This week we meet Vaucluse mum Kirsty Ameland, who has called Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs home for more than 20 years and has raised her two teenagers, Audrey and Charlie, surrounded by harbour beaches, local parks and the close-knit community she now couldn’t imagine leaving.
Like many local mums, Kirst has spent plenty of years juggling work, school life, kids’ activities and the never-ending job of keeping up with growing children. Along the way, one particular frustration kept coming up: school uniforms.
Finding good-quality second-hand uniforms could mean trying to make it to a school uniform sale, endlessly scrolling through online marketplaces or messaging multiple sellers — while passing on uniforms her own children had outgrown wasn’t particularly easy either.
With a passion for sustainability and a background in strategy consulting, Kirst decided there had to be a simpler way. That idea became KidKit, an online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling pre-loved school uniforms, designed to make the process easier, more affordable and less wasteful for families.
We caught up with Kirst to talk about raising teenagers in the East, her favourite local spots, where you’ll find her for a morning swim or coffee, and why she believes the memories our kids make in their clothes matter far more than whether those clothes were bought brand new.
Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east?
I’ve lived in the Eastern Suburbs since my husband convinced me to move to Vaucluse over 20 years ago. It seemed so far away from the excitement of the city back then, but our children have been born and raised here and the area has filled with younger families over the years – I wouldn’t want to have lived anywhere else. We love the quiet community, being surrounded by parks and harbour beaches and the fact that our kids have had an idyllic childhood, roaming the neighbourhood with their local friends and swimming down at the Watson’s Bay Baths.
I have a passion for sustainability and with my kids now at different high schools in the east, one of the frustrations I’ve had as a working parent is how hard it has been to find quality, affordable second-hand school uniforms. I’ve always struggled to get the second-hand uniform sale at the start of term, finding what I need on marketplaces requires endless scrolling and messaging, and getting rid of uniforms we no longer need isn’t as easy as it should be.
In speaking to parents, I realised there were many families experiencing the same challenges, so I decided to solve the problem by building an online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling second hand school uniforms. KidKit is a secure e-commerce site that makes buying and selling pre-loved uniforms fast, easy and hassle free.
Three words that describe what it’s like to live in the eastern suburbs?
Lively, active, community
How many children?
I have two teenagers, Audrey who is 16 and Charlie, 14.
Favourite Park?
Nielsen Park Vaucluse for a swim, a coffee, lunch or just sitting under the giant fig trees to read a book all day.
Favourite Beach?
Camp Cove beach in Watson’s Bay. You can find us there every day all year round for a morning and evening walk, a coffee with friends or a swim.
Favourite kids friendly cafe?
The kids love to Jezve Coffee in Lyne Park, Rose Bay before school for their ricotta pancakes.
Favourite Coffee Spot?
The Boathouse café for its picture perfect location on the Rose Bay Marina.
Favourite date night place?
We don’t have a favourite but prefer to try something new we go out. Recently we enjoyed eating at Chubby Cheeks in Paddington.
Where in the east have you yet to explore and would like to go?
Outside of going to kids’ sports matches we haven’t spent much time in the southern parts of the Eastern Suburbs. I’d like to explore Little Bay and Malabar.
What would you like to see improve in the eastern suburbs?
The reliability of public transport. The frequency of buses not turning up or being late is really unacceptable.
Favourite Local Shop?
Made on Earth in Rose Bay is fun for browsing and great for gifts.
Favourite wet weather location?
If I’m not snuggled up at home in wet weather you’ll find me at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Favourite Local family Weekend Activity?
Hermitage Foreshore walk – even as a local the postcard views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House get me every time.
Work or SAHM?
I have my own strategy consulting business and I also recently launched KidKit, an online marketplace for second hand school uniforms built to take the hassle out of making affordable, sustainable choices with school uniforms.
Instagram: @kidkit_school_uniforms
Facebook: Kidkit School Uniforms
Motherly advice?
Kids remember the adventures they had wearing the clothes, not where they came from. What matters most isn’t whether it’s brand new, it’s whether it’s clean, comfy, and chosen with love.
The School Uniform Reset: Why Second-Hand Makes Sense for Term 1
