Figure 1.--Here we see what looks like a 3rd or 4th grade class. Unfortunatleu there is no identifying class portrait board. We believe it was prbavly taken in the 1880s. We idea where the school wa located. We might guess California.

Many Americans traditionally thought that uniforms were elitist and discouraging individuality. They were only worn at private schools, although most parochial schools had basic unifors by bthe 80s. These ideas began to change in the 1980s as some elementary schools began experimenting with voluntary uniforms. The moverment began promarily in the inner cities where school discipline was becoingan increasing problem. This engendered a public debate over the idea of school uniforms. Many began to see a school uniform as a way of improving school discipline. Some objected on principle seeing uniforms as stifling creativity and an attempt to militarize the school. Some charged that this was the beginning of NAZI totalitarianism, not realizing that the NAZIs never introduced school uniforms, although there were uniforms for just avout everyone else. Others while having no philopsphical objection to school uniforms argue that given the reasons for these problems and diversness of cultural attitudes, the supposed positive results alleged to be effectuated by uniforms may prove to be mostly naive idealism. Most schools did have dress codes which after considerable lackness in the 1970s, they began enforcing more rigorosly although allowing considerable diversity. Many schools allowed shorts for both boys and girls as an option. In the early-80s, boys also like to wear OP shirts and OP long cords and canvas style pants. The all had the destinctive OP emblem embroidered in. Flaired pants were popular with boys in the late 1970s and early 80s. Starting in the late 70's, California boys would routinely wear shorts to school, especially elementary boys. They especially liked OP and short soccer shorts with long tube socks. It then became normal to wear shorts to school and tha

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Created: 12:50 AM 8/25/2025
Last updated: 12:50 AM 8/25/2025