Paul's Boutique: School Bag

[youngmum]

Need to get a school bag for dd going into year 7. i suggested getting one of the adidas or Nike sports bag i see most girls carrying aorund these days but my dd says everyone is buying a Paul's Boutique bag

I dont believe it as she has not started school yet but got confirmation a couple of her friends are buying one for school.

The school's policy just says a black bag. Is it me or is the world gone mad. A designer bag for school?????

Please any ideas of what young girls take to school and need to get a black one. Your suggestions are welcomed.

[Marylou]

I've noticed that young girls seem to be getting quite "bag-conscious" these days...even my 8-year old has started fussing over what she uses to carry around her reading record and homework folder! Though from my own school days, I remember a craze for tote bags decorated with pictures of the Wombles! (Yes, I succombed. ) The trouble is that school bags are subject to a lot of wear and tear so using a designer bag for this purpose is a bit of a waste, in my opinion. My older girls compromise with smart-looking "copycat" bags from TK Max or similar, still not suitable for carrying books but for me it was a case of choosing the battles... Perhaps you could offer to get the designer bag as a special occasion present for shopping, and something smart but robust for lugging around the school books. Or suggest DD uses another bag in the meantime but saves up her pocket money to buy the PB herself, by which time she will see the kind of punishment a bag gets at secondary school and won't want to use it for that purpose.

By the way, whatever happened to Kath Kidston?

[observer]

Hi youngmum,
Tis a tricky one...When my DD started in yr 7 I insisted on getting her a backpack (better for her back). I bought her a really nice, good one, thinking it would last her years...only to find that by year 8 she would use any bag but her backpack...
My daughter is going in to year 9 now and insisted on buying a Cath Kidston satchel (it is gorgeous but very expensive in my opinion...spent her own money on it though.) I have to say that I hadn't even heard of 'Pauls Boutique' before reading your post...so I guess I am totally out of touch, or maybe it is just that trends change with different areas/schools? Cath Kidston seems to be all the rage in my DD's school....I do believe that if it is important to your daughter, and it is not prohibited by the school rules, then it is good for their self-confidence to get a bag that makes them happy...(my husband would probably disagree, but he doesn't understand my love of bags!)

[youngmum]

my husband would probably disagree, but he doesn't understand my love of bags!)

My husband does not understand my love of bags too. I do love a beautiful bag and I cant get enough bags but i buy them with my hard earned cash.
Interestingly husband thinks I should get it for her but I am just worried about sending out the wrong message especially as she's just starting.

I have said too that she can have the PB bag for xmas and we can just get a regular bag for now; although as Marylou rightly said; the regular bag might not even leave the house again as the term goes on if she does not like it.

I thought of the Cath Kidston ones but cant see a plain black one.

[la boume]

Aren't PB bags too "bling" for school? And will look out of place with the school uniform/school shoes. IMO too early for 11 years old.

[scary mum]

Some discussion about this here:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... ag#p251437" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My DD accepted a ruck sack for year 7, DS1 for half of year 7, DS2???

The Adidas ones etc seem incredibly expensive and won't hold much. I got DS1 a similar style one from Sprts Direct which kept him happy but wasn't v expensive (mind you I thihk it's breaking already). DD (year 11) has a rather fetching bag from Primark for £3 which she is very happy with

[push-pull-mum]

Good grief! This is the 3rd trendy school bag thread - just for this year's incoming Year 7s!

Heartily praying that DD continues as uncool and unsavvy as she is currently.

Fat chance.

[youngmum]

Thanks La Boume, I feel the same way.

Scary mum; I think a visit to Primark is due

push and pull mum; trust me I was shocked when my dd asked too. she says there's a plain black one but the point is; if we start like this what will i have to buy in year 13?

[Just1-2go]

When my daughter insisted on a "posh" school bag I contributed what a good rucksack would cost and she paid for the rest (worked out about half and half). At least that way she values it a bit more.

[Snowdrops]

I'd never heard of Paul's Boutique until I read this thread this morning.

I then went shopping, and what did I see? A girl in a quilted waistcoat type of thing with Paul's Boutique scrawled all over the back of it (it looked quite chavvy actually ).

I asked dd, who was with me, if she'd heard of Paul's Boutique and she said yes. I then told her how I'd heard of it and the waistcoaty thing I'd just seen. She replied, yes some of the stuff they do is but that they do some nice bags actually