High School Graduation Gown Colors

[Sen's Revenge]

For as long as I can remember, DC Public School grads always have the boys and girls graduate in different color gowns. Maybe some schools did one color, but at most schools, the boys would wear one school color and the girls would wear either the other school color or white.

Where did this come from? I think it's dumb. And especially in an age where there are more transgender and genderqueer students, wouldn't it just be simpler to have everybody in one color?

And why do public schools insist on graduating in gowns, anyway? They seem dumb expensive to me. Most of the private school people I know had the girls in white dresses or something and the boys in suits. That seems perfectly acceptable to me for a high school graduation.

Not that I think caps and gowns should only be for college students (I kinda do think this) but my reasoning is more because dumb expenses are dumb and uniformity can be achieved in other ways.