Share second-hand school uniforms to save money, benefit your local community and do your bit for the environment.
School uniforms are quickly outgrown, often with a lot of life left in them. And as children get older, the uniform list often grows too.
We found ourselves asking: do school uniforms always need to be brand new, or would second-hand be better for your pocket and the planet?
This booklet from Smarter Uniforms includes tips on donating, buying second-hand and making your school uniforms last. We’re creating a circle of giving and receiving that helps families save money, connects local communities and has a positive impact on the environment. What’s not to love?
Whether you’re a parent, guardian, teacher, school staff or community organisation, the ideas in this booklet are all things you can try!
About Smarter Uniforms
Smarter Uniforms is a Community Interest Company. We have been giving new life to second-hand school uniforms across Brighton and Hove since 2017; saving families money and protecting the environment.
Through uniform sales at events, online and via our free uniform programme we have prevented nearly 16,000 items from being sent to landfill. That is over 3 tonnes of waste prevented! We have saved parents and carers a whopping £140k in uniform costs.
Help us to continue to share the love by keeping uniforms in circulation for longer. Pre-loved, good quality, clean uniforms are a great affordable and sustainable alternative to new. Families can now sell outgrown uniforms on our online marketplace and request items they might need too!
School Uniforms: What’s the Big Deal?
School uniforms aren’t cheap; research by the Children’s Society found that parents in England spend £422 per year per child at secondary school and £287 for primary school children.1
Children grow out of their clothes fast, but school uniforms are built to last. This means the 1.4 million wearable school uniforms that are thrown away every year in the UK will stick around for a long time.
Lengthening the lifespan of school uniforms by buying and donating second-hand items saves money and reduces the amount of clothing that goes to landfill.
Extending the life of clothes by just 9 months of active use reduces carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30% each.2
The Smarter Uniforms marketplace is an extension of the bricks & mortar and online shop model that we previously operated.
Our marketplace offers parents and carers the chance to sell to one another directly and arrange their own delivery all in one easy and secure marketplace.
As of 1 November 2024 , 578 local people were registered users of the marketplace and hundreds of listings have been shared.
A bit like Vinted, but keeps clothing in your local communities!
Why use - Smarter Uniforms Marketplace
Using the Smarter Uniforms marketplace means:
- We can keep uniforms in circulation for longer
- Uniform costs can be kept down
- You can earn money from sales
- You can help raise money for schools across the city
- You can help local families
Our marketplace is a one-stop shop for information about school uniforms including how to look after your uniform and make it last, how to donate your uniform and how to access free and low-cost uniforms across Brighton and Hove.
Did you know that by using our marketplace you can also raise money for local schools? If you ’ re a school and want to join us get in touch to find out more!
How to use
Watch our video tutorialwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_jtjVtmHHr4
Sign up & create an account:
1. Click the 'Sign up ' button on top of our home page. Fill in all your details.
2. Select your school. This can be any schools you are browsing for or selling uniforms from. Make sure to also select ‘Unbranded Uniforms’ if you’d like to see those too.
3. Enter your bank details and set up your Stripe account to set up your account payout.
4. Browse all our listings for the perfect item for your needs or add your own items to sell.
5. Use our marketplace like any other, selling, buying and creating a community.
How to create a new listing:
1. Once you ' ve created an account, log in.
2. Click ‘List/Request Uniform’ on the top bar.
3. Select ‘Selling’ under Listing Type.
4. Select the category of the item you want to sell.
5. Finally, add all the details of your listing including title, description, quality, location, price, and photos.
6. Click 'Publish Listing' and you ' re all done. Your item will be added to our marketplace for other users to browse.
What is the Smarter Uniforms School Fundraising Project?
Fundraising for local schools has always been an important part of the Smarter Uniforms model and since 2017 we have raised over £5,500 for schools around Brighton & Hove. This project was briefly paused in 2023 as we transitioned into a new business model.
As of July 2024, users of our marketplace can now choose to donate the sale of their items to fundraise for schools. This means the funds raised from each donated sale go directly to Smarter Uniforms to distribute to schools signed up for our project.
Where does the money go?
For each donated sale 70% of the proceeds go straight to your local schools. Smarter Uniforms takes a 30% operational fee to ensure we can keep our services going. Any money raised gets split evenly between all the schools taking part in the project.
How do I donate my sale?
1. Click on ‘list/request uniforms’ and create a new ‘Selling’ listing and select your ‘Categories’.
2. Add in all the listing details for your uniform. Title, description, school, size, quality.
3. Add price and stock numbers.
4. Select the tick box ‘Donate my sale to the Smarter Uniforms School Fundraising Project’.
5. Select your delivery preferences and price.
6. Add photos if you wish of a previous item or from the school website.
7. Publish listings.
8. Once your item is sold, the funds will be transferred directly to Smarter Uniforms which will later distribute to the schools signed up for the project.
