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As one can imagine, school-girl uniforms certainly didn’t start out sexy. At the point that schooling itself became standard in America (it wasn’t until 1918 that every US state even required students to complete elementary school), girls wore uniforms, but the requirements were loose and the designs not as kicky as we know them today.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that the school uniform started looking like we know it now, with Peter Pan collars, tartan skirts, and pleats. And around the same time, Playboy was born. The rest is an uncomfortable history.
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