Psychologists insist that school uniform switches schoolchild’s attention from the appearance to the process of knowledge gaining, helps him or her focus on the studies as much as possible, and heightens the effectiveness of schooling. It creates a certain psychological background that helps to organize oneself for efficient work. Antonina Holovko, project manager of NAMES’UA – Ukraine’s largest store of clothes from Ukrainian designers, located in Prospekt shopping mall, told us how to choose the right outfit for school. By the way, school fair at Prospekt mall operates a School Fashion Market, where the well-known Ukrainian designers present their collections for schoolchildren.

Which uniform designs, do you think, are of highest demand today, or, perhaps, might be?
As for girls, it is, of course, pinafores and knitted jackets, and in winter – warm trousers and raglan jumpers. Traditional comfortable outfit for boys includes trousers, jacket, waistcoat and knitted raglans.

How much is school uniform favoured by Ukrainian designers?
It is quite a seasonal reason for devising a new collection. For instance, designer Olesya Telizhenko has created several collections for schoolchildren bearing her own Cool School by Olesya Telizhenko trademark. Our School Fashion Market will feature her fashions.

How do you think, is it necessary to have two uniform suits – one for summer and one for winter – or one can do with one universal?
It seems to me, a child’s wardrobe must contain a set of clothes that are to be combined easily, considering the temperature as well. A single pair of dress and jacket is obviously not enough, especially for a girl, who wants to look smart every day. For boys, two pairs of trousers are indispensable: one made from suit polyviscose (45-65% viscose and 55-35% polyester) for spring and summer, and one made from thick cotton or with cotton lining for autumn and winter.

Now, a question relating colours. For already decades, 90% of school uniform is black, blue and brown. Is it a rewarding trend, or is it worthwhile making changes at last?
This year, we’ve seen the coming of a great many of green models. To my mind, the scanter the choice range, the better, both for parents and producers. Navy blue and grey-black colour range is enough for a designer to devise new original outfits. The more so that dark colours have their advantages in everyday use. To impart individuality to a schoochild’s look, one should consider knitted garments or originally decorated shirts. As for girls, ornamented tights and leggings are just the right thing. The main idea is still that the look must be well-balanced and conforming to the current children fashion trends.
 
And what about the quality of schoolwear?
The uniform is to be made of high-quality fabric, one easy to wash and iron, crease-resistant and of fast colour. High quality will guarantee your child’s comfort and easiness.

Is it possible to check by touch the quality of the fabric used for uniform?
Yes, it is. It is actually quite easy to detect the nature of the material. By the way, there must be a certain amount of polyester fibres in the fabric, they add to wear resistance and elasticity of the cloth, and it becomes less crease-prone. A fine composition is a combination of viscose and polyester fibres, and sometimes, they add wool to a more expensive fabric. Cotton is durable, but loses dark colours rather quickly when washed often.
And still, who is the leader of Ukrainian school uniform market – domestic producer or foreign one?
50% to 50%. National producers offer worthy wares, and I, for my part, try to persuade everybody to support Ukrainian producers. It is essential in all branches. GDP raising is the task of every nation-conscious citizen. When GDP rises, it means all of us start living better.

Is the high price indicative of high quality? Is there any regularity?  
Indeed, with domestic producers, the price reflects the quality, the better materials are used in the production, the higher is the final cost. With imported clothes, pricing depends on the reseller, and again, on the retailer’s markup. Very often costly and cheap goods are of equal quality, it is the matter of design and brand awareness.
Besides, when choosing school uniform, don’t forget about the Consumer Protection Law, which provides that the purchaser may bring back the clothes during a certain period because of its low quality. School uniform plays an important role in a child’s life, that is why one must take most seriously the task of choosing the right outfit. The main thing in school uniform is health and comfort of your children.