Now that national school is back, one skirt set or pettiskirt rotated with a blouse, a fine knit and a cardigan can cover the whole first term. This planner maps girls skirts onto school photo day, the parish Mass, dance classes, Culture Night and autumn family parties, with a checklist on sizing, washing, tights and shoes.

A christening in Meath and a pair of tights twelve centimetres too short in the body sent me back to the labels. This is an analytical guide to children's occasion legwear for the Irish turn of season: what denier and fibre content actually mean, why cuff depth and leg height decide whether socks stay up, and why age is the weakest size on the packet. It ends with a scored comparison of knee-highs, ankle socks and tights across the school return, the September wedding season and early-autumn christenings.

After a wet August wedding ended with my daughter in her cousin's runners, I took the whole question apart. This is an analytical guide to girls footwear for an Irish July and August: how fast children's feet actually grow, how to measure properly at home, and which sole, heel counter and lining details decide comfort and grip on damp grass. It finishes with a scored comparison of five shoe styles and how the same checks apply to late-August back-to-school shopping.