I must admit that this is a typical conversation on a Monday morning in my house - maybe in your's too?
It’s a school day, we have had all weekend to do the washing, and yet somehow it is still hanging on the dryer! School uniforms can feel like a blessing and a curse. Everyone knows what to wear - no need to curate the most fashionable outfit every day - and it helps to keep the cost down. But for some, school uniforms can feel limiting, uncomfortable, and ultimately not very cool.
From ApparelXchange’s perspective, this is where we started. We wanted to find a way to make school uniforms available in a very cost-effective and sustainable way. And as you know, we now work with schools across Glasgow and families to provide preloved uniforms for low cost, or free via our referral process.
Last year we were on the working group for the School Uniform Guidance for schools and local authorities, which was produced by the Scottish Government. We used our voice in this working group to really push for reducing the costs and environmental impacts of school uniforms. We did this by advocating for the removal of branding from clothing, removing the need for blazers, suggesting schools choose colours that are readily available in shops, and encouraging reuse in schools. We also want all uniform to be designed better for the school day, designed with a looser fit so kids can go from the classroom to the playground, being active and comfortable. Initially, we weren't sure if and how schools might have taken on the information gathered by the Working Group, however once we did our recent uniform packages, we quickly realised.
In January, we prepared over 180 uniform packages for schools with families across Glasgow in need of free uniform. The schools offered a referral form for families to complete, so that they could specify what they needed and we packaged up the requests and sent them out in January 2025. The packs were a top-up of shirts or polos, jumpers and cardigans, trousers, skirts and pinafores, and people selected what they needed.
Despite our fantastic pipeline of donations, with this level of demand, we quickly ran out of certain colours and branded items. Fortunately, when we contacted the schools they advised us on clothes in generic colours like grey, black, white, or other alternatives, which were acceptable as the non-branded versions, as part of their school uniform. This just goes to show how schools are adapting and putting into practice sustainability, affordability and inclusivity - that they were putting the guidance into practice - and some of them had already simplified their uniforms to make them easier and cheaper for families to source.
We really want to celebrate these amazing schools, so here’s a quick name check and a round of applause for Castleton (Castlemilk), Garnetbank, Sandwood (Hillington) and Battlefield Primary schools.
What we all have to remember when buying clothes, whether it’s school uniform or high street fashion, is that the retailers and brands want us to go bonkers and buy loads of stuff that we just don’t need. So, this is a gentle reminder to only buy what you need when you need it - and of course, when they've grown out of those shirts or put holes in the knees of their school trousers, don’t forget to make secondhand your first choice.