THERE’S no doubt about it, school uniforms are pretty boring and certainly the last clothes most girls would choose to wear.
That is unless of course they are lucky enough to have their uniforms designed by Dawn Pritchard.
The single mum-of-three is the woman behind Pretty Pigtails, the childrenswear brand that has amassed millions views on TikTok thanks to her pretty approach to uniform.
Forget dull grey pinafores and boring book bags, Dawn’s school uniform designs look like they’re straight out of a fairytale thanks to their ruffles, bows and lace – all in school colours of course.
However, while the uniforms might be pretty, the comments on Dawn’s TikTok account can be extremely ugly with the mum admitting her designs have caused controversy.
“Those are horrific and extremely tacky,” writes one troll in the comments, while another says, “Kids would be bullied wearing those.”
“They go to learn, it’s not a fashion show,” another mum adds, while a fourth chimes in: “These are awful, are schools allowing these?”
And the answer is yes they are.
While not all schools will permit a customised uniform, Dawn says that she rarely has any of her designs returned by customers.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, she says: “I’m always very clear that some schools won’t allow the uniform.
“I ask them to check with their school because I don’t want them being sent home and that coming back on me.
“I do get some truly disgusting comments on TikTok but at the same the hateful and horrible messages bring my views up.
“Some of the videos where I have had the most criticism are where I have got the most customers from.
“So I’d encourage my trolls to carry on.”
While Dawn’s designs might be dazzling, it wasn’t style she was striving for when she first began making uniforms.
“My daughter had been struggling to find school uniform to fit right,” she explains.
“It was either uncomfortable or didn’t fit quite right and so I decided I would just make her some.
“My parents had given me a sewing machine for my birthday, I didn’t have any training and I can’t follow a dress pattern for the life of me, but I gave it a go.
“I soon had strangers stopping me in the street to ask where I had bought my girls’ clothes and I realised I might be onto something.”
Dawn, who had previously been claiming benefits, set up her Pretty Pigtails Facebook page in 2015 where she initially had just 60 followers, she now has more than 10,000.
Customers can submit orders to her directly will a full customised uniform set coming in at £45, but the mum says customers rarely stop there.
“My full set includes a dress, polo, socks, hair bow and cardigan is £45 but believe it or not the majority will buy seven sets,” she says.
How can I save money on school uniforms?
IF you are struggling to afford the cost of school uniform or PE kit, you may be able to apply for a grant from your local council - but the criteria vary from council to council.
This is usually in the form of a one-off payment paid directly into your bank account. Some councils will reimburse payments made to approved retailers.
You can ask your local council what help is available and when you need to apply.
If you can’t get targeted help from your council, there are other options to get cheap uniform.
Speak to your school to see if they can offer you some clothing.
Some charities offer help to families in need too. Charity Turn2Us has a free grants search tool on its website which you can use to find out what help is available to you.
Charity shops can also be a good place to find cheap school uniform.
“I’ve got a lady that ordered with me for next year and her total order is £2,200 just on school uniform.”
In an average month Dawn receives around 100 orders, all of which she makes at home on her own while juggling childcare.
And that means working very long hours.
“I just work around the school day, I’ll be sewing all day sometimes for up to 15 hours,” she says.
“I make around ten dresses a day typically, it can be more if we’re approaching a new term.
The main feedback I get from mums is how beautiful their daughters felt in their uniform
Dawn Pritchard
“It can be really chaotic, working from home is certainly not the easy option but I love my business and what it enables me to do for my girls.”
Dawn has ten designs that customers can choose from and then they can request adjustments accordingly.
While parents must send their children’s size for Dawn to make the clothes, she never includes a sizing label.
She explains: “Girls are so aware of their size from such a young age and I hate the thought of an eight-year-old being teased for wearing a size 12-13.
“I’m really passionate about positive body image because my daughter struggled to get a uniform.
“She’s ten and I couldn’t get any to fit her, she’s not overweight it’s just that these supermarket clothes fit so poorly.
“How heartbreaking is it to know that nothing fits and it isn’t your fault or anything to do with your size?”
Dawn says that her main objective in making the uniforms is to make sure the girls who wear them feel good.
“The main feedback I get from mums is how beautiful their daughters felt in their uniform,” she says.
“That’s my main objective to make children feel fantastic in what they’re wearing and to look back at pictures and remember how lovely they looked.
“And I believe that’s exactly what I achieve with my unique creations.”
