Not unpopular and you make good points. I think it's something that should be discussed and considered while revamping education in the country - although with control removed from a centralized federal (corrupt-destructive) DoE it's likely to vary state-by-state.

I didn't grow up with school uniforms, but this was when parents used to actually act like parents and wouldn't allow their kids to go to school in "inappropriate" garb. Also, back then clothing manufacturers didn't market to kids so there was no pressure to be clad in "popular", "fashionable" clothing. Kids don't need to focus on their superficial appearance nor their parents' financial status while at school; they should be focused on their education. I suppose it's going to be up to parents in individual states to determine the values they want to have instilled in their children.