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

@TizerorFizz ok I googled....
I HAVE indeed heard of Louis Vuitton.
I have never heard of the full name or abbreviation.
Wow....I learned something new today. How exciting.
I seriously doubt that most average kids in average little towns like....(random off the top of my head small towns) Daventry or whatever the French equivalent is will be wearing much in the way of Louis Vuitton 😂

The only issue is the belief that uniforms are necessary.

Yes, it should not just restrict logos but things like the checked blouses at my DD's school that have to be bought from the school uniform supplier.

I went to a high school in an EE country that technically had a uniform. I say technically, as they were really lax about it despite being an incredibly high performing and academic school(think pupils getting scholarships to unis in the UK or the US from there). The cohort varied from quite deprived to kids of lawyers ,doctors etc.

Some kids wore full uniform(ironically, it was actually cheaper) , the vast majority, their own thing, which mostly consisted of trainers, jeans and a top vaguely in the correct colour (white ,blue or sometimes black). Only a handful of girls wore skirts.No one gave a shit what everyone else wore. Some kids had watches that cost as much as my whole outfit, but it was never a thing despite the various groups. No rules about hair,makeup or jewellery either. Somehow we all managed to learn,get good results, go to uni etc.

You are talking of your singular experience. Many others on this thread have a very different experience, that ought to tell you something.
I have a teenager daughter in a non-uniform school right now - the girls are not endlessly babbling on about what people are wearing! Not even the fashion obsessed girl my DD is good friends with, you want to know what they talk about? Amusement parks, politics, how they would obviously run the country better than anyone else, horses, volleyball, things like that. You might have a poor opinion of teens, and think they're like Mean Girls in real life but I do not.

School uniform is a painful ordeal for my daughter who has sensory issues. She wouldn’t mind wearing a uniform but would welcome a more practical alternative to the overly strict one she is forced to wear now. There are days she can’t wear it so can’t go to school.

@PaintedPottery yep - my daughter suffered similar issues.
People just don't understand it. It really did cause physical discomfort and that's all she could focus on instead of getting an education 🙁
Thankfully she's at a non uniform sen school now.

No it is not an exception. Go to Italy
All ages...

@Natsku
Many others on this thread have a very different experience, that ought to tell you something

That I should not have my own opinion and follow the sheep? 😁 I give you good advise. Always think for yourself. Always. Diversity matters.

Amusement parks, politics, how they would obviously run the country better than anyone else, horses, volleyball, things like that. You might have a poor opinion of teens, and think they're like Mean Girls in real life but I do not.

You are talking about older teens. At the age of 13-14 they are most vulnerable and they want to be like their peers.
Look, even you advise to follow the flock...

"Nearly two-thirds of teenagers almost always buy their favourite brands when making purchase decisions, with Nike, Sony and Apple ranking among the most popular properties around the world, a survey by Habbo, a "virtual world" aimed at young consumers, reports.

Based on a poll of 112,000 teenagers in 30 countries, The Global Habbo Youth Survey found that 52% of respondents typically opted to buy the "most popular" brands, while 45% defined themselves as being "loyal" to certain products.

Overall, 60% also agreed with the statement that they "don't dislike brands", while a further 53% said they tended to buy "well-known" brands, compared with 25% favouring "less well-known" alternatives."

https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/teens-prefer-buying-brands/en-gb/25231

Teenagers don't care about brands? 😂

@Smoothie23 come on really.....in small town Italy where most people work in a factory or on the land or whatever and the nearest store is probably just a giant Carrefour.... every single teen is obsessed with designer labels and that's all they wear.
Really? I doubt it.

@Smoothie23 and teens can like all the brands they want but if their family doesn't have the money to buy them.....well they won't get them.

You deliberately missed this part out.

Among teenage girls, H&MM*, Zara and Roxy were the most popular apparel brands, with Nike, Adidas and Lacoste receiving this title among boys.

I mean H&M .. really?

Nike was also the top-ranked sportswear property among both of these groups, followed by Adidas and Puma in both cases.

It also topped the sporting footwear category among boys, with Converse in second, with these positions being reversed among girls.

Nivea, L'Oréal, Avon, Dove and Garnier were the personal hygiene brands most favoured among female contributors, with Axe/Lynx, Nivea and Gatsby among the preferred option with males.

There's brands and there's brands.

An Avon perfume does not equal Channel no 5, but they're both brands that will be a brand preference for a teen.

Nike etc can be bought cheaply in Sports Direct.
Branded toiletries like Lynx etc can be in Poundland.
So they are branded products yes - but hardly the "designer" labels that Smoothie23 seems to think teens are obsessed with 😂

Do they not give her any reasonable adjustments?

All ages what? All ages go to non-uniform schools? I mean by definition schools are for young people.

She was talking about H&M and Poundland all along...well, yes, my DS did often wear an H&M hoodie to school! 😂

• No it is not an exception. Go to Italy All ages...*

All ages.... 30 and up? It is a thread about teens after all.

Not deliberatly, it only reconfirms what I said. This is actually the core point. H&M is also a brand, you know?

All...ages. Perhaps only small kids have zero awareness of brands.
Btw I have worked in marketing for the last 30 years. The notion that teens don't care for brands is simply funny.

But we are talking about uniforms and nlt affordability of brands. Where there are no uniforms starts the brand madness even if it is H&M - cool Primark- cringe. Doesn't need to be Versace vs H&M.

@Smoothie23 not to the extent you claim they do or the type of branding you made it sound like, but oh wait actually it's H&M.

The vast majority of UK kids from toddlers will have some H&M items. It's not exactly the height of fashion or branding. Come on...

But we are talking about uniforms and nlt affordability of brands. Where there are no uniforms starts the brand madness even if it is H&M - cool Primark- cringe. Doesn't need to be Versace vs H&M.

Absolute bullshit and not the point you were making.

Plus the same can happen with uniform too. Tesco vs M&S or H&M, store vs uniform shop Lidl vs Kickers and so on.

That's the whole point of the thread! Items need to be a certain brand, not just any supermarket shop.