With kids always outgrowing their clothes, it’s a constant cycle of buying new clothes and donating or selling the old ones. It can get expensive. Luckily, when it comes to school uniforms, the outfit is predictable so you know just what to buy. To help, I found some great deals in 2023 to ease your wallet during back-to-school shopping. In fact, our back-to-school savings guide has all of the info on school supplies, uniforms, and lunch tips.
Since comparing prices is a drag, I’ve handled that part for you. All you have to do is stock up! In 2023, I saw a lot of uniform sales in the spring and summer, which was the perfect time to buy before school started. I expect similar deals for 2024, and we’ll update this article when uniforms start popping up again.
For more money-saving tips, deals, and coupons, download the Krazy Coupon Lady app. And be sure to keep the KCL back-to-school deals page on regular rotation. For more savings hacks and smart shopping tips, text HACKS or DEAL to 57299.
Old Navy: Buy school uniforms for up to 50% off during summer sales.
Buying cheap school uniforms at Old Navy was easy with percentage-off sales and the occasional buy one, get one promotional code. You could also get free shipping on orders of $50+ or free store pickup. There were several occasions in early July and early September that uniform separates were 30-50% off.
Here are some other ways to save at Old Navy:
- Open an Old Navy credit card to save 30% on your first purchase (on top of the sale price and BOGO promo).
- Sign up for text alerts to save another $5 on an order of $35+.
- Earn $10 Super Cash for every $25 you spend by joining their SUPER CASH program.
- Opt for free store pickup to avoid shipping fees, or spend $50+ to get free shipping.
The Children’s Place: Save 30-50% when you buy school uniforms at Children’s Place.
At The Children’s Place you could find steep online and in-store discounts on school uniforms, and their sales typically happen during summer. To really take advantage of discounts, look for the coupon codes, which can shave off from 30-50% off.
Here are some other ways to save at The Children’s Place:
- Pay with discounted gift cards from Sam’s Club and Raise.
- Sign up for their newsletter or text alerts to save 20%.
- Refer a friend to get another $10 off a $40 order.
Target: In July and August 2023, uniform polos were as low as $5.
Without a sale or Target Circle offer, the best way to grab cheap school uniforms at Target is to wait for the $5 polo sales. Mid-July to the end of August were the best times for discounts on short sleeve uniform polo shirts. After Labor Day, some of the other polo styles increased to $6-$8 each.
Here are some other ways to save at Target:
- Open a RedCard and save 5% on every purchase and get free shipping.
- Download coupons as a Target Circle member.
- Get 5% off when it’s your birthday.
Gap: School uniform tops, shirts, dresses, and pants were up 50% off in 2023.
Gap is known for quality clothes, but they can be quite pricey for parents who need to buy multiple sets of uniforms. The best time to buy is when Gap is offering 50% take and checkout deals. I saw these sales at the end of August, but in September there were several “Extra 30% Taken Off At Checkout” deals.
Walmart: Stock up on uniform shirts and pants at starting at $10.
Although Walmart is known for their low prices, their uniform prices didn’t change much in 2023. It’s still not a bad way to pick up school uniforms in a pinch, but I’d shop at other retailers for better deals.
Here are other ways to save at Walmart:
- Join Walmart+ to get free shipping on any order with no minimum purchase amount. (You’ll get free grocery delivery too.)
- Buy a discounted Raise gift card and save another 2.5% on purchases.
JCPenney: There were cheap uniform polo shirts for as low as $9.
Don’t forget about department stores like JCPenney when shopping during back-to-school season. In 2023, I saw discounts of 20-40% off for uniform long sleeve blouses and uniform polo multipacks.
Be sure to lookout for coupon codes, which lowered the cost by an extra 25%. For instance, Thereabouts short sleeve polos were just $5.59, regularly $10. And Izod uniform polo shirts were $9.77, regularly $22.
Here are other ways to save at JCPenney:
- Spend $75 to get free shipping on any order.
- Opt for a free ship to store on orders over $25.
- Extra discounts when you sign up for a JCP credit card.
- Sign up for JCP Rewards to get coupons and earn rewards certificates for cash.
Macy’s: Top choice for name-brand uniform deals.
In my experience, school uniforms need to be washed constantly, so you may want to spend a little bit more for higher quality threads. In previous years, Macy’s had boys and girls Nautica uniform polos on sale, and they were back for 2023. The sales weren’t consistent, but during Deal of the Day promotions in August and September, polo shirts were just $9 (regularly $24).
Here are other ways to save at Macy’s:
- Use promo codes for extra savings.
- Join the Macy’s Star Rewards program to earn points that equate to cash.
Amazon: Get discounted French Toast school uniforms.
I wasn’t surprised to find school uniforms on Amazon since they sell just about everything. I saw French Toast and The Children’s Place labels (along with other brands) for jumpers, polo shirts, skirts, pants, and cardigans.
I wouldn’t recommend Amazon for school uniforms. However, there was a good deal in 2023 for a French Toast girls’ long-sleeve polo with picot collar for 48% off (regularly $22) and a French Toast boys relaxed pants for 50% off (reg. $31). Discounts varied by size.
