The stumbling economy and accompanying layoffs led most retailers to report sober, if not awful, back-to-school sales. And many forecasters expect holiday sales to be tepid at best. But the news is not universally bad. One area of retail that has continued to perform well despite the economy is school uniforms. The strength in this area is driven by the need to buy quality but inexpensive clothing and the increase in schools adopting dress codes.
Before the 1990s, school uniforms were reserved almost exclusively for private school students. For boys, that meant stodgy and expensive blazers. For girls, long, pleated plaid skirts that were usually raised immediately after school ended. Kids resented them and parents held their noses and paid hundreds of dollars to insure compliance with the schools.
Quite a lot has changed since then. Today, more than one in five public schools nationwide - about 22 percent - have a formal dress code or school uniform program. Schools say school uniforms help students realize they are there to do work and not to compare labels. It reduces bullying and teasing and generally creates a more cohesive atmosphere, they say.
Parents like them because it makes it easier for kids to get dressed in the morning and the uniforms are much less expensive than traditional back-to-school clothes. In fact, a full school uniform wardrobe costs about 0, about the costs of a single pair of designer jeans, and a lot less than a full wardrobe from a department or specialty store.
Today's kids are unfazed by wearing uniforms, in large part because they bear no resemblance to the stiff and uncomfortable school uniforms from a generation ago. Today's school uniforms are cotton-blend and feature neutral colors like tan, black, white and blue. In some cases, the uniforms might feature the school logo and other types of embroidery. Kids can also dress them up with various accessories, like scarves, necklaces, etc.
The range of sizes available is another big plus for kids and parents. At FrenchToast.com and most retailers that carry school uniforms, you can find an array of sizes - from slim to husky and beyond. The most popular items are polo shirts for boys and scooters for girls.
