Why are school uniforms so expensive?

Press, 18 March 1989, Page 20

Why are school uniforms so expensive?

The debaters and explainers from the Ministry of Commerce investigating the price of school uniforms have handed down their verdict ... the exorbitant cost of school uniforms is justified. Well then, how come I can get a summer uniform made-to-measure for half the cost that I can buy one off the peg? When I had to buy my highschooler’s summer uniforms — the basic shift dresses worn by practically every high school girl in New Zealand — I paid $9B for one but the larger size, which costs $lO7, was out of stock. Rather than wait three weeks I decided to go to the dressmaker. My daughter agreed, providing they were EXACTLY the same as the bought ones where the buttonhole panel, cut on the cross, calls for extra fabric. Even so, I bought enough fabric for two uniforms for my very tall daughter for $52.25 and I figured the dressmaker wouldn’t need a pattern. And neither she did. She made a quick sketch which took less than a z minute. We had a fitting where she made, adjustments to

give a perfect fit, and her charge for making two uniforms was $3O! Add this to the cost of material ($52.25) and you get $82.25 for two, custommade uniforms. That’s $41.12 each! How did I manage it? Did I make fantastic savings on the cloth bought retail after the wholesaler and everyone else had had their cut? Are garment workers overpaid? How many do you know driving BMWs? Manufacturers, yes. Please note my relationship with the dressmaker is strictly business. She is not colluding. Her prices are always reasonable, but supposing she quadrupled them. A made-to-measure uniform would still be 20 per cent cheaper. The report says prices are high because there is such a wide diversity of styles and colours. The fashion industry wouldn't last a week if it DIDN’T offer a diversity of colours and styles.

I checked two dresses, both with considerably more material and detail, in a teenage fashion store. One cost $79, the other cost $64. Even at these prices surplus stock has to be disposed of at sale prices. Ever hear of school uniforms at sale prices?

And why do school uniforms have such a huge price gap between small and large sizes? The smallest uniform for our school cost $75, yet I had to pay $lO7.

Manufacturers will probably claim there is more fabric, but the fabric was less than a quarter the cost. The mark-up is in the making, which is “uniform” whatever the size. Do small men get their suits for one-third less I inquired? No ma’am. Men’s wear manufacturers usually average the cost over the standard range so everybody pays the same. Same with industrial uniforms. The fashion business doesn’t over-price larger sizes. An advertisement recently appeared in the newspaper for a denim dress in sizes 10 to 26 for $59.99. Come to think of it, school uniform manufacturers, unlike the fashion business, don’t have huge advertising costs.

The report also says' lack of predictability from one year to another keeps! costs high. Well, the£ fashion industry, not cushioned by the same) captive market, is hanging in there year after yearj producing equivalent items for considerably less. When I consulted the business uniform industry* about the cost of pro-j ducing a small run of equivalent business uni-j forms I was told between $59 and $BO. Why can’t school uniforms match this cost? School uniforms, my ini formant told me sensibly; will never be any cheaper until the manufacturers make directly for the school committees which should add their owii “reasonable” mark-up. < Why couldn’t the report by the Ministry of Commerce come up with a suggestion half as sens--ible? Because the debaters and explainer? don’t listen to ordinary people, they listen to one another.

Nothing I say will make any difference. Just because you have got a good case, it doesn’t mean to say you’ll get a fair hearing.