Trutex School Uniform Review

Trutex is the familiar brand when it comes to school uniform and I have to say it doesn’t disappoint.  We’ve tried various brands of uniform over the three years my daughter has been at school and I can honestly say her prefered brand is Trutex as she likes the cut and design of the clothes.

TrutexYou can feel as soon as you touch the uniform that it’s good quality.  There is a good,  thickness to it, and it’s well made.  Miss M loves the Trutex cardigans, she finds them comfy to wear and easy to do up the buttons.  She also likes the style of the blouses and will always take a Trutex one out her wardrobe before any other brands.

Trutex 2The grey skirt is pleated all round but requires minimal ironing after a wash.  We do find the skirts come up a little small so prefer to go up a size as Miss M finds them more comfortable on the waistline and would rather have it down to her knees (I wonder if that will change in a few years time!)

Trutex 3I find the Trutex uniform washes well, is easy to iron and durable.  It will last until the child grows out of it.  If you are looking for school uniform, then I’d definitely recommend giving Trutex a try, as it gets a big thumbs up from us!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the uniform in order to write an honest review.

 

Back to School essentials

With most children heading back to school this week, there are lots of things us parents need to think about in order to prepare for the new school term.  I have one child starting yr 3 and my youngest just starting school in foundation.

One thing they both need is school uniform and somewhere that has a comprehensive selection is F&F.  With a vast range available you can kit them out head to toe with uniform, bags and shoes.  You can read our full F&F review here.

f&fOnce you’ve got the uniform, comes the all important job of labeling clothes and other items and I found that My Nametags were perfect for this.  Stick on labels that can be added to labels inside clothes, or easily stick on pencil cases, in shoes or on lunch boxes, these have made labeling even easier for me this year!  Read more about my thoughts on My Nametags here.

nametags 2

 

As well as the everyday items, maybe your child has music lessons, something I know my daughter Miss M is keen to start this year.  This Wavy Stave Music Bag by Musicroom is perfect for carrying about music books and sheets.  The bag is well made, comes in different colours and is has a lovely musical design on the front.  There is a carry handle and a little see through section to slot in a name label for your child. The corners are reinforced to make this durable for carrying to and from school/music lessons as required.

music bag

Something we all dread but unfortunately it’s the reality of school life, is head lice!  I know throughout the year we get slips of paper home warning us of an outbreak and to check our childs hair.  Teangi have formulated a range of products containing one of my favourite antiseptic oils, Tea Tree.  I’ve long been a fan of Tea Tree and always have a bottle in the cupboard, it works wonders for blemishes and other lumps (ingrown hairs etc) and you see a reduction and less pain immediately.

Tea Tree is also a great head lice deterrent and Teangi have incorporated this into their shampoo and conditioner that’s gentle but contains 2% Tea Tree oil.  They’ve also added a special detangling agent to make combing easier.  I found the shampoo really easy to massage into the hair and it definitely left the hair feeling soft and manageable.  It does have the distinguishable tea tree fragrance, but it feels good knowing then when my children return to school, hopefully their heads won’t attract any of the dreaded lice!

teangi

Teangi also do a Tea Tree & Witch Hazel cream which is really useful for cuts and grazes, perfect for children’s knees and elbows which seem to get frequently grazed in the school playground or after school at the park.  I would love to try this as I love the power of Tea Tree and will be looking out for this as I’m sure it’s a great quality product along with the rest of the Teangi range!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the items in order to write the review.

My Nametags School Uniform labels – Review

A must for school uniform is name labels, there’s nothing worse than not knowing which school cardigan is your child’s, just because you forgot to name it.  My Nametags have just the answer with these easy to use stick on labels.

nametags 3They have a good choice of designs, there is something for everyone, and they also have a fabulous new range of Hello Kitty designs

hkWe received a couple of the Hello Kitty designs to try and a pirate design for Mister B.  These stickers are really strong and can be stuck to lots of things such as lunchboxes,  pencil cases, books, rulers and most importantly labels in clothing!  This is really useful as it means they are so simple to apply, it literally takes a few minutes and you can have the entire set of school uniform labelled.  Being versatile is good too, meaning you just need one set of stickers for everything.

nametags 2One thing I think these will be great for are the insides of shoes, in particular plimsolls – I hate trying to write a childs name in biro inside, so these will be brilliant so each child can identify their own shoes.  The labels, although being stickers do feel and look really strong and durable.  They can be washed up to 60 degrees provided they have been stuck to the label and not the clothing itself.  I found these really easy to use and Miss M even enjoyed helping me label her items.  With 56 labels in each set there is plenty to personalise all your school items so why not give My Nametags a try?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the labels in order to write the review.

Looking Back – First Day at School

Almost two years ago, I was busily preparing for my daughter, Miss M’s first day at school.  I was a mixture of nerves, excitement and anxiousness as I awaited the day that my daughter took a new step in her life and met a group of people who she will spend the next few years learning with, gaining experiences with and building friendships with.

first dayWe had only visiting the school briefly before the summer break for a welcome afternoon, so there was a lot of new things ahead, new faces, a new environment and getting used to the school routine.  Miss M was really eager to start somewhere new, learn more things and build on her existing skills after spending three and a half years at a very small nursery looking at the same four walls each day.

In the weeks beforehand we went shopping together and picked out various pieces of uniform, a P.E. bag and a lunch box to take to school.  On her first morning she proudly got dressed in her uniform, I plaited her hair and we walked the short journey around to the school.  Her younger brother Mister B came with us and they walked ahead together, Miss M holding on to Mister B’s reins, a proud big sister embarking on a new journey in her life!

first day 2I’m pleased to say the first day went well and although we had a few wobbly days in those early weeks where she felt a little unsure of things, she has progressed really well over her first two years in school and we are looking forward to starting Year 2 in September.

