Showing posts with label Trutex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trutex. Show all posts

Wednesday 6 September 2017

How I Prepare for Back to School!

After an amazing six weeks together, September finally arrived along with the return of "Back to School". I understand that for a lot of people it can be a relief, especially when you work full time and need to arrange childcare, but I absolutely love the summer holidays and so I was a little sad to see the kids go back to school on Monday.

Riley has just entered reception, Ben has gone into Year 5 and Emma is now in Year 6 which is her final year in primary school. It still feels like yesterday that I was taking her to nursery and cannot believe just how quickly the time flies by.

Although we have had plenty of fun over the summer holidays, it is also a time for "Back to School" preparation. New uniforms, shoes, coats, bags & stationary all need to be arranged, as well as planning ahead for snack money, dinner money or packed lunches and school trips. I know that both Emma and Ben will both have the opportunity to go on a residential trip this year and from past experience I know that all classes usually go on at least one school day trip before Christmas so I try to budget and plan ahead for these eventualities as well as making sure my budget covers everything that they need for returning back to school.



School Uniform

Our school has recently introduced a new school logo and although they are phasing the old school uniform out over a couple of years, I decided that I would like them to return in September with the new clothing. We were made aware of the costs a few months ago and so back in May, I made a list of everything that they would need. I checked the school uniform list carefully and made sure that I made a note about which items needed to have the school logo and which items didn't. Every year I always save £30 a month towards school uniforms so that each August I have £360 so spend on clothing and equipment without feeling the pinch. I increased this ever so slightly from May to August to £35 as the new supplier of the uniform was slightly more expensive than the previous.

Once I know that I have my budget sorted, I can then begin to shop around for the non logo items such as shirts & blouses, skirts, trousers, & joggers. I have purchased supermarket items in the past, and still do buy school shirts, blouses and socks from our nearest Asda. However, when it comes to skirts, trousers and joggers, I have found that they can wear quite quickly, so usually try to find my nearest stockist of the Trutex brand. I have found Trutex to be of really good quality in the past and that their trousers seem to withstand any playground test that my son Ben puts them through.

They have put together a handy back to school guide this year that features advice from experts, a handy school uniform checklist and top tips on preparing for back to school. This can be found here:

Trutex Back to School Guide

School Shoes

It is so important to get well fitting shoes for your children for when they head back to school. A child will be wearing these shoes for an average of 7 hours a day, as well as running around in them at play times, so it is vital that they fit well and are comfortable. Some stores offer a foot measuring service to ensure that you buy the perfect size, but a lot of online retailers also now have a handy print out guide that helps you to get the right size even when choosing to purchase online.

Back in July we reviewed some Bella Brogue Lace Up shoes from Term Footwear. My daughter was really impressed with them and they were so comfortable for her during the day. In addition to wearing them in school time, we walk just over two miles a day to get to school and back and so it is always important to me that they don't rub or cause any discomfort during the walk to school. As my daughter has had no complaints about her shoes at all, it made Term Footwear my "go to" brand when looking at new school shoes for Riley. As he is starting reception it would be the first time that he has had to wear smart shoes all day and I also know how active he is at play times, so I knew that they would be the ideal choice for him when considering his comfort.


Riley hasn't mastered the skill of tying his own shoe laces yet, so a velcro fastening was a must have for me, to make sure that he had no difficulties taking his shoes on and off for PE lessons, or worrying about tying his laces. After having a good look through the choices we finally settled on the Hoddle Double shoes, which look fantastic.

Term Footwear have also put together a great little video called 'A Day in your Shoes' which gives a true reflection of what happens in a school day and how Term shoes are the ideal footwear. It also features animated captions explaining the benefits of Term School Shoes. The video can be found below:



School Bags & Stationary

Riley doesn't really have much need for a school bag in reception, instead just opting for his lunch bag and school branded book bag. However Emma and Ben both like to have sports branded bags which as most parents know, can be quite expensive. We always have a look online to try and get a good deal, but the last couple of years, I have found our local Nike Outlet store to offer the best deals and value for money with their bags costing around £12 as opposed to around the £20 mark in other stores.

None of my children actually require stationary at the moment as this is provided by the school, but Emma likes to have some of her own pens in her bag for writing and drawing. She loves art and likes to do some sketches, if it is a rainy day and they have to stay in the classroom, so we do buy a few things for her to keep in her bag. We find that Asda & B&M to have a great range of stationary at affordable prices. I remember my mum always having to take me to an actual stationary shop to purchase mine and it costing a small fortune, but nowadays most large stores seem to stock a great range of stationary in the run up to back to school.

