Wow. How long has it been since I have last written on our blog? Darn those examinations... Keeping me cooped up at home while it's nice and sunny outside... Anyways, here I am again. Haha. ε-(´・｀) Welcome, fellow readers to our wonderful blog.（⌒▽⌒ゞ I advise you to read all of our blog's posts before you leave the blog site or else....... Fufufu... You really do not want to know. (¬‿¬) Anyways, I was randomly walking down the streets of Dream Land when I spotted a young teenager dressed in a Japanese school uniform. (°◇°;) Shocking. I mean, to walk out wearing such an eye-grabbing outfit in my city is a really brave (or stupid for all you loathsome people out there) move. I sincerely applaud her. Well, besides that, I spent like ten minutes ogling at her and scrutinizing every detail of the uniform, from its ribbon to its pleated skirt. (●♡∀♡) Which almost cost the ride home via public bus. Damn my overly marvelous concentration. (｀ε´) This shows you exactly how studious I am. Back to the topic, I am now going to introduce you to the wonderful world of Japanese School Uniforms. (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ Meanies who find that cosplaying as a Japanese School Girl is sick and gross or any other nonsense about the demoralization it does to females, please zip it or leave. ヽ(●-`Д´-)ノ Immediately. (╯°Д°）╯︵/(.□ . \) ... You are still here? Oh, riiiiight. (- . -)" First, is the extremely important introduction to Japanese School Uniforms. Taken from http://www.miccostumes.com/blog: ~~ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ ~~Japanese school uniforms do not only stand for the image of a school and the aesthetic standard for the society, but are also symbols of the popular culture of a country. It’s nothing strange to hear words like “She chose that school because the school uniforms there look more beautiful”. Even though lots of high school girls put on normal clothes after school, the majority of them still love to wear school uniforms for their group activities, such as going to shopping malls, KTV or game centers, etc. For the Japanese, their own social identity and cohesiveness are much stronger than any other nation. Thus, they take their school uniforms rather seriously. To better express the personality, they draw more attention on the fabric, craftsmanship and design on their school uniforms. Even though the conservative campus atmosphere requires school uniforms not to be overly fashionable, these clothes still tend to be more on-limits in recent years. Boys’ tsume-eri uniforms have their roots in European officers’ designs, whose theme is still detected in contemporary school uniforms for boys. Dark blue is the main color, which emphasizes on masculinity and handsomeness. Meanwhile school uniforms for girls are deeply affected by sailor suits, often impressing us with their cuteness, grace and vitality. When it comes to sailor uniforms, skirts with different lengths are paired with loose socks, silk stockings, etc, that accentuate the sense of fashion and girls’ glamour. On the contrary, loose slacks do not flatter the silhouettes on girls’ legs. Nor can they accentuate girls’ feminine properties. Compared with an imperial sportswear, a Japanese school uniform is much more expensive, often costing from 8 to 20 thousand yen (around $100-300 us dollors). New students bring huge economic benefits to clothing manufacturers each year. What perplexes lots of people is why Japanese school girls so deeply love to wear dresses. For this question, two mainstream answers are given. First, being afraid of coldness is considered to be an expression of cowardice. Thus, it’s nothing strange to wear dresses in chilly days. Second, excellent heating system has been built in Japan. Plus, due to the wide popularity of wearing thermal high silk stockings, Japanese girls don’t have to worry about the coldness~~ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ ~~ Yeah, so that is about it but if you want to know more about Japanese School Uniforms, you can visit the website which has like Part 1-4 on Japanese School Uniforms. Σ(゜ロ゜;) Great for serious otakus~ I am too lazy (oh, the irony(｀∀´) ) so I shall now show you the kawaii uniforms, including some taken from various animes! (⌒▽⌒)☆ Note: Real-life Japanese school uniforms may sometimes not look as cute as the examples that I provide... Kaichou wa Maid- Sama Even though I am a big fan of Kaichou wa Maid-Sama, I have to say... Their uniform color totally looks weird. Come on, a green + yellow combination? Reminds me of a mustard and lime sandwich. Scary.... Looks like someone had better get their eyes checked... (I am not criticizing the mangaka though...) Gakuen Alice Yup, this uniform definitely suits young and cheerful elementary students~ The black long-sleeved t-shirt under the starched white collar is sleek and neat while the pleated skirt is short and adorable. 