Putting Trutex School Uniform to the test

We were sent these items from Trutex for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

My son grows like a weed. Every couple of months he seems to shoot up another inch and he needs a whole new school uniform. With him also enjoying the rough and tumble of school life, he also needs a school uniform which will stand up to the rigours of crawling about in the playground, or a boil wash after an especially beany school dinner. Over the last few weeks we’ve been putting his new Trutex school uniform through its paces.

We have had Trutex school uniforms before and they’ve always been warm and comfortable, they’ve washed well and tolerated the beating my son manages to give his clothes during the average school day.

School trousers

For us, we are regular buyers of school trousers, his legs seem to grow quicker than anything and before long they’re half-mast and in need of replacing. We chose a pair of the charcoal sturdy fit trouser with internal adjuster. I’m a big fan of the internal adjuster; the tape inside the waistband which you can adjust to tighten or loosen the waistband. I think all trousers should have this, even adult trousers. The trousers come with “TrutexStay Smart technology” which makes washing and ironing easier, the trouser creases are permanent and they have a stain resistant finish. There’s also a hidden side pocket to zip up small valuables; valuables to my boy are mostly marbles and conkers, but it’s handy to have. These trousers cost £16.99 per pair, my son has been wearing them since Christmas and they look as good as new.

Putting Trutex School Uniform to the test

School jumpers

We are lucky that my son’s school lets children wear uniform which doesn’t have the school badge on. This makes shopping for jumpers a lot easier and cheaper too. The crew neck sweatshirt from Trutex costs £9.99 but will likely last a whole year before he grows out of it (legs are the fast growing danger-zone in our house). At £9.99 a jumper we usually get 2 or 3 to last the year and hope he doesn’t have any major wardrobe malfunctions while he’s wearing it.

The crew neck sweatshirt is available in a rainbow of colours. Our school is resolutely navy, so we plumped for that. It’s a soft, regular fit sweatshirt which has reinforced seams, to help withstand the school day. It’s a very solid uniform choice and I would happily buy and buy these until he leaves school.

Cosy Fleece Jacket

For my son, the star of the show is this Polar Fleece jacket from Trutex. Not only is it available in his school colours, it’s warm, cosy and comfortable. He often ditches his school jumper in favour of this, as he’s not a fan of too many layers. The jacket costs £13.99 and is so popular with my lad, I’m going to buy him another couple in different colours to wear out of school too. It’s stood the test of time and still looks as good as new. I’m a big fan of the school uniform fleece; especially for boys like mine who have some sensory needs and don’t always love to be bundled up in a jumper. Fleeces are such easy care too and dry almost instantly after a wash.

Back to School: Putting Trutex School Uniform to the test

When it comes to school uniforms, we need well-made pieces which can stand up to rough play and frequent washing. My boy has been wearing his new uniform since Christmas, and after a few months of rough and tumble, it’s all still looking as good as new, we can’t fault it.

For more information about Trutex and to check out their range, visit their website.

Note: I originally wrote this post back in March 2020. Due to lockdown it has been sat in my drafts ever since. Good luck if you’re returning to school next month.

Treads School Shoes – Are they indestructible?

We were sent a pair of Treads school shoes for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

I’m not sure what my 7 year old son does with his school shoes. Within a day or two of wearing them, they are usually scuffed and fraying. I constantly despair that I spend around £50 a time on something which within 48 hours of first wear look like they’ve been run over by a truck. Treads are a new kind of shoe. They come with a one year guarantee and are said to be indestructible. But can they cope with the treatment my son routinely dishes out to his footwear?

We chose the Madrid style, which is the style of show he usually wears for school. They have velcro straps to fasten them and are comfortable, trainer style shoes, but smart enough to pass a uniform inspection. They are £45 (but are currently just £35 – a bargain!).

Treads School Shoes - Are they indestructible?

These Madrid school shoes are designed for active children. They’re made with soft permair leather and the tough, durable sole is moulded to the upper, so no glue. They have reinforced heels, reinforced seams, they’re scuff proof and have a shock absorbing insole. They appear to be very well-made. My son tends to wear the toes of his shoes quicker than anything else, so it was good to see that the toe area has been reinforced.

Treads School Shoes - Are they indestructible?

These school shoes are fitted with ‘dual fit’ technology which means there is a padded and shaped insole inside which you can remove if you need a wider fit for the shoe. I think this is a great idea, I know the width of my son’s feet seems to change each time we get him measured.

Treads School Shoes - Are they indestructible?