School Trips

The last thing you want after spending a small fortune on uniform is a letter on the first day telling you about an upcoming school trip that needs payment by the following week. With Emma and Ben only being a year apart, I have found that a lot of their school trips are the same and that they often go together, so it means double expenditure for me. Luckily I have learnt to prepare for this and put aside £20 a month for school trips. This means that I never have to worry about money for school trips or deposits for residentials and this certainly takes a lot of the pressure off. On the first day of school this week they both came home with a letter for a trip taking place next week, that they also need a costume for. Although I hadn't planned ahead for the need for a costume, it does mean that I have been able to pay for their school trip without any issue.

Saying Goodbye at the Gate

Well this is one thing that I am never prepared for and cry on the first day back every single year! This year has been particularly hard, as its the first time in 10 years that I haven't had a little sidekick with me all day. I am already missing building train tracks with Riley & our little trips to the shop for sneaky treats whilst Emma and Ben were in school. It is definitely going to take some getting used to!

I hope everyone's Back to School days have gone well, and that your children have a fantastic school year in their new classes!


Disclaimer: This post was written of my own accord and I have not been asked to include any brands mentioned, or received any additional payment. Opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Trutex School Uniform - A Review

When it comes to school uniform, my kids love to put it through its paces and push it to the limits of being tear and scuff resistant. They seem to think that uniform thoroughly enjoys being smothered in paint and mud and then washed on a daily basis. The truth is that because of this, I often buy supermarket brand school uniform so that when it comes to being replaced (trousers especially) it doesn't hurt my pocket too much and its affordable enough to replace on a fairly frequent basis.

I was therefore delighted to be provided with the opportunity to test and review some of the Trutex range of school clothing and learn more about the brand. The company has been supplying quality clothing for over 150 years and are the leading brand in school uniform within the UK. Trutex claim on their website that their uniform is made to last, and with such a statement to live up to, I couldn't wait to ask my daughter to put it to the test.

The Trutex website provides a full catalogue of their clothing range, along with a store locator so that you are able to find your nearest stockist with ease. I was pleased to find that there were 10 stockists within a 15 mile radius of my home address and the address, contact number and distance was provided for each one.


Their school uniform comes in a range of different colours to suit schools requirements, and it was great to see that maroon was an option which is my children's primary school main uniform colour. The range includes the following items:
  • Boys Shirts
  • Girls Blouses
  • Knitwear
  • Sweatshirts
  • Jogging Pants
  • Polo Shirts
  • Boys Trousers
  • Boys Shorts
  • Girls Trousers
  • Skirts
  • Blazers
  • Pinafores
  • Outerwear
  • AKOA Sportswear
As you can see this is an extensive list, and each category features items in numerous sizes and colours so you can be sure to find something in the Trutex range that fits your school uniform needs.

My daughter and I chose to test some Jogging Pants (Code JTP), Cotton Blend Cardigan (Code CAC), and Junior Girls Trousers (Code JGTB). My daughter wears both skirts and trousers throughout the year depending on the cold, so with the weather being poor at present we decided it would be the prime opportunity to test the trousers as opposed to a skirt.

Jogging Pants

In my daughters school, jogging pants are part of the PE school uniform, however children are also allowed to wear them to school on cold days, or on PE/Swimming days to make getting changed quicker and easier. The jogging pants we received featured an elasticated waist and cuffed ankles, and also had pockets. They were suitable for washing on a 40 degree wash as well as being able to go in the tumble dryer. The fabric was made up of 65% polyester and 35% cotton and they had a lovely soft warm feel to them, which my daughter says was very comfortable.


One thing that often annoys me about jogging pants and sweatshirts in particular is bobbling, however these jogging pants have a low bobble feature which should hopefully prevent that when being regularly washed.

My daughter wore these to school on a couple of cold PE days and said that they were very comfortable, and that she was able to move freely in them without feeling any pulling or stretching around the waist. The cuffed ankles made them rest comfortably above her trainers and fitted snugly over her socks meaning no cold feet or ankles.

The inside was very warm and soft and they were very easy to get on and off, making getting changed in school much easier and quicker. My daughter liked the fact that there were pockets as it meant that when she has to remove her earrings for P.E, that she could keep them in her pocket safe and somewhere where she would remember.


