Marching band uniforms HELP!!!!

[nkjzmom]

So, I've been asked to lead the uniform committee for our high school band. We've got 200-250 students I believe. I'm going to meet with the past chairperson on Wednesday.

Any advice, words of wisdom, or "bless your heart" comments????

 

[FredinFL]

Bless you heart?

My one suggestion, don't go wool. Unless you live in Wisconsin or Minnesota or the like.

 

[marcyinPA]

Is this to purchase new uniforms, or to maintain the ones you have?

I have no advice, because I've never been a part of that committee, but I do have to say that it is a HUGE undertaking....so bless your heart!

 

[Girldreamer02]

I was in marching band in high school. I don't really think you can do anything that is cool as far as uniforms go. We had uniforms that were hot in the summer and not warm enough once it started to get chilly even if we had coats on over them. I can suggest no ugly hats! Those just cap off the already ugly uniforms and make them look even dorkier. lol Trust me I speak from experience! I wish you well!

 

[marcyinPA]

I was in marching band in high school. I don't really think you can do anything that is cool as far as uniforms go. We had uniforms that were hot in the summer and not warm enough once it started to get chilly even if we had coats on over them. I can suggest no ugly hats! Those just cap off the already ugly uniforms and make them look even dorkier. lol Trust me I speak from experience! I wish you well!

My DS12's middle school band uniforms are the ugliest things EVER. The pants are ridiculous...the crotch hangs down to their knees....so stupid looking!

My DS16's high school band uniforms are AWESOME. The band itself is patterned after the Coldstream Guard, and the uniforms are an exact replica of the ones worn by them, and are made in England. They are so sharp! The band officers and section leaders wear real bearskin hats, too. When they were in Disney this year, my DS and his friends were chatting with one of the CM's in Epcot England about the band, and she said that nobody else is allowed to have bearskin hats except for the Queen's Guard. Our band has several of them, so they were trying to tell her that we actually have some too, purchased by us through the Guard. She didn't believe them! And then they marched through Epcot....

 

[sparklynails23]

What do colleges do with their used uniforms? I'm sure they change them out frequently, and they probably cost alot, new.

 

[NotUrsula]

Used uniforms are sold via used uniform dealers, but it normally isn't a good secondhand market. Most uniform jackets are cleaned very seldom, and by the time they have been in use for a decade they are pretty gamey. Also, most new uniforms are embroidered, so it's very hard to cover the old insignia in a way that looks decent. This is especially true of college band uniforms, because they usually have a larger "TV-visible" logo on the back of the jacket, like so:

(Those are pillows made from old band uniform jackets)

As a general rule when looking at uniform designs, bib pants are best for fitting more people better, and the type with detachable tabards will give you more flexibility and look better longer because you can just get new tabards to change out the look.

The most popular style right now doesn't have a tabard; it is a short jacket cut like a waiter's tuxedo, with a sash crossing one shoulder. Normally those will have the mascot logo on the opposite shoulder or the back (or both), and the name of the school embroidered on the sleeves.

 

[richmond282]

1. WASHABLE jacket and bibs

2. go with BIBS not pants

3. Almost everyone wears dark pants these days, it hides marching flaws way better than light colors and is easier to maintain

4. Choose a jacket that is easy to get into and out of i.e. no zipping up the back, or zipper under the arm, or 50 thousand buttons

5. The more "pieces" you have i.e gauntlets, capes, sashes, the more pieces you will lose

6. Simpler is better

p.s. I'm a band director and have chosen more than 1 uniform in my day

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Here's a "bless your heart" comment:

Remember that there is no way you are going to be able to make everyone happy--don't let it get to you!

 

[nkjzmom]

Thanks for the words of wisdom but I guess I should have been more clear. We have uniforms, I will be in charge of assigning, maintaining, collecting them. I (or a member of the committee) will need to be at each game/parade/competition to do repairs, hand out the "chicken legs" (feathers for the hats), give out forgotten items, etc. I'm just wondering if anyone else can offer me advice as to how to involve parents and how to stay organized.

