KEY POINTS:
You're spending thousands of dollars to send your child to a private school - of course you want them to look their best.
No expense is spared when it comes to uniforms for fee-paying pupils, with suppliers saying specialised stitching and fancy crests are among reasons they cost almost twice as much as those for state schools.
Robyn Headifen spent $326 kitting out daughter Steph for her first year at state-run Rangitoto College on Auckland's North Shore.
The most expensive item was the blue school jumper at $96 and her sandals were cheapest at $40.
But she said it was probably cheaper for Steph to wear a uniform than her own clothes to school.
"Over time it is probably quite good value."
In contrast, Angela Wimsett-Findlay spent more than $600 kitting out daughter Gabriella for fee-paying Diocesan School in Epsom.
The uniform includes a $270 blazer and a $150 navy dress, but Wimsett-Findlay said the uniform is good quality and will last.
That's small change compared to St Kentigern College, where acting principal Suzanne Winthorp said a uniform would cost about $1100.
While the figure was high, Winthorp said the same amount could be spent "easily" on any teenage girl's wardrobe.
Uniform manufacturers said the extra cost of making private school uniforms was being passed on to consumers.
Janet Igrisan, who has been making clothes at The Uniform Shoppe for more than 30 years, said private school blazers often included extra detail, including specialised stitching in the school colours and the school crest.
Many private school uniforms also included a tunic or dress for girls instead of a skirt and shirt.
David Kranz, of the School Uniform Centre in Remuera, said another reason for the higher price was that smaller numbers of private school uniforms were made.
The skirt for State Remuera Intermediate costs $80. A tunic for girls at nearby Corran School in Remuera is $158, he said.
