Get your old school ties here

FIONA MCGLYNN
EDUCATION REPORTER

This article appeared in the Scotsman online newspaper on 27 August 2005

IT once sold the finest quality suits and was known as the place to shop by Edinburgh's well-heeled set. Over the decades, Aitken & Niven gained a name for selling luxury goods and boasts a reputation as the best outlet to buy smart school uniforms. But the 100-year-old family firm has thrown tradition to the wind by launching a second-hand school uniform service.

The company has set up the UK's first online shop for buying and selling second-hand uniforms. The website is set to help the growing numbers of families who struggle to pay for increasingly expensive school clothes. Recent research by the Citizens Advice Bureau suggests it can cost up to £200 to buy a complete uniform for one child. The new service has been welcomed by teachers, parents and education bosses.

Aitken & Niven bosses are convinced that www.uniform2.com will be a success because there is a significant demand for cheap but high-quality uniforms. Individual parents pay a small fee to register on the site and can advertise clothes for sale such as blazers or sweatshirts. Web surfers then contact the sellers through the site if they want to buy the goods. They can also type in the name of the school to find any uniforms advertised.

Almost 50 people living as far apart as Orkney and Kent have registered on the site since it was launched at the start of this week. George Smuga, headteacher at The Royal High School in Barnton, said parents would welcome the chance to buy cheaper uniforms. "Almost every pupil at this school wears uniform and staff are now considering setting up an exchange shop where pupils can trade in their old clothes," he said. "Uniforms can be quite expensive and I am really delighted that parents have supported us over the years, but for some families, buying them can be a bit of a hardship. "Some youngsters lose their blazers, while others have growth spurts, so replacing them can be expensive. I think that parents will appreciate this idea."

A spokeswoman for the Edinburgh-based Parents in Partnership, said the website sounded "marvellous". She added: "This is a brilliant idea. I know that second-hand uniform facilities can be very hard to manage, so it would be good if it could be done from one place. "Even state school blazers can cost up to £80 and children can grow out of these clothes quickly. It is also good in terms of recycling clothes." Councillor Ewan Aitken, Edinburgh's education leader, added: "Anything which makes uniforms more accessible to a wider range of people is a great idea."

Richard Ferguson, director of Aitken & Niven, came up with the idea for the website. The company has already branched out into the web and was the first UK retailer to provide an online school uniform shop nine years ago. Mr Ferguson said: "We are aware that there is a second-hand market for uniforms, it is a way for people to get quality products at a cheaper price. "We are delighted to be first to offer this service in the UK, and have already received positive feedback from parents who are happy to be able to easily buy and sell quality uniforms without the same expense."