Base your school uniform size chart on measurements taken from your approved sample, and split a first order by the number of students in each age band, with the deepest stock in the middle sizes of each band. Our minimum is 50 pieces per style with sizes mixed, so a first order can cover the whole range from young children to adults without overstocking.
How our uniform sizes run
| Style | Size range |
|---|---|
| Shirts | Kids by age, adult XS–3XL |
| Trousers | Kids by age, adult XS–3XL |
| Skirts | Kids by age, adult XS–3XL |
| Pinafores | Kids by age |
| Work shirts | XS–3XL |
Kids’ sizes are labelled by age, which parents find easy to understand. Adult sizes run XS–3XL, which covers senior students and staff.
Building your size chart
Parents and staff need a chart they can trust, especially when buying online. Build it from real measurements, not from a generic chart.
Which measurements to include
- Shirts: chest, length from shoulder to hem, sleeve length, collar
- Trousers: waist, hip, inside leg, outside length
- Skirts: waist, length
- Pinafores: chest, length from shoulder to hem
How to take them
- Approve your sample in one size first.
- Ask us for the measurements of each size in that style, then check a few against the sample.
- Lay each garment flat and measure across, then double chest and waist figures for the full measurement.
- State whether your chart shows garment measurements or body measurements. Garment measurements are easier to check against returns.
- Add a short note on how to measure a child, such as chest under the arms and height without shoes.
Keep the chart the same across reorders. If you change a style, update the chart before the new stock goes on sale.
Where to show it
Put the chart wherever a parent makes a decision: on your website next to each product, on a printed card at the shop counter, and on the school’s own uniform list if the school agrees. In a shop, a set of try-on garments in every size saves a lot of time. Online, a short line such as “if between sizes, choose the larger” reduces returns, because children grow during the year and most parents prefer a little room.
Size ratios for a first order
There is no single right ratio. It depends on which schools you serve and how many students are in each age band. A simple method works well for a first order.
Step one: map students to sizes
List the year groups at each school, estimate how many students are in each, and match each year group to the one or two sizes most of them will wear.
Step two: weight towards the middle
Within each age band, children vary, but most sit near the middle. Put more pieces in those sizes and fewer at each end.
Step three: allow for growth
Parents often buy a size up so the uniform lasts the year. If in doubt between two sizes, lean towards the larger one.
Step four: hold back for a reorder
Do not spend the whole budget on the first order. Keep part of it for a top-up once you see which sizes sell first.
An example split
Say you are stocking shirts for one primary school and one secondary school. A first order of 100 shirts, in two styles of 50 or as one style with a colour split, might be planned like this:
| Size group | Share of order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Youngest kids’ sizes | Small | Fewer children, and they grow out quickly |
| Middle kids’ sizes | Largest | Most primary students |
| Older kids’ sizes | Medium | Upper primary and first years of secondary |
| Adult XS–M | Medium | Most secondary students |
| Adult L–3XL | Small | Fewer students, but needed for a full range |
Trousers and skirts usually follow the same split as shirts for the same school. Pinafores cover younger age bands only, so their split is narrower.
Corporate sizing
For work shirts and trousers, sizing is simpler. Ask the company for a staff size list before ordering. If they cannot give one, split towards M and L, with smaller numbers at XS and 3XL. Because one company order can be small in some sizes, mixing sizes within the 50-piece minimum is especially useful here.
After the first term
Track what sells by size as the term goes on. When stock in a size runs low, note the date. At the end of the term, compare sales with your original split and adjust the next order. After two or three orders, your ratios will reflect your own schools rather than an estimate.
Our post on poly-cotton or poly-viscose suiting explains how fabric affects fit and feel, and our white label uniforms page lists sizes for every style. Send us the schools you supply, the year groups and your planned styles, and we will help you shape a first size split in your quotation.