With the start of the new school term nearly upon us, one thing we all need to think about is school uniform.  We all want something that’s durable and lasting and George at Asda have come up with theAsda George at Asda 100 day money back guarantee where you can return any item you are not satisfied with within 100 days along with a proof of purchase for an exchange or refund!

Why not check out the uniform ranges at George at Asda, they have a great choice available  including some rather cute Hello Kitty designs which I’m sure Miss M would love.

This is a sponsored post.

Matalan School Uniform – Review

Since my daughter started school almost two years ago, uniform is something I have had to start to think about and purchase.  We’ve tried pieces from various high street shops and supermarkets with varying results in quality and durability so I was intrigued to see how the new Matalan uniform fared.

We were sent a selection of pieces to try out and first impressions were very good.  I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the designs were, nothing was plain, they all had pretty features such as flower shaped buttons, some flower stitching and other nice finishing touches.

The Matalan red checked summer dress was an instant hit with Miss M, with the warm weather we are having now it’s perfect to keep her cool in the hot school classrooms.  The collar was a nice round shape with pretty flower buttons down the front to put the dress on and off.  These undo easily which is essential for P.E. days.  I know some shaped buttons can often be tricky to undo.  There is a belt that fastens at the front and is fixed around the back so can’t be lost.  There is also a pocket which Miss M likes incase she needs a tissue or lip balm with her.  She enjoys wearing this dress, found it comfortable and is happy to wear it each day.

Matalan uniform 1Her favourite feature of the dress was the matching hair scrunchie!  With her unruly curls she hates having her hair done but has insisted in wearing this in her hair to school each day.  I like this extra touch and think it’s great to have a hair accessory to match the outfit.

matalan uniform 4Miss M was also very impressed with the pack of three socks and the shoes. I thought the socks were excellent, quite a thick quality cotton and three different pretty designs that match her uniform.  She has loved them so much and worn them all, and eagerly awaits for them to go through the wash each time.  I already have these on my list to buy her another pack as they are some of the better socks I have seen around.

She also adored the shoes and couldn’t wait to put them on.  They are a half size too big but as they only come in whole sizes we tried these.  Miss M is really pleased with them, although I’m always dubious when it comes to shoes.  These are coated leather so it’ll be interesting to see how well they wear, although hopefully any scuffs can be covered with shoe polish.  For me it’s the soles that I find wear out in shoes, usually the heel area, which is something I won’t be able to judge until we’ve had a couple of months worth of wear. On the other hand these shoes cost a bargain price of £12 so if they were to last a term then great value.  We have had much higher priced leather shoes that only last one term due to the heel wearing through.  In fact we usually go through 3 pairs of school shoes a year!!

matalan uniform 2We were also very pleased with the skirt and blouses.  The grey skirt is a lovely design with a nice pleated detail at the side and some flower stitching on the bottom right of the skirt.  The material felt good and it was easy to put on with an adjustable waist.  Miss M isn’t too keen on long sleeves so we received a pack of two short sleeve blouses.  These were a lovely design with a small rounded collar, cropped sleeves and a pretty pintuck detail on each side of the buttons.  Again with these the buttons were all a pretty flower shape.  I am really impressed with the designs, just the sort of thing I look for when buying uniform.  Miss M also loved wearing both of these, in fact these are the only two blouses she’s worn from her wardrobe since receiving them!

matalan uniform 3Essential school staples such as vests and tights were gratefully received.  The vests come in a three pack and are a lovely soft stretchy 95% cotton with 5% elastane.  They have thin silky straps and a small bow detail.  Miss M loved the comfort of these and has happily worn them day and night.  The tights feel nice and soft and fit well.  Miss M did try these on but hasn’t worn these for a whole day due to the weather.  She seemed happy with the fit though and will gladly wear these once the colder weather comes in later in the year.  We have had Matalan tights before so I’m sure these will be worth buying and I would again.

matalan uniform 6The grey pinafore we received is really lovely, I like the design and the quality I wouldn’t have put as Matalan.  It feels a good weight and looks modern.  It’s very easy to undo with large round buttons and has two pockets which are always a bonus!  Miss M was happy to wear this (excuse her face below – it was exceptionally sunny!).  It seems very comfortable and is perfect for days at school.

The polo shirts were yet again another pretty design, flower buttons and some flower stitching on the right side.  These feel well made and definitely ones I’d consider purchasing.

matalan uniform 5Overall I have to say I have been impressed with the Matalan range of school uniform.  The designs have surpassed my expectations for what I imagined to them to be.  Thought has gone into the designs, they are pretty and something that young girls will enjoy wearing.  But the great thing is that although they look pretty, the quality hasn’t been comprised.  I am really happy with how the items feel, the thickness of some of the materials and the comfort.  An important aspect of school uniform is not just what I think as a parent but whether the child likes it and how comfortable it is.  Miss M has can be very fussy in her clothes and won’t wear anything too tight or that doesn’t feel right – she loved all of this uniform and gave it a big thumbs up.

I would definitely consider Matalan a place to check out school uniform, I’m sure it’s improved since I first looked there two years ago when Miss M first started school and the items I’ve received have definitely shown me that they are as good, if not better than some of the other main supermarket and high street chains that sell uniform.

Why not check them out – Matalan?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and the uniform was sent to us in order to write the review.