Dress, Right, Dress

At three Baltimore public schools last week, there was something different in back-to-school wear: sameness. Most of the 1,600 students, ages 4 to 12, were sporting spiffy uniforms: for boys, navy blue slacks and dress shirts with ties, for girls navy blue jumpers and blouses. The $30 uniforms -- aimed at cooling peer appearance pressure -- are not mandatory, but officials expect almost 100% compliance. The idea, long common only in private and Roman Catholic parochial schools, may even catch on. This week a public school in Washington is following suit. Parents in the experimenting schools are behind the move. "All I have to do is buy two uniforms this year," reports a relieved Baltimore mother. "Last year I spent $200 on clothes."