Garry - if we were talking about the military, or any uniformed service where uniforms were issued, I would wholeheartedly agree with you.
However, that was not the case with the majority of the Hitler Youth. While senior leaders held paid staff positions and got their uniforms either issued or paid for, the majority of members in the Hitler Youth were between 10 and 18 years of age and their parents had to buy the uniforms for them, as well as whatever equipment they needed. That gets expensive quickly, especially with kids that outgrow what they're wearing about as fast as it's bought for them.
Stores actually sold 'regulation' fabrics and patterns for moms to make uniform items at home, and many former members report that they were missing parts of the uniform or that they had to wear clothing they already owned because their family could not afford to buy the regulation uniforms at the 'Brauner Laden'.
I don't know how common it is for the little boys in the Hitler Youth, but in the BDM, it was very common for girls to wear skirts or blouses they already owned, whatever shoes they owned, whatever socks they owned. Some never owned the Kletterjacke. Some had homemade skirts and always had to stand in the center of formation where they wouldn't be so obvious during big events. A lot never owned anything like the bread bag, or a backpack for hikes.
I think out of the former BDM members I am talking to, about half never had the 'issue' uniform, let alone a complete one with all the insignia and everything.
I don't want to compare it to today, but I was thinking yesterday that it does compare a bit to Civil Air Patrol in the US. (I am a member of CAP, so the comparison makes sense.) Our cadets are ages 12 through 18, our Seniors (adults) are 18 and up.
We issue uniforms to cadets IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE in their sizes, but a lot of the time, they get a partial issue and need to go buy what they're not issued - socks, boots, insignia, replacement buttons if they're missing from their uniforms, etc. All their gear for encampment, they have to buy.
So you have the regulations and you've got Squadrons where everyone has a full set of everything and then you've got Squadrons where half the cadets are wearing sneakers because they don't have boots in their size (or they can't get them that small).
Just a thought.
With items such as socks, I think the Hitler Youth mostly prescribed what color they ought to be, and boys wore what they had available. I don't think there is such a thing as a 'regulation' sock with an RZM tag in it, even - more of a guideline to wear gray knee socks so everyone would be uniform but would be able to wear what they already have.