On the 25th July the BBC News website reported on the ‘Plus Fit’ plus size school uniforms from Marks and Spencer [site: www.marksandspencer.com]. They reported this new line was launched the previous week and is an online trial. This story was also picked up by other sites and blogs such as Bounty, the parenting site, and Sky News who report the launch as being ‘quiet’. Sky news go on to report that ‘the move by M&S was widely debated on parenting forums, with several welcoming the Plus Fit range on the basis that overweight children had the same right to have well-fitting, comfortable uniforms as their lighter peers.’
However, on the 6th June Plus Size and Tall reported on the Plus Fit plus size school uniforms available at Marks and Spencer, several weeks before the reported launch. Furthermore, Plus Size and Tall reported on the previous years Marks and Spencer Plus Fit range for school children on the 19th August 2009. This shows that Marks 
and Spencer has been offering this ‘newly’ launched range of Plus Fit plus size school uniforms for at least a year. As Sky reports, the launch has been so ‘quiet’ no one has reaslised the range has existed for the past 12 months!
Campaigners say that Marks and Spencer are offering the Plus Fit school uniform as a commercial recognition of the obesity problem of school children.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “This is the actual commercial recognition of what we have known for some time – that obesity in pre-schoolers is building up. Now 27% of entrants to primary schools are overweight or obese.”
A spokesman for Marks and Spencer said: “It is a small online trial running in response to customer demand. Marks and Spencer is the leading schoolwear retailer and we want to make sure our schoolwear range is accessible for children of all shapes and sizes.”
When ever the Plus Fit range was launched, it is certainly a positive move that Marks and Spencer has introduced the uniform, showing that they are capable of listening to the needs of their customers. It would be nice if they increased the range to offer a greater choice.
However, on the other side of the coin, it is also my belief that the fact 1 in 5 children start school obese is also a problem that needs tackling.
What do you think of the Plus Fit range?
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