Loving These Preppy School Uniforms

 

Our teen daughter will start a new school in just a couple of weeks at a Catholic prep school, and she needed all new uniforms.  She and I had fun yesterday afternoon with a short impromptu photo shoot where she got to try on---and model for me---her new wardrobe from Land's End.  When I was a teenager in the eighties, these are the same types of clothes we wore every day, even in the public schools.  I love that preppy clothes just never go out of style. 

 

The navy blue blazer (from Land's End) is a must-have at her school this year, and it will get lots of use over the next few years.

 

With the exception of time spent at chapel and school assemblies, she can hang the blazer in her locker throughout the school day, which is good because many of the school buildings here in the Northeast still don't have air conditioning.  This white blouse and slate gray skirt with ballet flats are what she will wear most days of the week.  I can't remember where we bought the shoes, but the skirt is from Land's End.  And she's borrowing my blouse for this photo because we're still waiting for some of her Land's End oxfords to arrive in the mail.  Some serious ironing needs to be done, as you can see! 

 

The blazer can also be paired with a light blue oxford cloth shirt and khaki pants (all from Land's End) with a pair of Sperry Topsiders to mix things up a little throughout the week.

 

Here's the same outfit sans the blue blazer.  That apple came from the tree over her head, by the way, but they are far from ripe.  And no, she shouldn't be biting into it with her braces!

 

And for the days she feels like packing her lunch from home, she has this Vera Bradley blue plaid lunchbag we picked up in Bedford.  I hadn't really thought about it matching her school uniforms when I bought it; I just liked the plaid.

As a mother, it is a relief for me to have our school-aged children go to schools where uniforms are mandatory. It prevents many headaches and arguments about what is and isn't appropriate to wear each morning before school.  It also greatly reduces the comparing and "sizing each other up" that seems to inevitably occur in middle and high school.  The fact that the dress code just happens to appeal to my preppy tastes is an added bonus.

Even though I'd like another month or two of summer, I'm beginning to get back in the school spirit.  If only that didn't mean waking up at 5:30 each morning.

Another Great School Year with L.L. Bean and Land's End

September is here, and our four youngest children have started a new school year with gear from L.L. Bean and most of their uniforms from Land's End.  We love these L.L. Bean thermal lunch boxes in colors that match their backpacks and their personalities.  They can hold a lot of items with a special pocket inside to carry an ice pack and a zippered front pouch for snacks or milk money.  They're still small enough, though, to fit inside their backpacks if they don't want to carry them.

We think L.L. Bean backpacks are the best.  With so many colors and prints to choose from, it's hard to decide which one to order.  Our family has found that these hold up better than any other bags we've purchased in the past.  They have all kinds of nifty pockets inside, and they are incredibly tough and durable.  They come in different sizes too for various age ranges.  Even though this floral one looks a little big on the back of our six year old, I know within a few years she'll need it for the binders and textbooks she'll be bringing home each afternoon.

Even though I prefer L.L. Bean, our eighth grade daughter wanted something more unique and suited for her personality.  She found this Candie's backpack at Kohl's.  It is cute, but it's a bit smaller than her younger siblings' packs, and I have my concerns that it won't hold all her homework and projects.  She assures me that it will be fine.  Notice the Champagne Sparkle hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works attached.  It's a must for her that every item matches, right down to her pink sparkle nail polish.

Our boy's uniforms are simple this year with white polo shirts and navy blue pants.  These shirts are from Land's End, and the boys comment on how incredibly soft they are.  I am hoping they will withstand bleaching because I'm sure there will be ketchup, paint, and ink coming home on them many days.  These pants were actually purchased impromptu at Walmart when I didn't have time to wait for an order from elsewhere, and they've actually held up fairly well.  The backpack slung over our redhead's shoulder is not L.L. Bean, and it is beginning to rip inside from being overstuffed the past two years.  I can't remember where I bought the black dress shoes.  They get handed down from one brother to the next, much to our youngest son's dismay.  Actually, he doesn't mind so much what he wears, as long as he's not getting hand-me-down Legos.

Our girls get a little more variety in their uniforms.  The blue oxford shirt, navy skirt, and plaid jumper are all from Land's End.  Our little one's white blouse is Genuine School Uniforms brand, and her white ballet flats are from Walmart.  Our teen's black ballet flats are Bongo brand from Kmart.  She usually only wears them on Mass days, so hopefully they will make it through the school year, if she doesn't outgrow them first.  Notice that she is not thrilled to have her picture taken so early in the morning.

Our youngest two were great sports about being photographed.

And they are off to another great start of a new school year and a new chapter of our lives.  All shirts here are from Land's End.  The skirt and skort are also from Land's End.  Shorts are from Old Navy and Flynn O'Hara.  Have a great first day, Kiddos!

Here's wishing all of you readers a wonderful start to a new school year as well!