 

[Jedana]

Thanks for the words of wisdom but I guess I should have been more clear. We have uniforms, I will be in charge of assigning, maintaining, collecting them. I (or a member of the committee) will need to be at each game/parade/competition to do repairs, hand out the "chicken legs" (feathers for the hats), give out forgotten items, etc. I'm just wondering if anyone else can offer me advice as to how to involve parents and how to stay organized.

Bless your heart!!!

You have my sympathy. I was band mom* and uniform mom for 3 years, and vice president of the boosters for 2 of those years. Good luck to you!

My advice: Check for repairs when doing fittings for the first time. Get everyone fitted at least 2 weeks in advance, giving you time to wash and repair or hem. check the uniforms each week after the game, so that you have time to get repairs done. Figure out if you are dry cleaning weekly (expensive!) or febreezing and letting air out on hangers (with band bags attached) for a few weeks. What about color guard/flag core? Do you have to do those uniforms as well? Can those be washed and if so, are you doing them each week (I was for 2 years, no reimbursement--2 loads of washing a week, airdry only) or are you farming them out to various parents?


Check out the uniforms for the first few games, so that the kids get to know whatever system you are putting into play (who gets theirs first, who turns in first, how do you want them turned in--inside bags, in a pile to be dry cleaned weekly; are they wearing the full uniform on the bus or just the pants---etc). make sure there is a policy set with the band directors--what to do if the kids forget socks/shoes/band tshirts, etc.

Make yourself a safety kit and bring it with you to each game. Small sewing scissors, needles, thread, safety pins and duct tape (easy to temp fix a hem!). It can be brought in, as long as it comes in with some band gear, just don't hand carry it through the gate, most security won't let it come in with scissors. Have a back up parent who can take your spot in case of illness or injury.

*band mom means I held the cell phones and wallets and "girl stuff" at the games, in ziploc bags. Also, I'm the one who went to all the performances at the local middle/elementary schools as a chaperone.
VP means I was the one making the phone calls for volunteers (and sometimes telling people that I dont' understand the words No I can't volunteer to help my child). Also, ran the concessions stand, filmed/photographed each game, and made the band scrapbook for the last two years.

 

[marcyinPA]

We have a band seamstress...she takes care of EVERYTHING. She is a retired woman with a long history with our band. Her son was in the band, and he is now a band director at one of our middle schools.

She is in charge of all of the uniforms...distribution, alterations, etc. She goes to every football game and on every band trip and can do repairs on the spot. I believe she is paid by our band parents association, so in other words, we (the parents) pay her for her services. In my opinion, she isn't paid enough! She does distribution by appointment in the summer. She always starts with Freshmen, and then moves on up. It is up to the student to schedule an appt. with her. She has student helpers with her during distribution. They receive community service hours for helping out. All uniforms are numbered, and I guess she's been doing it for long enough that she knows by looking at a student the number range they will fit in.

She also sews uniforms...we have a bag pipe corps, and she makes kilts and also the plaid skirts for the majorettes and highland dancers.

So, again, all I can give you is a "Bless your heart"...because I have no idea how one volunteer would handle everything that goes along with that job!

Oh, as for forgotten items...I think in our band, if you forget something important, you are SOL. You don't march...which really hurts the entire band. If you don't march, it affects your grade, which in turn affects your GPA. Band is a graded class here, for credit.

My DS has forgotten gloves a time or two, and he has had to beg and borrow. Lucky for him, he came out smelling like a rose...but I always warn him that he may not be so lucky next time.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks for the words of wisdom but I guess I should have been more clear. We have uniforms, I will be in charge of assigning, maintaining, collecting them. I (or a member of the committee) will need to be at each game/parade/competition to do repairs, hand out the "chicken legs" (feathers for the hats), give out forgotten items, etc. I'm just wondering if anyone else can offer me advice as to how to involve parents and how to stay organized.