Donations Breakdown
70% donated funds go to schools 30% Smarter Uniforms operational fees Seller keeps shipping fee to post item
Buy & Sell Sports Kits
Just like school uniforms, children also quickly outgrow or no longer need their sports kit. This often leads to good quality and often expensive clothing sitting around the house or being thrown away.
In Autumn 2024 Smarter Uniforms introduced a Sports Kit page, now allowing families to buy and sell their outgrown football kits, boots, trainers and accessories from local sports clubs. We soon hope to add more sports pages to include other children’s sports such as dance, rugby and netball.
Local sports clubs can also join in and benefit from selling their spare kits on the marketplace.
Smarter Uniforms: Free Uniform Project
Not everyone is able to access uniforms online. Smarter Uniforms is working with grassroots organisations to make free second-hand uniforms easily available in community settings near you.
Rails of free school uniforms are dotted around Brighton & Hove. Details of each location are listed on our website.
Check online for up to date information on our free school uniform rails.
www.smarteruniforms.org/p/free-uniforms
How Can I
Save Money & Fight School Uniform Waste?
Buy second-hand
Buying second-hand uniforms is more affordable, better for the environment and can be more ethical. It’s a great alternative to buying new uniforms. Find low-cost branded and unbranded items for primary and secondary schools at the smarteruniforms.org marketplace.
Check with your school
Talk to your school and find out if there are any uniform sales planned. Check out our tips for running a uniform sale on page 22. Some schools also have stores of second-hand uniforms that they can supply to families.
Browse online
Join school Facebook groups - they are often a hive of uniform selling activity. You might also be able to find what you are looking for on the Brighton and Hove School Uniform, swap, sell or free Facebook page.
Run your own uniform sale at school
Face to face uniform sales are a big help in reaching familes at your school with low cost uniforms. It’s also an opportunity to see each piece and try them on too.
Our top 10 tips :
Organise
Get parents, students and the PTA involved to make this an easy and rewarding experience.
Timing - Think about when parents and carers can come. After working hours could be better for many. Would holding a sale alongside other school events work?
Advertise - Use school communication channels to advertise the event, as well as posters around the school.
Helpers - Involve students. It could count as Duke of Edinburgh award volunteering.They could create flyers, posters and help on the day.
Set up
Quality control - Ask that donations are washed and folded. Reduce the price if items need a repair.
Presentation - Make your stall look enticing, use bunting, don’t pile things too high and have a clear system for organising stock.
Pricing - Consider whether you want to charge fixed prices, or offer pay as you feel.
Stock
management
Donations - Organise a donation day and specify what items you would like eg branded items, summer or PE uniform items only.
Storage - Keep items folded, use laundry bags. Tumble dryer sheets or lavender bags can help keep items smelling fresh.
Confidentiality - If name tags cannot be removed, use permanent markers to cross out names and phone numbers on name tags.
Waste - Items that cannot be passed on or upcycled should be recycled in textile waste bins, used for craft projects or turned into rags.
o w C a n I
o n a t e & S a v e
n i f o r m s F r o m L a n d f i l l ?
If you cannot use our marketplace and wish to donate your uniforms, here are a few way you could do so:
Schools
Check whether your school would like to receive donations. Most schools hold supplies of uniforms that they pass on to families. Some schools also hold uniform sales throughout the year and may need donations.
Community uniform rails
Check out www.smarteruniforms.org for information about community rails and their hosts. Some hosts will accept donations.
IMPORTANT:
Always check with the community organisation before dropping off items for donation.
Online
You can often give away school uniforms via your school’s Facebook page or check out the Brighton and Hove School Uniform Swap, sell or free page. We also love Freegle, a local marketplace for free items.
How to make your school uniforms last
School uniforms take a lot of resources and labour to make, so it's great if you can give them as long a life as possible. Here are some sustainable ways to increase their wear.
Fold your jumpers
Always try to fold your jumpers, not hang them. Hanging jumpers can stretch the fabric, and misshape the knit. Fold them for a longer life.
Be
wary of too many washes
If you can, air your clothes to get another wear out of them. When you do wash them, wash at 30°C and on gentler cycles to help them last longer.
Store carefully
Lavender is a great natural moth repellent, so leave dried sachets near clothes that are being packed away for a while (such as winter school uniform items over warmer months). It will also make your drawers or wardrobes smell lovely!
Get crafty with repairs
Thinking of binning your school uniforms because of a tear, missing button or fallen hem? Instead, pull out the sewing needles and have a go at repairing or altering them. You’ll find some easy tips here for sewing a button and fixing a hem. YouTube has a number of other great tutorials, and there are also lots of places that can repair your items such as your local dry cleaners, who will often have a skilled sewer who can do repairs. This can be pricey so you can always seek out your local repair cafe!
