School uniforms make it easy to get children going in the morning because not a lot of time is spent figuring out what to wear. Therefore, school attire guidelines have its perks. If your child’s school has attire guidelines, it will most likely be in one of two scenarios:
- Logos. Some schools will have specific requirements to have the school logo sewn on all attire. In this scenario, it is most likely the school will go through a specific uniform company, such as Dennis Uniform, for you to order those specific attire(s). To order these attire with the school’s logo, the school will have a code for you to enter in the uniform company’s site where then a list of approved attires will show up for you to purchase.
- Business Casual. Other schools will just have a guideline where your child doesn’t have to wear school logoed uniforms but will need to wear specific attire that is pleasing to the eye. The most common attire is “business casual” where boys will need to wear khaki pants or shorts and button up polo shirt and girls wearing pleated skirts or khaki pants and button up polo shirt. This scenario is much easier than the school logoed uniforms because you can purchase them anywhere.
You should always consult your child’s school’s handbook for approved attire. But, here are some recommendations of business casual attire that are usually approved by various schools’ requirements:
PLAN - PRICE Description Lands' End Khaki Pants Stain-resistant chinos in stretch; reinforced knees; adjustable waist GAP Long Sleeve Polo Straight silhouette, hits at hips; various colors GAP Pleated Skort Skort in stretch twill; inseam: 2.5" / 6.4 cm Target Midi Shorts Shrink resistant fabric; adjustable waist; 97% cotton, 3% spandex Target Short Sleeve Polo Shrink & fade resistant; 100% cotton Old Navy Jumper Princess seams, zipper in back from waist to nape
Our review process:
Uniform Styles Considered
Hours Researched
Schools Surveyed
Best stores to buy school uniform attire for kids:
Finding “business casual” attire for kids can be challenging because only a few schools (usually private schools) will require these specific attires so the selection is scarce. That’s why we’ve done the research and found these stores that have the best business casual attire for kids that won’t break the bank:
- Lands’ End. Specializes in quality children’s clothing made especially for school uniforms, Lands’ End is on the higher end of the price range. You can find Khaki pants/shorts/pleated skirts; dark blue pants/shorts/pleated skirts; short or long sleeve white/blue/gray/red/green/yellow half button up polo shirt; long sleeve white or blue half button up polo shirt; jumpers.
- Target. Excellent quality clothing at a lower, affordable price. You can find Khaki pants/shorts/pleated skirts; dark blue pants/shorts/pleated skirts; short sleeve white or blue half button up polo shirt; long sleeve white or blue half button up polo shirt.
- GAP. Excellent quality clothing at a lower, affordable price. You can find Khaki pants/shorts/pleated skirts; dark blue khaki pants/shorts/pleated skirts; short or long sleeve white/blue/gray/red/green half button up polo shirt.
- Old Navy. Excellent quality clothing at a lower, affordable price. You can find Khaki pants/shorts/pleated skirts; dark blue pants/shorts/pleated skirts; short or long sleeve white/blue/gray/red/yellow half button up polo shirt; long sleeve white or blue half button up polo shirt; jumpers.
Uniform Buying Guide:
Any school that has a uniform requirement, the dress code is that students present themselves in a clean and neat manner as a representation of the school. There should be no holes in the students clothing, shorts and dresses need to be a certain length and the colors of the clothing need to be within the school’s color scheme. Here are some tips on finding the right uniforms that will align with these dress codes and durable enough to last a few years.
- Reinforced Knees. Pants that have reinforced knees are built with a hidden polyester interlining at the knees that make them super-durable where most pants fail the test time after time. Lands’ End, Target and Old Navy usually sells pants with reinforced knees. You will want this feature, especially for younger boys who are more active and susceptible to scraping the knees more often.
- Waist Lines. Adjustable elastic waistbands let the pants, shorts or skirts/skorts grow with your child and helps fine-tune the fit. If your child is on the thinner side, this feature will come in handy as you can tighten the waistline without going to the tailor. Lands’ End, Target and Old Navy usually sells pants, shorts, skirts/skorts with adjustable waistbands.
- Inseams. Most schools will require the inseams of shorts, skirts/skorts and jumpers to be longer than the arm length at the side (i.e. the shortest it could be is just a couple inches above the knees). It is best to try the shorts, skirt/skorts or jumpers on first before purchasing to make sure the length is not too short.
- Leggings and Tights. Leggings and tights are usually allowed when worn underneath a skirt/skort or jumpers. Since the color needs to match the school’s color theme, you will want to buy either black or white and one that has no patterns. Consider buying knee high tights so that girls can pull them up to their knees during the chilly winter months or push them down to their ankles during sizzling summer days. Target sells durable knee-high socks.
- Hair Accessories. If your girl like to wear headbands, bows or scrunchies in her hair, remember that it will need to be within the school’s color scheme. It would be best to use hair ties that are black, brown or clear to match not only the color of your child’s hair but also matches the school’s color scheme.