The school holidays are well under way, and high street stores and supermarkets are full of identikit grey trousers, skirts and white shirts.
But is paying more worth it, or will an 88p T-shirt from Aldi do as well as one that costs five times that in John Lewis?
Well, the results are in, with Marks & Spencer coming top in the latest annual school uniform consumer research conducted by the parenting review site MadeForMums, followed by Tu at Sainsbury’s and John Lewis in second and third place respectively.
The exercise involves putting the uniforms offered by a dozen retailers, including supermarkets, large high street chains and specialist brands, through their paces. The clothing is sent to home testers, who report back on how it washes, fit and quality, as well as whether it is “worth the money”. The items are also examined by a panel of expert judges. The final score also incorporates a survey of more than 900 parents, who rank brands on the same criteria.
M&S came out top for fit and quality, and also had the best overall score. The uniform is more expensive than supermarket competitors but “parents told us that the quality, longevity and features of the uniform makes the price undoubtedly worth it over time”, according to the report published this month.
Sainsbury’s Tu brand won “best supermarket school uniform” for a second year despite being one of the more expensive supermarket clothing brands. At £2, its cheapest polo shirt cost twice as much as Aldi’s, while its jumper and trousers were £4.50 apiece v £1.50 and £1.75 at Aldi (prices compare the most affordable product to fit a seven-year-old boy). Nonetheless, Sainsbury’s uniform scored highest in the “worth the money” category.
Although finishing third, and with prices at the top end of the range, John Lewis was rated best for “durability”. Parents said its uniform washes well and is made from high-quality materials, and that many items are designed to make sure they grow with your child.
Separately this week, the consumer body Which? named Sainsbury’s as “the cheapest big retailer” for parents aiming to save on uniform items (Aldi and Lidl were not included in its analysis).
At MadeForMums, the digital editor Gemma Cartwright says that although value for money continues to be a key theme, its research revealed a “shift towards durability and longevity as parents think ahead more”.
She says: “It’s great to see both the high street and supermarkets meeting the needs of families with good value, long-lasting uniforms that are adaptable to different needs and budgets.”
If you don’t have to buy any branded uniforms and can therefore buy the whole lot on the high street, MadeForMums also assessed the average cost by brand. To make comparisons possible, it looked at the cheapest polo shirt, jumper, regular-fit trousers and dark socks to fit a seven-year-old boy. As almost all retailers sell these items in money-saving multipacks, researchers also calculated the cost of an individual item.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Aldi came top with an outfit (albeit minus the socks) that cost a hard-to-beat £4.13.
At the other end of the spectrum, at John Lewis the total cost added up to £27.50. Aldi’s 88p polo shirt compared with £4.50 at the department store, where the jumper and trousers cost £10 and £11 respectively. The specialist firm Trutex was rated the most expensive overall at £41.27.
Cartwright says uniform buyers need to manage their expectations as they get organised for the new term.
“If your budget is limited, a £2 polo shirt will do the job but it won’t perform miracles. Shrinkage, fading and bobbling are inevitable, and our testers often had varying experiences with the same brand but, as one parent put it: ‘I’m not sure if that is a sign of the quality of uniform or what detergent you’re using.’
“Whatever you buy, resign yourself to stocking up on stain remover; it won’t surprise anyone to know that white polos and shirts are the items parents end up replacing most often.”
