Ridiculous uniform policy for secondary

[freakinthespreadsheets]

I live in a fairly poor working class area, former mining village. I don't even have secondary age kids but this has got me riled up.
The local secondary has been taken over by a MAT and introduced a new uniform. They say that the blazer, PE kit and jumper must be logo'd from the supplier (which i think is pretty standard everywhere) but also that every item MUST be Trutex branded. Shirts, trousers and the skirt (which you can't even find a dupe for if you wanted to as it's a silly tartan design). No supermarket brands allowed. The boys trousers must be sturdy or slim fit, girls can be slim fit only (so "fuck you" to girls with thick thighs then??)
They also insist the trousers must not be skin tight fitting and the skirt must be knee length, or detentions will be issued (but they're only allowing one design/fit, from one supplier, so if it doesn't fit a taller/chunkier teen then what are parents to do?).
Not to mention the fabrics are scratchy and kids with sensitive skin (I was one, and Mum had to order my uniforms online from a place that did skinkind fabrics) who might not get on with the plasticy Teflon fabrics.
I find myself fuming on behalf of these parents and teens - as a curvy, tall female with sensitive skin this would NOT do for me at all! Not even sure what my question is, I guess am I being unreasonable in my thinking that this is OTT and doesn't follow the new government guidance (which I know isn't fully compulsory but still)

Edit to add : in a poor working class area, to set a kid up to attend the local high school looks to be around £350 for uniform - the prices are awful, £35 for a skirt etc

My DS did too and I agree with that.

@Needmorelego You need to get out more! Skirts are normal wear for teens. With thicker tights. Bare legs in summer. Nights out - definitely skirts.

@TizerorFizz "nights out" maybe - but to be honest any teens under the age of 14 or so don't really go in for 'nights out" unless it's at the cinema or something these days. This is school girls we are talking about.
I do know several older teens who recently had their proms - they didn't even wear dresses for that. They wore trouser suits.

The whole culture has completely changed on 'nights out' to be honest.

@SummerDays2020 yes teens go to the cinema, the gym, game cafes and coffee shops these days.
They don't do pub/club nights out.

Dds school are ridiculous strict with inform.

Skirts must be on the lower part of the knee no kneecap showing
All uniform must be from the supplier including the box pleat skirt and the custard yellow shirts.
Everything is logoed
Shoes must have a strap or laces no logo or boots
There are trousers but they are so horrible no one wears them:
Oh and just for fun they have summer shirts too that must be worn from Easter.

The full uniform and pe kit cost around £600.

That is ridiculous!

If all wear jeans and hoodies it is uniform.

@Smoothie23 but the difference is if a child decides to turn in in cargo pants and a knitted jumper instead their mates might say "what are you wearing?" but they won't get sent to isolation or put on report or sent home to change.

Not really. There are all sorts of different types of colours and styles of Jeans t.shirts and hoodies and if you wanted to turn up in suit and tie or dinner jacket there isn’t anything stopping you.

But it was their choice and whatever jeans, t-shirt, hoodie they wanted! So no it was not a uniform! It was just what they were comfy in.

I have first hand observations about non uniform schools from European countries. And I am more keen on uniform but a more comfortable edition than classic shirt blazer and tie. I am afraid lack of uniform creates disparity between kids and severe judgement on what you wearing.

Not my experience from my DD's non-uniform school.

Not my experience from European schools either.

DT’s and their cousins across the Uk, Canada, Belgium and France all went to non uniform schools. No issues with what anyone was wearing - no one was interested.

Well my child would look rediculous!
She's almost 11 and wears age 6-7 clothes so if the skirt's alone are all the same length hers would be down to her ankles 😂.
Then she's got sensory issues so anything scratchy would be an absolute no no.

@50shadedofmagnolia my girl is tiny and when she started school she had pinafores and I joked she looked like a Victorian school girl because they were practically ankle length. 😂
They were the smallest you could get (age 3-4)

what sort of amazing country is that where there is no obsession with brand names at the age of 11+? Where is this paradise where kids are oblivious to brand names?

When you can wear what you want every day, no one is interested in your clothing. This obsession seems to be in UK schools when there is a dress down day?

I have worked in corporate world all my life. Yes, Americans, UK and Canadian's adults are not interested not much in what you wearing. I cannot say that about French, Italians or any Eastern European countries. Absolutely not.

Actually, there are people interested in clothing - the whole fashion industry drives it and would run out of business if it wasn't for that.
Have you ever heard children saying that something you ask them to wear is "cringe"? Well, they say it because especially girls are very much into what other kids think what they wearing.
And it is not only clothes. The competition is about IPhones, Samsungs vs cheaper brands, brand name shoes
I like school uniforms as I said- forgive me for having my opinion that is different. Can I?

The expense is a huge problem. Must be galling when supermarket brands are so cheap.

DT’s and their classmates weren’t interested - wasn’t a thing at their school - same as their cousins. It saved me a fortune as they wore the same clothes every day - school, weekends and holidays

The whole obsession with enforcing ever more strict uniform policy is pathetic. There is zero evidence that having a school uniform makes any difference whatsoever to academic achievement. Super strict policies alienate so many students. Not all useful people in society are drone-like conformists. The local examples in my area are just mediocre academies endlessly punishing students for minor uniform infringements whilst doing absolutely fuck all about horrendous bullying in their schools. They certainly do run tight shipwrecks! I'm far more concerned about pupil engagement and pupil progress. There is no benefit at all in giving a child a detention for having nail varnish on or not wearing their blazer but there certainly is detriment to a significant percentage of students for whom conforming to arbitrary, pointless rules is more challenging than for others.

I'm in Finland, the whole country is about a decade behind fashions elsewhere , its just not such a big deal, especially not in the small towns like where I live. Even my DD's friend, who is unusually fashion obsessed, never has a negative thing to say about anything anyone else is wearing. The kids express their own styles freely instead. Sure they know brands but there's not pressure to all wear the same.