Treads currently have eight different styles of shoe to choose from and the Madrid style we have chosen are perfect for my son. They’re easy to get on and have the easy velcro strap fastener, so he can have them on and be off running within a moment.

The Treads school shoes arrived during the Easter holidays; so although he’s not worn them to school yet, he has worn them for several days to break them in. He’s worn them to an adventure playground and to a local farm; so I feel he’s given them a good work out.

He’s told me that they’re very comfortable, or in his words “like my slippers”. The soles have really good grips and he’s walked over slippy surfaces at the farm in them with no problems. The adventure playground was full of things he could and should have scuffed them on; but apart from some mud splatters they look as good as new.

I am absolutely delighted with them. We’ve tried rough, tough “indestructible” shoes before from leading brands; but they’ve all come home after a few days looking battered and bruised. I have incredibly high hopes for these Treads school shoes. I think, I really really do think these might actually be genuinely indestructible. Even if they’re not, they do have a one year guarantee.

There are several different styles of school shoes on the Treads website, with a girls range planned for next year. If your children have a habit of destroying their school shoes; then I’d say it was well worth having a look at TREADS to see if they are the answer.

Treads School Shoes - Are they indestructible?

Update: Feb 2022. Regrettably Treads ceased trading in 2021, which is a shame because we were big fans and always bought their shoes for school.

Back to School with Debenhams School Uniform

The small boy, who these days is not so small, starts Year 2 in just under a fortnight (where has the time gone etc etc). He needs new school uniform, but the thought of spending hours of our precious summer together trawling through various shops buying various bits of uniform and kit fills me with horror. Better to buy it all, or almost all in the same place at the same time. Last week we popped to Debenhams and did just that.

If I was fancy I’d talk about our Debenhams School Uniform “haul”, but I’m old-fashioned for that. Instead we just went shopping and bought a big bag of school uniform. Hopefully enough to see him through until his next growth spurt. Debenhams School Uniforms are currently 20% off in store and online, something we took full advantage of.

Back to School with Debenhams School Uniform

This will be his fourth “school year” (School Nursery, Reception, Year 1 etc) so this is not our first time at the school uniform rodeo. We know what he likes and what he doesn’t like.

We bought a new warm padded school coat (£18), 6 pristine white polo shirts (£5.60 for a pack of two), 2 pairs of slim fit trousers (£8.80), 2 pairs of flat fronted trousers (£9) and 10 new pairs of grey socks (£4 per pack of 5 pairs). All we need are a couple of jumpers with the school logo on and we are ready for the start of the year. Our shopping trip cost us just under £63, that’s including the 20% off!

I was really pleased to find some nice slim fit trousers. I always think the flat fronted ones make him look like a junior accountant, so we bought some slim fit to try out. Like most children, he is very hard on the knees of his trousers. If he’s not falling over and grazing his knees, he’s crawling along being a ninja superhero or something.

Back to School with Debenhams School Uniform

He’s six and whilst he’s grasped the rudimentaries of getting himself dressed. If he’s rushing he can still get frustrated with fiddly buttons on trousers, especially if he’s getting himself changed for PE or nipping to the loo. We like to adjust the waistband on his trousers so they’re loose enough to just pull them up in a rush if he needs to, but not loose enough to fall down, obviously. Both the flat front and slim fit styles we chose have adjustable waistbands. Phew.

He is also very hard on the white polo shirts he has to wear for school. I’m enjoying them now in their pristine white state before term starts. His polo shirts get washed to death. We like to buy enough so he has a clean one each day and a couple of spares waiting to be brought into circulation once he starts destroying them.

We have tended to buy cheap supermarket polo shirts which often shrink in the wash a bit. I’m hopeful these will stand up to regular washing a bit better than their supermarket counterparts. They do feel like they’re a cut above in terms of quality and doesn’t he look smart (and clean)!

Back to School with Debenhams School Uniform

As for his new coat, it’s light to carry and nicely padded for the winter months. With an easy zip up the front and zipped pockets so his treasures won’t fall out. He’s thrilled with it and at £18 we have no complaints either.

We have high hopes that our “haul” of Debenhams school uniform will last the year; or until he grows out of it. I am impressed with the price and quality. Everything seems well designed with sturdy stitching and made from good quality material. Even the socks are thicker, stretchier and more comfortable than the cheap supermarket ones I’ve made him wear.

If I have one regret, it’s not buying more polo shirts, another couple of packets couldn’t hurt, could it?

Visit their website to have a look at their range.

