OUTFITS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS COSTLY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 2

OUTFITS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS COSTLY

Most parents outfitting a child for secondary school this year will get very little change from £3O.

Those sending children to boarding schools will be involved in considerably more expense for extra items of clothing. Discussing the clothing requirements of students entering Christchurch secondary schools, department store buyers said yesterday that parents often found good quality garments, though more expensive, stood up to harder wear and saved money in the long run. The total bill for girls’ clothing was apt to be higher in cost than for boys. A rough estimate for a boys’ outfit included these items: best quality suit with shorts, £8 13s 6d; extra pair of shorts, £2 14s fid; two grey flannel shirts at 30s each, £3; two pairs of socks at 10s 6d, £1 Is; blazer, £5 13s fid; gaberdine overcoat, £9 9s; one pair of shoes, about £2 10s; gym shorts, 10s 6d; cap, 18s 3d; belt, Is lid; tie, 5s fid. Total: £34 17s Bd. Boys’ Items For a Christ’s College day boy’s uniform the following garments are listed: grey suit (with long trousers), £9 17s 6d; extra trousers, £3 19s 6d; blazer, £4 13s fid; double-breasted gaberdine overcoat with belt, £8 10s; three white shirts at £1 Is 6d, £3 4s fid; pullover, £2 6s 6d; belt, 3s 3d; cap, £1 ss; straw boater with regulation band, £2 ss; three ties at 3s 6d each, 10s fid; six pairs of socks at 10s 3d, £1 10s fid; shoes, about £2 to £2 10s; gym shoes, about £l. Total: £42 17s. This list does not include collars, extra footwear, sports clothing for cricket or football, or underclothing. Boarders need to have dressing gowns (about £4), and slippers (about £1 10s). Some mothers equipping girls for secondary school will save by making the summer tunic themselves, store assistants said and some girls will do without the summer gym frock altogether, where it Is not compulsory wear. Girls* Wardrobe A girl attending Christchurch Girls’ High School will usually have these items as her minimum outfit: Three cotton blouses made of drip-dry or minimum-iron cotton, each costing about £1 Is 6d each (£3 4s 6d); a blazer

(with monogram), £4 12s 3d; cotton gaberdine overcoat—good quality, about £7, about £5 7s lid for lower quality; cardigan, £2 3s fid; best quality gym dress, about £4 3s fid; three pairs of bloomers at 6s fid each 19s 6d; one pair of shoes, about £2 16s; pair of gym shoes, about £1; fabric gloves, 8s 6d; three pairs of cotton socks at 5s 3d a pair—15s fid; two pairs of long lisle stockings at about Ils a pair—£l 2s, (nylon crepe, which are more popular, are more expensive); felt hat, 17s lid; Imitation panama hat, 12s fid; hat band, about 10s; tie, 5s 6d. Total: £3O Ils sd.

This list does not include the summer frock costing about £4 or drill rompers retailing at about £1 ss, or drill skirt used by boarders and day pupils at about £1 18s fid. Girls’ High School boarders wear a costume which costs from £l4 to £l6 and a Sunday frock costing about £4 8s 6d.

St. Margaret’s College boarders also wear a costume priced about the same as that listed above and a vyella dress costing about £7. Both day and boarding pupils have a protective overall for their uniforms listed at about £2 3s. Woollen dressing gowns for an average sized girl cost about £5 to £7 depending on the quality and style; those made of candlewick cotton, or cotton mixed with nylon cost about £4.