(Picture - The soft fleecy inner fabric).

There is an inner draw cord, which my daughter hasn't needed to use yet, however as with any child size and weight can change quickly, so it is also beneficial to know that there is some adjustability in the jogging pants should she need it in the future.

The joggers have so far been washed 3 times on a 40 degree wash and have been tumble dried twice and left hung to dry once. The fabric came up much softer after being in the tumble dryer so I shall continue to use this method of drying going forwards, as it made both the inner and outer material have a much nicer feel to it, than when it was hung to dry. There has been no fading to any parts of the jogging pants which I find can sometimes happen with supermarket brands, especially around the waistband and pocket areas. As I have only washed these three times so far, then I would not have expected any visible changes from any clothing product, but I have been impressed that the jogging pants have retained their soft and comfy feel and I shall update this post again in a months time to provide an update on washing and drying once they have reached at least 20 washes.

In terms of the playground test, my daughter has fallen over twice already whilst wearing these. Both times were on muddy grass as opposed to concrete, but the mud was easily removed, and their was no damage to either of the knees which is always a good sign.

Cotton Blend Cardigan

I was very keen to try this particular product out, as I have always purchased the school branded cardigan in the past, but have found that after a few wears it has got quite baggy around the waist area which my daughter really doesn't like as it stops looking smart and becomes noticeable. Therefore after going to school smart for a couple of weeks in her cardigan, shirt and tie at the beginning of the school year, she has usually switched back to her school sweatshirt by the time of October half term.


Again this product had a nice soft feel to it, and immediately you could tell that it looked a great quality item. It was nicely fitted, so not too loose but also not too tight with a shirt and tie underneath. The buttons were easy to use and not too stiff and the arm length was perfect. Arm length is another annoyance of mine as this can vary so much between brands and I sometimes find that despite selecting the right size for my daughter, the sleeves can end up looking too short.


The cardigan is made up of 39% cotton, 39% acrylic and 22% nylon and like the joggers it has a low bobble feature. and can go in both a forty degree wash and the tumble dryer. Since receiving this item the product has been washed on 4 occasions and it has retained its shape and colour well without any issues. There has been no shrinkage to the item, and despite several yoghurt and food spillages down the top, there has been no colour change or fading anywhere on the cardigan. There is also a nice shape and good quality stitching to the neck area.


I thought that the cardigan was a nice length, and fitted nicely over trousers, covering the waist nicely and being long enough to hide any zips and buttons on trousers.

Junior Girls Trousers

This product was my favourite of the three and I felt that my daughter looked really smart wearing these together with the cardigan. The fitted nicely and there was also an elasticated back waist if you did need any flexibility with the sizing.


The trouser legs had a pressed leg shape which sat nicely over her shoes and came down at just the right length.

The fabric is made up of 63% Polyester, 33% Viscose and 4% Elastane and the stretch fit meant that my daughter felt really comfortable wearing them. She enjoys being active in the playground some days and often plays games with her friends, and so it is important to me that she is able to move around without any discomfort or feeling of tightness. Emma said that they fit really well and that she has been able to run around the playground without any issue and feels more relaxed wearing trousers as opposed to a skirt.


In terms of wear, my daughter did have one bump on the playground whilst wearing them but there was no tear or damage to any of the fabric. She also caught them on part of the fencing at the school and despite them having a bit of a tug, there was no rip, much to my relief.

The product has washed well, maintained its sizing and shape and they are very easy to iron. Anything which makes ironing less of a chore is a winner in my book and a much needed help. My daughter has received several compliments whilst wearing them, and one of her friends also asked where she had got them from.

Overall

Overall, we have been very pleased with the quality of all three items. School uniform can go through so many things on a daily basis and it can become quite a chore having to repeatedly wash, clean, dry and iron items, or regularly have to replace them. As I mentioned previously, it is because of this reason that I usually purchase supermarket brands so that they are affordable to replace. However after experiencing the quality of these products so far, I have been very impressed and shall definitely be looking to purchase more of the Trutex brand for my other children too in the near future.

If you would like to find your nearest stockist of Trutex school uniform, then there is a great store locator which can be found here: School Uniform

*Disclaimer - I was provided with 3 items of school uniform to test and review and provide an honest opinion of our experience with the products. All opinons are my own.