School Uniforms

I haven't seen a school in Oz that does not require children to wear uniforms. School uniforms are invariably "Made in China" although not cheap, durable to washing, but not to wear-and-tear, and come mostly in intolerable color combinations. Blue and maroon, purple and yellow, green and blue. Yes, they spare parents from spending a lot of money on the latest kids fashion. They cut off the silly competition for "best dressed", because really, school is about learning, too, not just about impressing others in fashion, assets (iPod, DS, etc) and popularity. Yet, seeing cute children dressed like store clerks, nurses or clowns, hurts the eye and the soul... At least mine. There are stores specialized in school uniforms. When you enter one, a solid acrylic odor welcomes you with all clothing items from jackets to socks, with emblem or without, in correct school colors and appropriate sizes. It seems that everything you need for your school children is packed in this store, but don't get fooled by what you see. Every time I had to purchase a top or a pant, I was told that the popular sizes go fast. So, I ordered them in the store and then patiently waited until my order was sent to China, the product came back from China, and I could pick up the item from the store. Do you want to know how long it took? Never less than 4 weeks. But this was not the only episode when I discovered that stores do not stock merchandise here. More about this subject in the following days. Random picture below! (it's actually a random mix of Melbourne architecture)