Tights for school are a waste of money

money_saving_diva

is your daughter wearing the socks pulled down, slouched (sp?) around her ankles? if so, not so bad but if she is wearing them up - she WILL get stick in year 10. I have a sister in law that age and she would not be seen dead in white knee high socks anywhere, and especially at school!!? Tights are much more gown up and I have had cheap tights from primark that have lasted ages!! Have a look at the kids coming out of local schools - you will see what everyone is saying :@) ......... and please listen to your daughter - she is at an age that she will want to tell you what she would like to wear and it is important that she should be able to talk to you about such things. (or you might get a rebel trying to go out in a mini mini skirt next year!!)

Lunar_Eclipse

Green_Bag wrote: »

My daughters attend a school where girls must wear skirts, but have the option of black 40 denier tights or white socks. Whilst I appreciate many girls would prefer to wear tights so they look more stylish and grown-up it is a lot more expensive. I can get a pack of 5 white knee high socks for £7 from M&S that will last for months, but if I get them tights it’s £3.50 a pair that will last for a couple of weeks if I’m lucky. I save around £200 a year by keeping my 3 daughters in socks. My eldest daughter will be in year 10 in September and wants to start wearing tights, but I have told her if she wants tights they must come out of her £5 a week pocket money. I can’t see her giving up a large amount of her pocket money, when there are other things she could spend her money on and other girls her age are still wearing socks. With rising petrol and fuel prices nylon tights for children is an expense I don’t need when socks are a much more practicable.

I think that attitude is really mean if you could actually afford to buy tights but are simply choosing not to. Most school uniform items are ridiculously cheap these days, so I would view the overall uniform price as opposed to looking at the tights price alone.

Additionally you could get the tights cheaper by buying in bulk and without going cheap and nasty. I buy M&S and find them very good.

Finally I would talk to your daughter/s about making them last more than two weeks. That doesn't sound long to me. My 8 year old can wear either girls or small adults sizes and 'only' laddered one pair of 40 denier grey tights last winter.

But if you disagree completely I would encourage trousers. It gets very cold walking to and from school and in the playground in Jan/Feb especially! If you tried it yourself for a day you might feel differently. And white socks just look wrong after a certain age (10?)

ETA: Can you buy environmentally friendly tights anywhere? Ethically manufactured cotton must be an option surely?

homeaway

Green_Bag wrote: »

My daughters attend a school where girls must wear skirts, but have the option of black 40 denier tights or white socks. Whilst I appreciate many girls would prefer to wear tights so they look more stylish and grown-up it is a lot more expensive. I can get a pack of 5 white knee high socks for £7 from M&S that will last for months, but if I get them tights it’s £3.50 a pair that will last for a couple of weeks if I’m lucky. I save around £200 a year by keeping my 3 daughters in socks. My eldest daughter will be in year 10 in September and wants to start wearing tights, but I have told her if she wants tights they must come out of her £5 a week pocket money. I can’t see her giving up a large amount of her pocket money, when there are other things she could spend her money on and other girls her age are still wearing socks. With rising petrol and fuel prices nylon tights for children is an expense I don’t need when socks are a much more practicable.

I do understand that you dont want the expense but as others have mentioned here you can buy tights at a reasonable price these days. If you really want to save money then hand wash them carefully or get her to wash them out when she is having a bath or shower. This way they will be less likely to snag. I would agree to buy so many pairs at the beginning of the school year and if she needs more pairs then she can buy them but at least you will have met her half way. I do this with school lunches, i give my older kids so much money per half term for school lunch and the rest of the time they have to take packed lunches, it is up to them to organise themselves. They all manage it differently! Kids growing up have so many pressures these days, far more than we did so my view is that if we can make it easier for them then why not?

fluffysox

70 denier tights last ages- six pairs max for a half term should normally do it as long as she dosen't play football.
Also get some clear nail varnish so any little holes or ladders can be prevented from getting bigger with a little brushed on.;) And teach her to either handwash or place in an empty pillow case tied at the end so that they don't get damaged.
When I was at school we had to wear cream or fawn socks:eek: until a successful campaign by school council brought in option of black opaques. They looked much smarter particularly in winter. Most people still wore white ankle socks in summer.
Also if anyones stuck for gift ideas at christmas etc, tights are good stocking fillers.

mrcow

Green_Bag wrote: »

Nylon and polyester are made from petrochemicals a cause of global warming. Because they are also nonbiodegradable, they don't break down easily and are difficult to dispose of. Nylon manufacture creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas more potent than CO2.

But you're not actually stating what your socks are made of!

The "cotton rich" socks in Marks and Spencers for example actually have a higher proportion of synthetic materials in them (26% as opposed to 9%) than their opaque black tights. Plus the tights will last you as long if you treat them right.

But the clincher for me would be that I also didn't look like a twit at age 15 :eek: Environmental concerns are not a valid enough reason for a 14 year old looking daft. For goodness sake, by year 11 they'll legally be having sex.....wearing tights is the least of your problems

ellies_angel

I was in Tesco this afternoon and they have 6 pairs of 40 denier tights for £3.00.

Thats a great price. 50p a pair!

sismith42

ellies_angel wrote: »

I was in Tesco this afternoon and they have 6 pairs of 40 denier tights for £3.00.

Thats a great price. 50p a pair!

AND that's about half the price the OP is willing to spend on cotton socks for her girls! (if you're honestly woried about the environmental impact of tossing 20* or so pairs of tights per daughter per year (and what about the textile bank as a home for these?), make sure it's all organic cotton, all the time... the fertilzers they use aren't v. nice for the planet OR the people who have to put it on the cotton plants :eek: )

Though, I agree with those who say: "buy the girls a few pairs, and the rest should come from pocket money"

*a pair every other week is 26 weeks, less a few for hols... (edited becuase I apparently can't do maths in my head!)