WEll, that's much easier than starting from scratch. This is what we do each year...
band camp is in late August. toward the end of band camp, the kids all report to the uniform people. They are measured (if not already in the 'system'). We have sheets that list each piece of the uniform on it. We plug in the person's name, the size of each piece (and garment number if applicable)...jacket, pants, gloves, hat, etc. Each kid takes responsibility for their uniform at this point. If there is an issue, they deal with it...our parent involvement isn't such that anyone is going to sew for the kids. At the end of the year...after the Memorial Day parade, the kids march back to the school where they turn in their uniforms. Their sheet is taken out and each piece is marked as 'returned'.
Now, we do deal with the hats a bit differently. We used to let the kids have them to take home. But not anymore. Way too much 'forgetting' on game days. So we now keep them in the music/band room, all boxed up. Each member has their own and knows where to find it when they need to 'suit up'.

After Mem Day, the uniforms are then sent out to be cleaned...and man, do they need it.
I would recommend getting together a committee. Many hands make light work. You could have one person work in each section....percussion, brass, etc. Seems that you have a really large group so that might be the best way. Our group is about 1/3 the size of your group..so we can get by with fewer people.

 

[Katy Belle]

We moved here in the summer and DS started at Band Camp before school started. They had a day to come get fitted for your uniform. All of the others had been measured last May, but of course, DS had not. When he walked in the room one of the uniform moms came running. She told him shed been waiting for him! He is 6'4 and she knew it would be tricky! With some alterations she got him fitted!

One thing they do is to code everything with #s and nothing is allowed to go home. Each kid is given a duffle bag. Shoes, gloves, hat, etc all coded by #s go in the bag. The bags, and the garment bag with bibs and jacket, are handed back to the uniform moms, usually in the parking lot at the game or contest, etc. Parents sign a paper agreeing to pay for missing parts, prices are on the note they also are not allowed to eat in uniform, they are dry clean only. Oh, we pay a cleaning fee too.

Good luck!

 

[momto3pirates]

I'm just wondering if anyone else can offer me advice as to how to involve parents and how to stay organized.[/QUOTE]

I am going to be watching this. I am the treasurer for our High School band. the school is only 2 years old. This year was our first varsity year, and we had no seniors. We literally started from scratch. We are very small right now (only 40 members) but will almost double with the incoming freshmen class. The 3 officers were at every football game. It was so hard to get other parents to help. In our district, the bands are responsible for concessions at the football games. I only got to watch my son march at away games because I was serving nachos! If someone has tips for getting other parents to help out, I'm all ears.

 

[marcyinPA]

I'm just wondering if anyone else can offer me advice as to how to involve parents and how to stay organized.

I am going to be watching this. I am the treasurer for our High School band. the school is only 2 years old. This year was our first varsity year, and we had no seniors. We literally started from scratch. We are very small right now (only 40 members) but will almost double with the incoming freshmen class. The 3 officers were at every football game. It was so hard to get other parents to help. In our district, the bands are responsible for concessions at the football games. I only got to watch my son march at away games because I was serving nachos! If someone has tips for getting other parents to help out, I'm all ears.[/QUOTE]

Our HS doesn't do this, but our MS band does. They offer parents $10 towards their child's "fair share" if they volunteer for two things during the year. It helps.

 

[golfgal]

Our drum majors and section leaders "run" fitting day. The drum majors check everyone in, assign them a garment bag, put their names on a card that goes into their garment bag and one into their Shako box. Some parents are on hand to help fit the kids properly into the uniforms. After that, the kids/parents are 100% responsible for their uniforms. They have to do any hemming, repairs, cleaning, etc. during the season. The band has a deal with a local dry cleaner and they clean every uniform for $10 each at the end of the season. The band directors keep a roll of black duct tape for anyone that forgets black socks-usually only happens once. I am pretty sure they have some extra gauntlets on hand too but I think they charge a "rental" fee to use them--in otherwords, they make the kids responsible for their things. No need for parents to be "involved" that way. We have two parents that hand out the good plumes during football games though.

