Old Collegian helps with PLC uniform

Old Collegian and Co-founder/Creative Director of acclaimed fashion house SIR the Label, Sophie Coote, will lead PLC Perth through the design process of reviewing the School uniform and introducing a pant option for all students.

Ms Coote said she was excited and honoured to have been asked to be a part of the process, which was set in train after a survey found more than two thirds of all of our stakeholders were interested, either moderately or extremely, in the introduction of pants to the uniform.

Circulated to thousands of Old Collegians, current parents, students and staff, the survey found Senior School students had the strongest desire to add pants to the uniform with more than 80 per cent indicating they thought it was a positive move.

Principal, Cate Begbie, said everyone loved PLC’s Blackwatch tartan and our uniform was a point of pride within our community. That was evident in the survey results which found that more than 80 per cent of all our stakeholders rated their satisfaction with the overall school uniform as ‘very high’.

However, she said there had been a need to consider the introduction of a pant option for some time as we kept in step with society’s expectations and a growing demand for choice for girls when it comes to school uniforms.

“The arguments in favour of a pant option are strong,” Ms Begbie said. “Women can wear pants to work and have been able to do so for decades. Rigid gender stereotypes have the potential to be damaging to young people – as a school this is the antithesis of what we strive to achieve. And increasingly governments are introducing anti-discrimination laws against schools which insist on girls wearing dresses or skirts. We have seen this emerging in the eastern States of Australia. In addition, research has found that girls are less likely to engage in physical activity when they wear dresses or skirts.

“It is my hope that the introduction of a pant option to the PLC uniform will instill an even greater pride in our School uniform than we already have.

“I believe the partnership with Ms Coote to guide us through this process will ensure our students will be proud to wear a PLC pant OR skirt and both will be revered by our whole community.”

Ms Coote left PLC in 2007, going on to study a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney. Whilst at university, she pursued the creative side of the fashion industry and worked in multiple facets of the industry; styling, retail, PR and design. She moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and pursued a career as a fashion stylist and personal shopper. On her return to Sydney in 2013, she commenced planning the launch of SIR with her business partner and best friend Nikki Campbell after identifying a gap in the market (and their wardrobes) for elevated feminine basics and feminine silhouettes.

Established in 2014, SIR has garnered acclaim for its simple and sustainable basics. Taking its name from an acronym meaning separates, intimates, and readyto-wear, the cult Australian label promotes socially conscious minimalism.

As part of the next stage of Uniform Review, a PLC Uniform Focus Group has been established to work together and with Ms Coote on the design and fabric of a PLC pant as well as consider other elements of the School uniform raised by the survey.

It is hoped samples of any proposed changes will be made available to the community early in the 2022 school year.

“I look forward to sharing with all member of our community our progress on this exciting journey, which will be a significant milestone in PLC’s strong and proud history,” Ms Begbie said.