Japanese School Girl Costumes

Japanese dressing and outfits have always caught the eyes of the masses. They are flamboyant and add to the spark with its vibrancy in the choice of colors. The Japanese fashion has evolved from its traditional beliefs. For most of the masses Japanese outfits are synonymous to kimonos and of course the breathtaking and refreshing school uniforms. There are many trends and styles that have given a well defined look and distinction to the Japanese way of dressing.

The schools all over the world have a well defined and strict way of dressing. The Japanese schools too have a particular dress code and ethics to be followed in schools. The traditional way of dressing was very different from what is being practiced in schools nowadays. The school boys wore gakuranin which was inspired from military style uniform. The school girl’s uniform was a sailor outfit commonly known as sailor faku. The middle school as well as high school girl students adorned sailor dress serafaku which was again inspired from military outfits. The naval military styled uniforms for girls are still prevalent. Now if we go back to have peep into what introduced this kind of dressing then we would be a bit amazed. Well they were inspired from the military pattern of dressing in the Meiji era.

In the 19^th century, with the modernization sweeping and taking everything in its embrace, the Japanese way of dressing in schools also changed. The Japanese school uniforms have westernized and it has become universal to spot girls in uniforms-be it public schools or private schools or women colleges.

Nowadays, the boys and girls are required to wear bright colored caps as a part of the school uniform. This helps them to be spotted in traffic and thus preventing any road mishaps from occurring. The elementary schools in Japan have a universal style of dressing and the uniforms have a worldwide acceptance. The boys wear shirts, shorts and the caps of course whereas the girls are dressed in pleated grey skirts and white blouse. Also, neckties, blazer with school crests also form a part of the uniform.

The school girls of today still wear the uniform inspired from sailor dresses. Still SeraFaku i.e. sailor uniforms are worn as uniform. Elizabeth Lee, principal of Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University, introduced the sailor fuku as Japanese school uniform in 1921. The idea was taken from the uniform sported by the British Royal Navy. The Sailor dress includes a blouse which has a collar, again inspired from the sailor style collar, along with a pleated skirt. It is common to spot a ribbon in these uniforms, which is tied around in front and is looped with the blouse itself. You may find ribbons in various ways. It could be in the form of neckties or bows. Well! The colors are commonly dark and formal like black, navy blue or grey or could be white as well. It could be accessories with belts, caps, badges. The socks are both navy blue and white colored and the shoes are brown or black colored.

The Japanese School girl uniform, especially sailor uniform, is not only common and popular among the Japanese culture but it has also caught the attention of the youth inclined to fashion. It has become a part of Halloween costumes too.