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As someone who came into grad school straight out of college...I can say that for me, going straight in was a good idea. I remain on my parents' insurance as long as I remain a full-time student, and it's infinitely better than the student health insurance my school offers. Plus, I've known I wanted to be in architecture for about ten years now, and I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. I knew that I could get a job in my field based on where I went to undergrad, so employability wasn't the issue, nor was making a lot of money (undergrad and grad-level intern architects make about the same). Most of the people in my department did take time off, and many of them were able to do very interesting things that bring different perspectives to all of our work. Most of my friends who did take some time off are doing internships in their prospective fields, getting work experience without becoming overly dependent on their salaries.
On the other hand, there are some programs (like the MBA) that NEED the experience that comes with a few years' working. At one point, I was considering getting a Master's in International Urban Planning--but you know what? The best schools (and frankly, I don't care about the other ones) REQUIRE at least a year of experience, because so much of the curriculum is based on experience. This goes especially for business school--and I think it's a great idea that they recommend a few years working. Everyone I know who's gone to business school actually wishes that they had worked for a few MORE years instead of hopping straight in.
So, I guess it all depends on what you want to do and how badly you want to do it.
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