Clive Mark Schoolwear

Thank goodness for Clive Mark. There’s something special about taking your child to get their first school uniform and it should be a celebration of another milestone. Somehow not all school uniform buying experiences are stress free.
However, at Clive Mark you get a one to one service, even at the busiest times when it seems that the world and his dog are buying jumpers, t-​shirts etc. As a school uniform novice I had no idea about the measurements-they’re different to every other article of clothing I’ve ever bought but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, we got measured, got the chance to try out the jumpers etc and came away happy.
I also rate the quality of the book bags and pe kit bags. They get a pummelling and have not even lost a stitch, whereas other and cheaper options have just shredded away to nothing.
Apart from the fact that I resent having to buy school jumpers with logo’s from just two shops locally which means no competition on price, I prefer the Clive Mark buying experience. Plus the fact that I’ve eventually cottoned onto the fact that the basics can be purchased a lot cheaper elsewhere.

When I was a kid I dreaded going back to school after a 6 week break. One of the worst things was having to buy school clothes. I’ll never forget the starchy smell of shirts and the cheap faux leather aroma that resonated from the school shoes. The shop everyone got their school clothes from was ‘The Early Learning Centre’. Because my blazer was purple it cost an extra 40 quid. But that’s beside the point.
These days, blazers are not worn so much unless you go to a private school. Now all of the school kid’s clothes are sold very cheaply at the major supermarkets and school clothes shops have started to close down because they can’t compete with the prices.
This shop still stands and they have some great bargain rails to help those penny pinchers out there. I walked past the other day and saw a grey jumper with no logo on it for a quid. I’m a small size and it fit me. I was so pleased with the bargain I thought I would write a review on it.

This shop stocks all the local school uniforms for the Kings Heath area. That’s pretty much what you’d expect from a schoolwear supplier. They also have a name-​tape service so that you can ensure your child’s jumper/​blazer/​blouse etc doesn’t get lost in the playground when they use an item of clothing as a lo-​fi goalpost.
I’ve never had to use these services as my kid goes to a non-​uniform school and she’d rather be gossiping in the play areas than playing sports in them.
I’ve found the shop pretty darn excellent for branded and character lunchboxes/​lunchbags and water bottles though, of which I’ve bought around 4 of each from over the years. We’ve gone from cute cats and dog designs to Spongebob Squarepants and now we’re on white skulls and lightening bolts on a black background. Ah, the joys of watching ‘em grow up…
And as James points out, (see other review), the smaller– sized thrift-​mongers amongst us can pick up cut-​priced deals from the bargain rail outside.