Fortunately they didn’t start doing uniforms where I was until after I left school. The reasoning our school district used was that income disparity was a form of bullying and kids whose parents couldn’t afford designer clothes and shoes should not be constantly exposed to kids whose parents never had to worry about a paycheck as evidenced through their kids. Of course, they also didn’t like certain T-shirts (like those featuring bands like Metallica, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden).

It’s fine if the school provides the uniforms and offers a subsidy on their care and upkeep (or covers it entirely, like uniforms are traded for clean ones at the end of each week). Less so if the parents have to actually buy them. Because then the problem is being shifted, since the rich kids will have the same uniform but in higher quality. Income disparity can’t really be hidden and I don’t really think that was the actual goal (though some PTA mom probably brought it up, making it a convenient excuse).