Cheaper School Uniforms May Not Always Be the Best

Saturday 17th of February 2007 03:47:51 PM

While many parents who have to buy school uniforms for their children cannot afford to pay for the costs of new clothing, buying less expensive clothing may not always save them money either. But for growing kids who go through clothing quickly, many parents feel they are saving money.

“I think it (the uniform shop) is great because we have the opportunity to come and get second-hand uniforms. I have got three kids and, on a benefit, I can’t afford new,” said one parent, Tania Major-Johnson, who was shopping for uniforms at the Ashburton College second-hand uniform shop, located in Ashburton, New Zealand.

But uniform shop spokesperson Annette Fyfe, who works for Teens to Tots, located in Ashburton, disagrees when it comes to buying lower price uniforms. It has been her experience that many parents are looking for quality clothing and will not always purchase items just because they are less expensive. She also said that in the long run, it was less expensive to buy quality clothing because it will last longer.

Fyfe did say that she is trying to keep the cost of new uniforms as low as possible by buying fabric from retailers that can sell it for less. Shopping for fabric a season in advance seems to be the answer. “The work you put into it, it’s worth it to get prices down,” said Fyfe.

While everyone does not agree on which uniforms to purchase, all will agree that it is less expensive than buying causal and fashion clothing for the kids to wear. “If we had to go and buy fashion clothes for our kids they would want a different outfit every day,” said Fyfe.

(c)Helmut Gevert, www.sxc.hu