Back to School with Debenhams School Uniform

Note: This post is in collaboration with Debenhams as part of their Back to School Campaign. All images and opinions are our own.

Review: Trutex School Uniform

If I utter the words “school uniform” and “boys” in the company of the parents of boys a collective sign of despair goes around. The small boy (aged 5) came home on his last day before February half term with a hole in the knee of his trousers, the sole hanging comically off his new (bought at Christmas) school shoes, a white polo shirt that was now grey and covered in felt tip and a too-small school jumper. All of his uniform was beyond saving, so it all went in the bin.

We were sent a few new items from Trutex for him to put to the test. His school uniform is a smart and quite forgiving navy with black or grey trousers. Trutex sent us…

a navy crew neck sweatshirt
a pair of junior sturdy fit trousers
a navy polar fleece

Trutex School Uniform

As you can see he looks pretty happy with his new uniform. He certainly looked very smart and he loved his new school fleece.

The trousers we chose were sturdy fit with an elasticated back, he’s still at the age where he’s pulling trousers on like jogging bottoms, so these seemed the best option. He’s a tall boy for his age and has just had a growth spurt, so these should hopefully see him through to the summer and hopefully beyond. The fabric is thick and good quality, and the seams have been well stitched, they seem like they’d be able to withstand the rough and tumble of the playground.

The crew neck jumper is cosy with good stitching, and at size 5/6 long enough for my long boy to still have room to grow into. It fits well and is easy for him to pull on and off by himself.

Trutex School Uniform

The polar fleece jacket is his favourite new thing, ultra cosy and it fits him really well. He likes the zippy pockets where he can keep his treasures safe and sound. And it fits snugly under his waterproof jacket, so when it’s wet he can still be warm. As we move into spring and towards summer he will wear this jacket more and more, it’s very roomy without looking ginormous, so I’m confident that it’ll last him a good long while, and fleece washed beautifully too, so if he gets it mucky it’s no problem.

Our new Trutex School Uniform items appear to be very good quality, and importantly they operate an ethical trading policy, ensuring that their school uniform items are made ethically, so no child labour, no long working hours, no sweatshops are involved. I try not to think too hard sometimes about the realities of how some of our clothes are produced, but knowing that these are ethically traded does make me feel very positively about them.

Keeping a five year old boy looking reasonably smart and respectable in his school uniform can feel like an uphill battle, buying better quality, hard-wearing, easy care uniform makes a big difference. We’re very happy with this Trutex school uniform, it’s nice to see him looking both smart and adorable!

Visit the Trutex website to find your nearest stockist of Trutex school uniform.

Note: We were sent these items of Trutex school uniform for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Top Tips to make your school uniform last

A schoolwear specialist has put together a series of tips to help parents get maximum value from school uniform.

Carolyn Budding is a Director at YourSchoolUniform.com and has assembled 10 top tips for making the most of school clothes.

She said: “As a retailer and a manufacturer of school uniform we understand exactly what is required from these garments over the course of a school year.

“Our own-branded products, under the name Hubaco, are carefully designed so we can say with confidence that they are both comfortable and durable.

“We offer a range of different school uniform items for every household budget and because we understand parents have concerns about the cost of uniform, we have put together our 10 top tips to help it last longer.”

1- Right first time: “Buying cheap can mean buying twice,” says Carolyn. “Work out which items you can afford to spend a bit more on and avoid paying again further down the road.”

2- Size it up: “Children’s growth can be steady over a period of weeks, or sometimes they seem to get taller overnight,” Carolyn explains. “It is a good idea to use a size guide rather than choose clothes by age. The age guides in some uniform items tend to be based on height alone, which doesn’t take into account children’s body shapes.”

3- Room to spare: “If you want to buy uniform which will last, make sure you leave some growing room,” says Carolyn. “Look out for trousers and skirts with adjustable waists and if you’re handy with a needle – or can use iron-on webbing – buy them too long so you can turn-up the hem and then let it down again as they grow.”

4- True colours: “If the school allows different colour options always go for the darker shade,” Carolyn warns. “Spills, stains and marks are much more visible on lighter coloured clothing.”

5- Cover-up: “One of the easiest and simplest tricks to help extend the life of school uniform is simply to cover it up,” suggests Carolyn. “Aprons, tabards and wipe-clean smocks are ideal for protecting clothes while children tackle practical lessons – we even offer a lab coat for youngsters to help make sure their uniform doesn’t suffer while they conduct experiments.”

