EXPERT REVEALS TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON SCHOOL UNIFORMS

IT HAS happened to thousands of school kids all across the country year in and year out and, according to the owner of a local uniform manufacturer, it is something that will continue to happen for many years to come.

Yes, the concept of buying a school uniform a size larger than what is actually needed at time of purchase may not be one that is universally loved by students, but Stephen Long, owner of The Australian Apparel Manufacturing, said it is a necessary one.

“Buy a size up — you’ll get the most wear out of it,” Long said of his best tip to new uniform buyers.

Buying just one size larger will allow for predicted growth across the school year, but not have the child swimming or dragging limbs across the floor.

Mr Long’s Australian Apparel Manufacturing is a homegrown uniform shop specialising in helping families get ready for the school year without burning a hole in the wallet.

“We’re Australian made, Geelong owned and we’ve been going for 24 years,” Mr Long said.

Mr Long’s roots in the industry stem back to the ’60s and ’70s when his father worked for CBK (now Christopher & Banks) who were originally clothing suppliers for the Target Brand in Australia.

As of today, Mr Long has grown the North Geelong franchise to more than five sites across the Geelong area, recently extending to cover schools along the Surf Coast.

“We try to keep it affordable,” Mr Long said. “My goal is to keep the manufacturing here in Geelong as it provides jobs.”

If supporting an entirely Australian operation is important to you, all of the clothing you could purchase from Australian Apparel Manufacturing is made right here — even the fabric is made in Geelong with the fabric dyeing taking place from HMA fabrics in Preston, Melbourne.

The franchise makes uniforms for both primary and secondary levels of education, boasting a large library of fabrics. They also offer school dress and kilt fittings to be made in-house.

As for their current bestseller, Mr Long said skorts (skirt and shorts hybrid) are the ‘in thing’ at the moment: “Girls like to run around and go on the monkey bars and flip upside down — they’re great.”

For parents wanting to save a bit of money, Mr Long advises that official school bags are not compulsory.

“We’re more than happy for people to go and buy a bag from Kmart or Target and, if they want to do this, we can put the school’s logo on it for them. We do this for all garments.

“We’re all about helping you save money.”

ESTELLE STATHOULIS Australian Apparel Manufacturing is located at 1/21 Armstrong St, North Geelong, or you can order via its website: australianapparel manufacturing.com/