Exactly! I remember a time not so long ago that you’d be sent home for not wearing black socks, or sent to uniform for a dry shave with a bic razor if you had stubble
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There has been a relaxing of uniform generally across all minimum wage employees due to regulation regarding pay. Uniform is to be given to (or paid for) by the company such that it doesn't force the employee to earn under the minimum wage.
This means if a company requires specific shoes, socks, trousers or other, they must be able to provide them. For a site like Alton which has many staff, who presumably change frequently, providing this uniform can be expensive.
Not to mention keeping stock of shoes, socks & trousers can be difficult, especially when they need to be in enough sizes for the staff and washed after every use.
There is a loop hole which says that if the uniform policy is lenient enough (requiring shoes and socks for example, rather than smart black shoes and black ankle socks) then it is not necessary to pay for or provide these items as the employee should have them anyway.
Therefore many companies have chosen to relax uniform policy to save from the bottom line. This can be seen mostly in restaurants, where plain clothes waiters (or waiters in jeans, trainers and a brand t-shirt) have become extremely common, especially amongst the low-paying casual dining industry.