 

[erincon23]

I did this for the last four years! We have a band of about 150-175. We have a closet -- a fairly small room -- and all the uniforms are kept in that closet. During band camp (summer), every kid is fitted and assigned a jacket and pants. Each jacket and pants (bibs -- they're new) has a number, and they're hung on a hanger that has that number, then all hung in numerical order. We have a couple of parents who do the tailoring, and one of my jobs each summer was to be "hat mom" -- clean each (Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work well), repair and fit hats to each band member. Before each game or parade, the kids line up and request their uniform; after the event, they are responsible for hanging the uniform up correctly and returning it to a parent who hangs it in the closet. Hats are also fitted and numbered (we have chickens also --what a pain). We have custom made (but not very nice -- very old and run down at this point) storage cubbies on wheels where the kids pick up and leave their hats. We have a

Uniforms are cleaned over the summer, and as needed during the year, if we've had a particularly muddy event.

It takes us probably 10 parents to rotate through all the games and parades, volunteering to fit, sew, distribute and collect.

NotUrsula, I LOVED seeing your jacket pillows! Four years ago, when our band decided it was time for new uniforms, we (the head uniform mom and I) spent several hours trying to find a way to donate or sell our old uniforms, without success. Our old ones had capes and sashes -- I (half joking, I think) suggested we make pillows as a fundraiser -- that's what we did, using the capes, sashes and brass buttons! It cost us very little -- just for the pillow forms - and we sold them for $25 each. We sold more than 100 pillows! I'll try to find the pictures I have and post one.

 

[jen0610]

Like erincon23 we have a closet in the band room that is our storage room for our uniforms - bibs and jackets. But for the marching season - we have large rolling storage cabinets.

There are 2 moms that are dedicated uniform moms. These wonderful ladies are the ones that over see everything to do with the uniforms. They come in during the summer practices and fit all the new band members. They keep track of the bib and jacket numbers for each student, so that come each year, the returning band members uniforms from last year are pulled and tried on. If their pieces don't fit, they find them a new bib, jacket or shoes from the inventory. Once all the previous members have their uniform set, they are moved to the storage cabinets. After all the returning members are set, they start sizing the new members.

The storage cabinets - IMHO - are the greatest thing. There is a cabinet for each section - low brass, drumline and pit, woodwinds. On the one side, it's got a notched bar for the kids to hang their uniforms on. There is a name slot above each notch. On the bottom, there are cubbies for their shoes, again with a name slot. On the other side, there are cubbies for their shakos and draws for their gloves, gauntlets, and the plum for their shakos. A fair number of kids will also keep an extra band t-shirt and pair of black socks in their drawer.

On the days that the kids march - both football games and competitions - there are at minimum 2 moms per storage cabinet, to help the kids in and out of their uniforms. These moms, make sure all of the kids are dressed right with all the correct pieces. After the performaces and the kids are done, they are - for the most part - really good at getting with the moms on what may need to be cleaned or if something tore and needs repaired. The kids put everything back and get the uniforms on the hangers before handing them off to the moms, who give the uniforms a once over before hanging them back in the cabinet.

The 2 main unifrom moms have a converted tackel box filled with everything and anything that they may need to use in a repair or clean. Wipes, sprays, pins, thread, tape, lint rollers, super clue - it's a treasure trove of stuff.

The color guard has storage cabinets as well, but they are taken care of by a couple of guard moms. They have a treasure trove as well, but almost twice as big. They have to have all the extra stuff guard may need.

 

[nkjzmom]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm pasting good ideas/suggestions into a word document!

Here's how we ordinarily do things. Uniforms are handed out a few weeks before our first game, according to grade, seniors first. We try the uniforms from the past year and change if they don't fit. Most alterations are done there in the band room before the kids leave. They are given shoes, hats with boxes, garment bags, and gloves if applicable. In their hat box we slip info about care of the uniform. The students KEEP their uniform the whole year. We provide them with a sheet of coupons to be used at a local dry cleaners. The cost is rolled into their yearly fee.

The Concert band wears the marching uniform for concert season while the Symphonic Band wears tuxedo type uniforms with girls in skirts and tops. These are handed out at the beginning of the year along with the marching uniforms. I've helped with all of this before...it's the weekly activities I'm still learning about.