Compulsory weekend sport? What if you don’t like sport? Bloody hell, there were plenty of girls in my high school that barely summoned the motivation to pass PE, nevermind giving up a bit of their weekend. 

[Bethlehem]

Our school is optional Saturday sport but we play in a competition with schools where it’s compulsory. 
 

 

Other factor is to check the current fashions of the school. At our school, the boys wear the black jackets and girls pick jumpers. School is rules say that they can be both worn by either but the unofficial fashion is boys wear the black and girls wear the jumper. Only girls wear the scarf, only boys wear the beanie. Again school says it’s for everyone but kids have decided this. 

[Kiwi Bicycle]

No, there really isn't a need for a public high school to have a blazer, or even a tie. Just good quality, comfortable clothing that is cool and warm when required. With lots of options, most unisex.

I know my DS will not wear a wool jersey. In fact any sweatshirt or jersey, he won't wear. So I won't buy one for high school. There's a soft shell jacket as an alternative which I will get instead.

[Grumbles]

Super strict high school here, pants and shorts have school initials on them, socks have stripes, have to use the school backpack BUT the guidelines say white sneakers which we bought and they don’t enforce and the school shoes have to be black leather but Air Force ones are allowed. I bought Surefit shoes in multiple sizes (they are like Ascent but go on special at Costco each year) so won’t buy the Airforce ones until we have run out of our stash.

We have 3 sports uniforms, the 10 day timetable means one week they could have sport and sports training 4 days in a row. High School kids can get home late and leave early so much harder to keep up with washing. The high school boys don’t wear the track pants at all so I only bought sports shorts. They wear formal shorts in Terms 1 and 4 and formal trousers Terms 2 and 3 but don’t have the same rules for the sports uniform.

So each school can be a little tricky in what you need versus what the list says you need. A clue can be second hand ads, eg lots of track pants for sale saying not worn or worn once.

[Jenflea]

DD's public HS USED to be really strict on uniforms, to a ridiculous degree. I still fail to see why they HAD to wear the school shorts(navy) with the logo embroidered on the leg(also navy) that made the logo invisible. Or leggings with the logo on the bottom back of the ankle where no one can see it.

The puffer coat(which I bought the first year as the wind jacket was really heavy and they have no lockers) was $92. 

Enough parents made enough noise that the school has relaxed to allow plain navy bottoms, school top(3 to choose from, all polos)and any plain black or navy jacket. They don't like any non school logos, which is understandable. Public school uniforms should be affordable for all, $45 leggings are not affordable for many people. Of course, DD has 2 pairs as she's still wearing the bloody ones I bought in year 7! I wish she'd started a year later and been able to wear plain navy at half the price or less. 

Shoes are pretty much anything you want, DD wears sneakers and has done since year 1 or 2. 

Her school has a rack of secondhand uniforms available. Good to try on as you buy the uniform online. 

 

[charli73]

No softshell either and the tracksuit is like parachute material so not very warm which is why kids seem to wear the vest. 
My DS won’t wear wool jumper so he wears blazer all winter. DS public school is fairly strict with blazer rules too. 
 

No Sat sport so I don’t think we need extra sports but they do need a house polo and some girls have a house and sports caps but my DD has never work a cap. 
I’m ok with a uniform as it eliminates the anxiety of selecting what to wear and makes kids who can’t afford brand names stand out. 

[tinsilitis]

3 hours ago, Bereckii said:

My kids prefer these to Clark's. They say more comfortable and more like a trainer than a stiff leather shoe. They're NOT cheap, so check they comply with the uniform policy before investing. 

https://www.theathletesfoot.com.au/ascent-apex-medium-womens-black.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcw7wwo4cnozcAz2XFKt5pkmLIBblHjLz1AgJZ6oFy36ZRbP669LQ32BoCC40QAvD_BwE&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&ef_id=CjwKCAjwvKi4BhABEiwAH2gcw7wwo4cnozcAz2XFKt5pkmLIBblHjLz1AgJZ6oFy36ZRbP669LQ32BoCC40QAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!6457!3!!!!x!!&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1

My DDs both have these too. One is finishing year 12 in her first pair (6 years, although 2 years in lockdown meant less wear in those years) and DD2 has got 3 years and they need replacing. But she is tough on her shoes!

I nearly died at the price initially but they have never had uncomfortable feet