Please read the email and fliers for preliminary information, and keep reading here if you have further questions. If your question isn’t answered here, please email eaglestore@harker.org.

Uniform Email & Fliers

Email: Harker: Announcing New Uniforms!
Lower School Uniforms & Dress
Middle School Uniforms and Dress

Will you be offering more fitting sessions?

We will not be scheduling more fitting sessions. However, samples in sizes 4-12 are available at the Bucknall campus for drop-in try-ons beginning June 25. Just ask at the front desk. In addition, Tommy Hilfiger offers detailed size charts to help parents determine sizing for their child.

Will Merry Mart carry the new uniforms?

Merry Mart will not carry the required green logo sweater or the optional logo and plaid items. They will still carry basic items like white polo shirts, khaki pants/shorts (middle school only), black pants/shorts, and accessories.

Will I be able to use my Merry Mart store credit to purchase the new uniforms?

You will be able to purchase basic items like white polo shirts, khaki pants/shorts (middle school only), black pants/shorts, and accessories using your Merry Mart store credit.

Why weren’t parents polled?

Lower and middle school parents were involved in our focus groups during this decision-making process.

The cost is an issue for me.

The only item that will be required to purchase from Tommy Hilfiger is the green sweater. The price for this item is lower than the price from our previous vendor. Other items like basic pants and shorts may be purchased at any retailer (including discount retailers). We will continue to offer the uniform exchange at our lower and middle school campuses so that items will be available at a lower cost (it will take a year or two to build up a large inventory of items). In addition, the blue items will be acceptable to wear for the 2018-19 school year, so you don’t have to buy a full new uniform wardrobe for your child all at once.

What about the winter jacket (the waterproof one with a hood)?

We offer a green winter jacket similar to the blue one previously offered. It is available through the Eagle Store (but not produced by Tommy Hilfiger). Blue jackets may still be worn during the two-year transitional period. Non-Harker jackets are not allowed except for exceptionally cold days, the same as before.

I’m a lower school parent. I feel this uniform favors boys in many ways. What about the skort option?

Boys and girls are both able to wear the solid black pants and shorts. The skort option is still available at the lower school, in plaid.

Does this include PE clothing?

PE clothing is still available through the Eagle Store, and we have no plans to change that program.

On the Harker portal the middle school uniform dress code information for 2018-19 states that the class of 2024 (current sixth graders) do not have to purchase new uniforms. I am assuming this also applies to the current 7th graders, class of 2023? Are they required to at least purchase the full dress uniform?

The current 7th graders will be in 8th grade in the 2018-19 school year, which is the transition year when both the blue and green uniforms are acceptable. Therefore the current 7th graders will not be required to purchase the new uniform. However, if they like the new green pieces, they are certainly welcome to buy them.

What is the Tommy Hilfiger return policy?

Families can return any item at any time for any reason. Starting in fall 2018, orders from Tommy Hilfiger will automatically include a return shipping label. Until then, families may call customer service at 1.877.825.2860 to request a return form and prepaid return label. Please see the Tommy Hilfiger website for the most updated return policy information.

What happens to the uniform exchange?

For the 2018-19 year we will maintain the uniform exchange at the lower and middle school campuses with the blue uniforms, as they are acceptable for this transition year. We will also begin collecting green uniform items and building up our inventory of the new clothing; it will likely take a year or two to grow this new inventory. At the end of the 2018-19 school year, we will remove the blue uniform items and donate the non-logo items to other organizations and send the logo items to a clothing recycler.

What do I do with my old blue uniform pieces?

During the 2018-19 school year you may still bring these to the uniform exchange closet, as blue items are acceptable for the year.

Can my daughter wear the black pants and shorts?

Yes, girls and boys are allowed to wear black pants and shorts for lower school and middle school. Girls and boys are also allowed to wear khaki pants and shorts for middle school.

Why does the green polo shirt have to have the Harker logo on it?

Although we love our Harker green, it is difficult to match the color between different manufacturers. Offering the green logo polo shirt only through Hilfiger will ensure quality/color control. Of course this is an optional item.

Usually I pass uniform items down to my younger child. This change will make it hard for me to do this, and I will have to purchase new uniforms for both children at the same time.

We acknowledge that hand-me-downs are a great way to recycle uniform pieces. After discussion with the lower and middle school division heads, we have decided to allow blue uniform pieces on regular dress uniform days for a transition period of two years. Blue uniform pieces on full dress uniform days will be allowed for a transition period of one year. We hope this allows families more flexibility to adapt to the changes.

Why is there a difference between the uniforms for lower and middle school?

Many of our lower school parents expressed the desire to have a limited number of uniform options. They felt this would make getting dressed in the morning simpler. Offering uniform pieces that are new for students as they enter the middle school provides them with new options to choose from. This is consistent in general with the development of middle school students. As they get older, they have more choices and learn to navigate those choices. Eventually, students have complete free dress for upper school; this change in dress from lower to middle to upper school is a way to manage that progression gradually. Plus, more uniform choices for middle school adds a bit of excitement to the transition to middle school.

Why are khaki bottoms not allowed for lower school?

The majority of the lower school parents who we asked did not want the khaki option for their children. They felt the lighter color gets dirty too easily.

Are students still allowed to wear the gray P.E. sweatshirt with regular uniform?

Yes, for regular uniform, the gray P.E. sweatshirt is still allowed, as are the various club/activity sweatshirts (such as student council, performing arts) that include a Harker logo. This policy remains the same.

Can you make the jumper available for children older than grades K-2?

As the children progress through the different divisions of the school, we are trying to make distinctions in their uniform choices, to reflect their developmental stages. The jumper is especially good for the very young children, who don’t have to fuss with a button and a zipper, like they would on a skirt. When the children enter grades 3-5, they can switch to the plaid skirt or skort, depending on whether they want to wear tights/leggings or have bike shorts built in. As the students enter middle school, there will be even more uniform choices (additional styles and colors), and this reflects Harker’s policy of allowing middle school students more options in general. And of course when the students enter high school, they have the most choices, with free dress every day.