Parents' complaints about the quality of school uniforms are heard from year to year. Someone claims that the fabric is too stiff and quickly loses its appearance, while others claim that the models are boring and uncomfortable. But there are also those who are sure that there is nothing to complain about, the form is quite good.
The correspondent of Asia–Plus went to check with an expert to find out where the truth is and where there are unjustified emotions.
Who checked the school uniform
For the examination, we invited Sharifa Makhsumova, a textile industry technologist by education. The girl studied in Moscow in the direction of "fabric development in production", now she does not work in her specialty, but she is actively engaged in sewing European clothes and continues to work with fabrics in practice.
"Even if I'm not in the factory, my hands and eyes are still professional," Sharifa smiles. "When you pick something up, you immediately feel what's wrong with it."
We met at the Tajiktextil enterprise, one of the most popular places where parents go before September 1. There are a lot of customers inside: mothers with tape measures are taking measurements from children, schoolchildren are trying on jackets.
The first thing that catches your eye is the almost complete monotony: dark blue and black shades, a similar cut, and a minimum of decorative elements.
Men's uniform: the "Luka" model
Our inspection began with the "Luka" male model. The price is 279 somoni for: jacket, vest and trousers.
The first thing Sharifa did was squeeze the cloth in her hand.
"The material is unpleasant to the touch," she stated. "There are a lot of synthetics, the fabric crumples quickly and does not recover."
According to her, high-quality fabric should be smoothed quickly after compression. Here, the creases remain for a long time.
The second problem is the "non–breathing" material. In it, the child will quickly overheat, especially in the hot September or spring months. Frequent washing with such a fabric is undesirable: it can sit down and will not iron well.
What is written and what feels like
The label is 70% wool and 30% viscose. But the expert is sure that there are fewer natural fibers than indicated.
"The optimal ratio for school uniforms is 50/50 or 70/30 in favor of natural fabrics," explains Sharifa. "Natural fibers provide comfort, synthetic fibers provide durability"
At the same time, things are better with sewing: the lines are smooth, the fit is neat, there are no serious distortions. But on the jacket, creases are visible in the area of the sleeves – a sign that the fabric does not hold its shape well.
The inside of the trousers is neatly made, but the quality of the material still lowers the overall rating.
Male form: the "Dandy" model
Then the "Dandy" model fell into the hands of the expert. The fabric here is denser and tougher, but the cut is good enough. The only negative is the imperfect fit in the shoulder area.
"Usually, the bottom edge of the trousers should be bent and treated with a ribbon," Sharifa comments.
The price is the same 279 somoni.
Women's uniform: more styles, but the same problems
There were more styles in the women's uniform department: skirts with vests, sundresses, models with contrasting collars. The cost starts from 146 somoni.
There are almost no differences from the male form in terms of material. The fabric is softer in some places, denser in others, but the general problem is the same – non–breathable, tough, unpleasant to the touch fabric.
Interestingly, the same batch of products may differ in the accuracy of sewing, Sharifa notes.
"On one model, everything is really good, on the other, everything doesn't look so neat," she says.
Curiously, the labels of all models show the same composition, although the fabrics clearly differ in density and properties to the touch.
When practice speaks more than theory
We noticed a uniform on the hanger that we had obviously already tried on. The stitches on it started to come apart. This is a good example of how fabric and tailoring behave during operation.
The sundresses are generally neatly sewn, but the standard pattern does not take into account the different figures of teenagers. In addition, the material is highly wrinkled and prone to the formation of pellets.
Grey kits are a pleasant exception
Among the entire range, sets in gray shades stand out. The material behaves better here: it creases less and holds its shape.
The sets are equally neatly sewn for both boys and girls. The set includes a jacket, vest and trousers, or a skirt. Prices range from 236 to 293 somoni, depending on the size.
The expert's verdict
The main problem at this particular enterprise is not in tailoring, but in fabric, Sharifa summed up.
"I would improve the composition of the material. There are no serious defects at the seams, only minor flaws. But the fabric doesn't breathe, it creases easily, and some things start to come apart at the seams after a few socks. All the main disadvantages are related to the development and technology of the fabric, not to tailoring," the specialist notes.
Bottom line: if you search, you can find kits with acceptable quality, but in general, the problem of choosing school uniforms in Tajikistan rests on the quality of fabrics.