How to sew a button
Step 1: Thread a needle with double thread and knot the ends together. Make a mark where the button needs to go.
Step 2: Pass the needle from under the fabric to the right side and through one of the holes. Repeat two or three times to make a firm fixing.
Step 3: Pass the needle down through the hole to the underside of the button and wind the thread tightly around the threads the button to form the shank.
Step 4: Pass the needle down through to the underside of the garment and finish with two small stitches on top of each other. Easy peasy.
How to fx a hem
Step 1: Turn your garment inside out and trim any loose threads. Refold the hem as shown, so that the raw edge of the fabric is completely encased within the fold.
Step 2: Press the edge of the fold with an iron to create a hard crease; pin in place. Starting about ½ inch before the torn stitches (working from right to left), use the slip stitch.
Step 3: Pull the needle through the inside of the hem fold. Bring the needle up and slip it into the main fabric of the garment so it picks up one or two threads; do not poke through to the right side of the fabric.
Step 4: Insert the needle about ¼ inch to the left through the crease of the hem fold. Bring the needle back up through the hem crease. Continue until you are ½ inch beyond the torn stitches. Finish with a short backstitch.
Have you already mastered these sewing skills? Why not host a make do and mend event to share your knowledge!
Running your own make do & mend event
Why run a make do and mend event?
• Save money through buying less new school uniforms.
• Learn new skills, be inspired and exchange handy tips.
• Bring together like-minded people in your area.
• Get to know your local community, socialise and make new friends.
• Do good for the environment by making school uniforms. last longer, preventing them ending up in landfills.
Possible themes for your make do & mend event
• Bring school uniforms along that you would like to learn how to mend, such as mending rips and holes .
• Nip and tuck clothing to make it fit; learn how to shape garments, alter seams, turn up skirts or trousers and more.
• Skill-sharing workshop: for novices, experts or somewhere in between, everyone can learn a new skill or share their wisdom.
• As a result, you’ll be able to lengthen the life of your school uniforms, or upload these freshly-mended items to the Smarter Uniforms marketplace, doing your bit for your community and the environment.
What can I do with school uniforms that cannot be donated?
Do you have school uniforms that have stains, rips, or functionality problems? They don’t need to go in the bin!
Here are some ideas for what you can do with them:
Textile and fabric recycling
Any clothing that isn’t good enough to be passed on can still be given a new life via clothing banks. You can find clothing and textile banks in supermarkets and local car parks. Visit recyclenow.com to find one near you.
Make your own rags
Any clothing can be made into a rag which makes a more environmentally friendly alternative to paper towels or disposable cloths. Rags are great for cleaning your home, polishing furniture, mopping up spillages, washing your car, cleaning your bike and lots more.
Get crafty
Many fabrics can be used for fun craft activities such as making jewellery, reusable snack pouches, decorations, bunting and art projects. Textiles are also a great alternative to wrapping paper! Check out YouTube for lots of inspirational videos.
Government guidance says that schools must:
• Ensure school uniform is affordable.
• Provide information to parents about how they can access second-hand uniform.
• Reduce the amount of branded uniform that children wear and keep branded items to a minimum.
• Talk to parents and children and suppliers about school uniform policies.
• Uniform suppliers should prioritise cost and value for money.
• Contracts between schools and uniform suppliers should be renewed regularly and multiple suppliers should be approached when choosing new suppliers.
3. Source: Cost of School Uniforms, November 2021 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms)
The Smarter Uniforms
Circular Economy
SMARTER UNIFORMS KEEPTHE CIRCLEGOING
Our marketplace and free uniform programme are making it possible to extend the life of unwanted uniforms locally. By helping local communities to sell and donate uniforms and sports kits, we are keeping uniforms in our communities and out of landfills!
What parents say about us:
“I have used Smarter Uniforms two years running to obtain uniform for my daughter - it’s fantastic! Knowing that I am saving money and the environment is so fufilling - a real ‘winwin’ solution and so important as an initiative. I wish all schools and areas had a local ‘Smarter Uniforms’. Thoroughly recommend.”
- J, Local Parent
“For the last few years, it has been my go to place, to replace the countless items of ‘lost’ uniform and stock up on school sweatshirts or cardigans without breaking the bank. The quality of uniform is always good and there are generally plenty of sizes of the different items. I have always been able to find what I am looking for and have been impressed by the organisation of the shop and the helpfulness of staff.”
- L, Local Parent
What marketplace users say about us:
“Very good. Thrilled to get uniform at affordable prices”
- N, Marketplace User
“What a fantastic experience and dealing polite, effective and professional kind people was a breath of fresh air! Thank you”