Here are other ways to save at Amazon:
- Become an Amazon Prime member to get free shipping. Without the membership, just spend $25 to get free shipping.
- Save 15% on select items with Amazon Subscribe & Save.
Sam’s Club: Snap up Izod school uniform polos and pants.
Wholesale clubs can be a hit-or-miss for school uniforms, but they’re worth a look. Select stores have Izod, Eddie Bauer, and Arrow shorts, pants, and polo shirts for boys and girls. While there weren’t many online items for sale in 2023, Sam’s Club had Izod short sleeve polos for $9.98 and Izod twill pants for $12.98.
Here are other ways to save at Sam’s Club:
- Join Sam’s Club online or at the Member Services desk inside the club.
- Sign up for a 24-hour guest membership to shop anything online without a membership card.
Zulily: Get an assortment of school uniforms.
There were some great bargains on school uniforms at Zulily in 2023, but the drawback was that you had to pay for shipping on your first order. After that, shipping was free. And, you couldn’t actually add anything to your “cart” without signing up.
The bright side is that when there were sales, there were some deep discounts (like 50% off). In 2023, white polo shirts were $10.99, 50% off. And navy uniform skirts were $12.49, 43% off.
Here are other ways to save at Zulily:
- Sign up for a free Zulily account using your email so you can make purchases on Zulily.com and in the Zulily free app (iOS / Android). You’ll get Zulily sales straight to your inbox.
- Zulily emails all members a rundown of the day’s on-sale items at 9 a.m. ET.
- Look for Ready to Ship deals where all qualifying items get to your door much faster (one to three days, compared to five to 14 days).
Kohl’s: Snag polos, pants, and dresses for up to 25% off.
Aside from Target and Old Navy, Kohl’s was a big winner in the cheap school uniform category. In 2023, the best time to buy uniforms at Kohl’s was from late July to early Sept.. After the second week in Sept., prices reverted to full price with no coupon codes available. There were an assortment of kids’ polos, pants, skorts, hoodies, and more on sale for up to 70% off.
Here are other ways to save at Kohl’s:
- Spend $50 or more to get free shipping.
- Opt for free store pickup depending on your local availability.
- Become a Kohl’s cardholder (sign up here) to receive in-store rewards and a dollar-off or percent-off coupon.
Shop uniform tops and bottoms at discount stores.
The big retailers are all great resources for cheap school uniforms, but discount stores shouldn’t be overlooked for bargain deals. Check out these other stores for kids’ school uniforms:
Rainbow
Rainbow (aka Rainbow Shops) is a discount retailer that targets young women and teenagers, but I’ve seen styles for kids and adults. When it comes to cheap school uniforms, Rainbow is one of the cheapest around.
Shop online to find French Toast boys’ and girls’ uniform tops, pants, sweaters, shorts, joggers, ties, and jumpers. They’re typically available in long- and short-sleeve, different colors, and start in size 2T, up to size 16. Even though their regular starting prices are competitive at $4.99, clearance sales can easily knock off 50%. Their non-French Toast school uniforms aren’t too shabby in price either (I’ve seen 25% off).
Forman Mills
This New Jersey-based retail chain has expanded to Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Ohio. If you live in any of these states, Forman Mills’ kids’ school uniforms are sold in stores only.
I’ve shopped for uniform separates at Forman Mills, and the store regularly stocks jumpers, pants, polos, skirts, shirts, blouses, belts, socks, and sweaters. For example, in August 2022 kids’ uniform polo shirts for $6.98 each (or two for $13), while uniform pants were $10.98 each (or two for $20).
Many locations even have back-to-school events where there are raffles and backpack giveaways with $25+ purchase. There’s a “Sign Up and Save” promo that gives you 10% off of your purchase. Their rewards program discounts your purchase if you spend a minimum (i.e., get $5 off $25).
Other Ways to Save on Kids’ School Uniforms
School uniform exchange
Check with your child’s school to see if they have a uniform exchange program. This is my favorite way to score free uniforms each year. Many schools have an exchange program where you can bring any uniforms that no longer fit your child and exchange them for the desired size. Parents can also donate uniforms to help other students. If your child’s school doesn’t offer a uniform exchange program, consider starting one yourself or asking the PTA to create one.
Online swap
Use an online swap site like Just Between Friends. At Just Between Friends you can find swap events near you, which are typically held seasonally. I usually find school uniforms (as well as other clothing and items) for up to 90% off at these swap events. You can also sell your unwanted uniforms (and other items) at a Just Between Friends swap. Click here to find an event near you.
Think outside the uniform shop
Yes, there are still traditional uniform stores, but they’re grossly overpriced. And yes, retailers sell uniforms for a fraction of a uniform shop’s price, but there’s one more option. Don’t forget to check thrift stores, which often have gently used school uniforms that other children have outgrown.
Use Freecycle
Freecycle.org is a great website to score freebies — including school uniforms. You can place an ad stating that you’re looking for a school uniform or search through the posts to find uniform pieces. This is one of my favorite ways to shop for uniforms because I can pick up the uniform locally (for free!) instead of paying for any shipping and handling. Try Facebook Marketplace as well.
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