Ranked: SA’s public school uniforms prices revealed and which charge more for larger sizes

It costs hundreds to kit out a South Australian public school student and some schools don’t even sell plus-size items off the rack.

Not all South Australian public school students can buy their school uniforms off the rack with students who do not fit standard sizes forced to wait on special orders.

Seaview High School parents must order in sizes 6, 22 and 24 while some plus sized items are “sold out” at Modbury High School’s uniform store.

When asked about the wait times for these everyday clothing items, neither school responded.

Adelaide plus size content creator Dana Willison, who uses her social platform to promote body positivity, was outraged all students did not have equal access to the essentials.

The 35-year-old spent almost a decade working in education and said inconsistent sizing was also an issue, warning uniforms items often ran smaller compared to retail.

Dana Willison. Picture: Will and Co Photography

“(Schools) really do need one in every size and it should be in stock,” Ms Willison said.

“What I have seen when I worked in a school is that the size 22 was not like a 22 you would get somewhere else.”

The inconsistency was discovered in an Advertiser investigation into public school uniform costs across the state.

Adelaide High’s uniforms were the most expensive.

Girls pay $1074 for the full kit while boys are charged $829.75, followed by Adelaide Botanic High School, then Marryatville High School.

A previous investigation revealed an up to $108 gap between standard and plus size private school uniforms.

According to publicly available price lists, while the differences are not as severe, some state schools also charge more for larger clothing items

At Adelaide High School jumper sizes 10-16 cost $97; sizes 24-26 are $14 more, at $111.

Summer dresses at the school are $90 for sizes 8-10, and up to $98 for sizes 20-24.

Birdwood High School has an $8 difference in its rugby tops, sizes 10-22 are $80 and sizes 24-26, $88.

Marryatville High School has price differences for larger sizes in summer dresses, skirts, trousers, shorts and shirts.

Ms Willison called out the ‘fat tax’ pricing tactics and the mental health risks it presents during young people’s formative years.

“The harm that they’re doing to those people, whether the children know about it or not it’s still doing harm … it’s basically fatphobic,” she said.

“If (schools) want students to be wearing their uniforms, they need to be uniform about their pricing. They need to be fair and inclusive.

“If they need more fabric for one thing then they need to equally account all those prices.

“They just need to charge the same.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said each school decided on its uniform style and suppliers – all vetted by the department – and parents and students could raise any concerns with their school’s leadership.

“When a school comes through the department’s procurement unit for school uniforms, an evaluation team consisting of school and governing council representatives is responsible for assessing the quality of uniforms and the suitability of suppliers,” the spokesperson said.

“Price alone is not a stand-alone determining factor.”

All schools with price differences in their plus sizing and three suppliers of SA public school uniforms – Brandmode, Devon Clothing and Campus School Wear – were contacted for comment.