Buy some matches, Guv'nor?

My youngest started attending preschool two mornings a week recently. I took the handbook sent home by his teacher to heart, especially the part that said it was best to send your child dressed in playclothes, as art projects were frequent and messy, mud was not a reason to forego outdoor recess, and the school wished not to be responsible for mishap coming to a good outfit.

My youngest's playclothes consist mostly of hand-me-downs from his older brother, who was/is notoriously hard on clothes. Luckily, I'm a master of stain removal and can mend or patch almost any rip.

Standing amongst his classmates, though, whose mothers have clearly not taken that part of the handbook to heart, my youngest looks a bit like a

tatterdemalion
noun
A person wearing ragged or tattered clothing; a ragamuffin.
adjective
Ragged; tattered.