Sustainably-made garments, consistency, and year-round service continue to buoy the schoolwear market, reports Matt Clark, sales and marketing director at One+All
Matt Clark
What are the current key schoolwear trends?
High-quality uniform garments that are priced sensibly remain the top requirements from schoolwear retailers, with sustainably-made schoolwear continuing to grow in popularity. Personalisation is increasingly popular, with many schools opting for a printed school badge, reducing the overall cost of school uniform compared to embroidered garments.
We’ve responded to this trend with our in-house direct-to-film printing service. Both our embroidery and printing services have grown, specifically for T-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts where schools have adopted a less formal uniform, and for school clubs and trips, too. But undoubtedly we’re seeing growing demand for ethically-made schoolwear and the use of recycled materials.
What are your customers asking for in 2025?
Sales of our Eco Blazers and Eco Jackets have increased, due to the polyester outer being made from recycled plastic bottles, backed up by a sustainability story that reassures retailers, parents and pupils that their uniform is ethically made.
What innovations can readers expect to see this year?
We’re seeing a continuing trend towards personalised low-cost schoolwear, which helps to reduce the overall cost of uniform. In response to customer demand, we introduced six styles of bags in late 2024, which have been well received by customers.
How do you see schoolwear product development progressing over the next few years?
Our key focus in schoolwear is on consistency of quality, sizing and shade over time.
School uniform garments last a long time and are often passed down, so it’s important that a school’s uniform remains consistent across the school and for all pupils.
What advice do you have for garment decorators who are competing against supermarkets when supplying schoolwear?
The supermarkets cannot provide the expertise or personal service that specialist suppliers give to schools.
One+All introduced six bags at the end of 2024
Supermarkets tend to offer core sizes and colours at back-to-school time, but specialist suppliers offer a complete range of garments all year round. This is a huge benefit for a school that wants to see its students in a good quality uniform that matches everyone else’s and lasts.
How has legislation regarding schoolwear affected the sector over the past few years, and how do you expect it to affect the sector going forward?
The Children’s Wellbeing Bill is on the horizon, which may result in a limit on the number of branded uniform items in schools. However, the Schoolwear Association is lobbying hard to minimise the impact of the Bill, which now looks unlikely to take effect before 2026. Irrespective of the outcome of the Bill, the quality of schoolwear will continue to be important, as will the trend for environmentally-friendly schoolwear.
What’s the single best piece of advice you can give to Images readers to help them sell more schoolwear?
I’d offer two pieces of advice! Offer sustainably-made products backed by great stock availability, a fast customisation service and, where possible, made from recycled materials. And secondly, join the Schoolwear Association so your voice is heard at the highest level.