6- All white: “To get rid of mud stains on white shirts and t-shirts, soak in a solution of water and bicarbonate of soda before washing,” says Carolyn. “And remember – the quicker a stain is dealt with, the easier it is to shift.”

7- Fade to black: “Turn dark coloured clothing inside out before washing and store away from direct sunlight to combat fading,” says Carolyn. “Darks are best washed in cold water and dried inside. Purple in particular reacts to UV light, so drying away from bright sunshine will keep the colour better for longer.”

8- Pen and ink: “Biro and ink stains are fairly common with schoolchildren,” adds Carolyn. “A handy trick is to soak a biro stain in milk before washing. Not many children use fountain pens any more, but ink stains can be removed by covering with hairspray and then blotting with a paper towel.”

9- Iron out: “Your iron can be a great tool in preserving the life of your children’s uniform,” says Carolyn. “Iron-on patches are an easy way to make small repairs, while special webbing can be used to shorten hems using your iron. Iron-in naming labels are a popular method of making sure every item has your child’s name on.”

10- Keep it clean: “Easy-care fabrics and Teflon coatings are great for busy parents,” says Carolyn. “Teflon helps prevent stains while the easy-care fabrics tend to require less rigorous washing and ironing. It’s also best to hang clothes on hangers or fold them neatly to help keep them in good condition. Lots of children think their bedroom floor is the ultimate storage solution, but looking after their uniform will make it last longer.”

For more information visit www.yourschooluniform.com

Published in association with YourSchoolUniform.com

Back to School: Your School Uniform

It’s with incredibly mixed feelings that in just under a fortnight we’re sending our small boy off to join the nursery in “big school”. We’ve been busy over the summer buying all the things he needs, school uniform, water bottles, book bags, the lot, but it’s well documented that I’m not a happy shopper, so I’ve turned to the internet to see if I can save myself the stress of being in an actual shop; the internet did good, I found YourSchoolUniform.com

As he will be in nursery he doesn’t need the fully badged uniform just yet, so we can get away with just a plain jumper and a plain coat, but YourSchoolUniform are able to supply uniform with the logos on, you just need to check if your school is listed. The website was really easy to use and free delivery options are available. Like most parents, typically we chose to buy clothes that he will grow into, so he’s sporting the baggy look in the pictures.

We went for a dark blue sweatshirt made from cotton and acrylic, it’s really soft and comfortable and he’s very proud and excited to wear it. The sweatshirt is made by Hubaco and has been designed exclusively for YourSchoolUniform to ensure it’ll stand up to the rigours of school life. We also chose a matching fleece jacket in dark blue, which I think he looks great in, you can’t really go wrong with a fleece, they wash so well, hold their shape and it will keep him warm while he’s running about outside.

The uniform we’ve got from YourSchoolUniform looks to be good quality, the stitching is good and strong and I’m hopeful that it will last, I think it will endure the rigorous testing that only a small boy can give it.

For me I’m happy that while he’s in school I know he’ll be warm and comfortable. I think he looks really smart and whilst I do have incredibly mixed feelings, I can’t wait to see him lining up with his friends on his first day, looking smart and adorable in his uniform.

Note: we were sent a sweatshirt and fleece free of charge for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.

Review: Easybelts for Big Boy Pants

Come September my small boy (and only baby) will be toddling off to join the nursery at school, which means it’s school uniform time. Over the last few weeks we’re been stocking up on uniform bits and pieces from supermarkets and specialist shops, but we needed a belt to go with his big boy trousers, something that his small boy hands could manage. Step forward the Easybelt.

The Easybelt is a canvas belt designed for little fingers and people who’d struggle with normal, fiddly belts. You pull the end of the belt through the D ring, pull it back and press it securely against the Velcro. It is a ridiculously simple idea and I can’t believe it’s taken so long to invent it.

The D rings come in two sizes, which make them really easy for little fingers to use. We put the belt on the small boy and instinctively, without us showing him, he started to thread the belt through the D ring. It’s such a simple, instinctive design.

The belts come in a range of sizes and designs. We got him a plain black belt to wear with his school uniform, and a funky brown belt with a racing car design on it for casual wear. There are lots of designs to choose from and different coloured belts to mix and match with outfits.

The belts range in cost from £5 – £7 which I think is a very reasonable price. They’re excellent quality and seem comfortable to wear. Because they’re Velcro the belt will grow with the child, meaning you’re likely to get a good few years of wear out of the belt.

It’s a clever invention, simple but intuitive, as the best things so often are.

Note: We were sent two Easybelts for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are unbiased and my own. The images are also my own.