5 stars for this uniform! Ouran High School Host Club I kinda like Haruhi's Middle School Uniform.... It's really cute and unique, standing out from the stereotypical version of Japanese school uniforms for girls~ Plus, 私は大好きのカラー褐色! Anyways, Ouran High School's girl uniform is kind of overwhelming for me because it gives off this wealthy, stately aura but I guess that is what it is supposed to be, right? However, why does the guys' uniforms look so boring? It looks like a public school's one and not a rich school's one... Vampire Knight I have to admit... Almost nobody looks better in uniforms than the characters in Vampire Knight? Do you want to know why? Well, firstly, the guys' uniforms are not just plain in design and make you want to yawn at it. Definitely not, because their uniform screams someone-took-effort-to-make-these-uniforms-look-like-designer-clothes! The intricate designs on the shirt/blouse and the way the characters wear them is as though they are models. [Heart this] Fruit Basket Well, if you want to know what the typical Japanese School Uniform looks like, here you have it then! The design is quite simple and no-frills. The uniforms in animes are not the main attraction anyway. (It's the delicious looking characters~) Shugo Chara Firstly, I did not even know that Ikuto was wearing his school uniform during like the first ten episodes.... I though that it was like his outfit or something. Yeah, you're right- I got a shock when I realized that he wears his school uniform almost 24-7. Incredible. While for Amu's uniform, I found it quite cool~ My sister adored it and we liked saying, "Cool and spicy!" when we saw Amu. *Laughs out loud!* However, please don't take it to offense when I say that Tadase's uniform looks like a dork's. I mean, Nadeshiko wore it with style and grace while Yaya looked like an adorable sweetheart in it and Kukai was a tough dude in it! On Tadase?? It waaasss.... Awkward. Enough said. Bleach Umm... Well, this uniform is a classic? A blazer, cute bow and short pleated skirt gives you the traditional Japanese School Uniform. Oh, and don't forget the knee-high stockings! Shakugan no Shana What is unique about this uniform is that, the skirt is marvelous! It was the first thing I noticed and this uniform somehow gives off this military-like yet sophisticated feeling. I ♡ the skirt with its polished buttons and the color palate of this uniform is seriously pleasing to the eye. Inuyasha Annnnnd, drum roll please! This lovely, young lady here shows you just how short a girl's skirt can be (like super, super, super short). The white blouse matching with the green skirt is refreshing and reminds one of nature. For example, the trees, leaves or grass on this earth. Har har, I am becoming like some environmental lecturer... Code Geass Hm.... What can I say? The characters (actually, I'm only referring to the boys) look absolutely dashing in their school uniforms. The uniform seems much more classy and sophisticated than Ouran High School Host Club's ones (I apologise to all OHSHC fans... Oops, I am a fan too. Hmm... How about OHSHC's uniform fans? Yeah, that works.). Plus, did I mention that Lelouch looks seriously seductive in his uniform? I mean, his raven black hair and alluring eyes makes him the perfect vampire. Bite me! Cardcaptor Sakura Ooooh, this is the favorite Sailor Uniform that everyone loves! Even a stranger on the street would know what a sailor uniform looks like if you asked them. Lucky Star La Corda d'Oro: Primo Passo Yup, so that's that! I hope that you have appreciated the painstaking efforts I took to find these lovely pictures and have memorized them in your heart. You never know when some random otaku will test you to find out your dedication to all things Japanese~ (｀・ω・´)” L-O-V-E them, whether they look silly to you or not because Japanese school uniforms are here to stay in Mangas and Animes! (*≧▽≦) o Great, now that I'm finish with teaching you readers on the importance of Japanese School Uniforms, I shall take my leave to watch Letters to Juliet (even though it is not an anime). xP Signing off, Kaitalyn ψ(｀∇´)ψ