JCC E-Magazine December 2020

For many students in Singapore, holidays are a respite from the stuffiness of their school-regulated uniforms. They shed their regimented uniforms, often in muted colours like white and blue, after graduating, preferring to style themselves in outfits that freely express their own style. However, in Japan, it can actually be trendy to wear uniform-like outfits, even if you are not a student!

Outfits worn as part of this trend are known as nanchatte seifuku (なんちゃって制服, translated in English as “just-kidding uniforms”), or jiyu seifuku (自由制服, “free uniform” in English). They may look and feel like school uniforms, but are sold by fashion brands and are not actually official uniforms of any schools. Followers of this trend can choose to mix and match tops and skirts of various colours and patterns to create their ideal preppy combination. These outfits are often paired with outerwear like blazers, and fashionable accessories like oversized ribbons and bejewelled versions of school-bags to create a truly unique uniform-style look.

School uniforms in Japan have gone through many styles, but now, there are two main styles that can be seen worn by students. One is the traditional style of uniforms, which consist of a gakuran (学ラン) for boys, and a sailor fuku (セーラー服) for girls, both of which having been derived from naval-style uniforms from the Meiji era. The gakuran is traditionally all-black, and has a jacket with a standing collar and five gold buttons decorated with the school emblem. The girls’ sailor fuku consists of a sailor-style collared blouse and a pleated skirt. Variations of accessories like ribbons, neckties, and handkerchiefs are usually attached to the blouse. The other style of uniforms commonly seen in Japan is the Catholic style; these consist of white shirts and blazers for all students, which were paired with skirts for girls, and for boys, trousers.

Uniform-style outfits have been a perennial trend in fashion, ever since young Japanese students took to modifying their own uniforms. As far back as the 1970s and 1980s, uniforms were modified in unorthodox ways as a fashion statement. Trends varied in each school and region, but some popular trends that spread widely across the country included cropped jackets and wide-legged pants for boys, and ankle-length pleated skirts for girls. Regulations around how the school uniform could be modified were tightened in the 1990s, but students still found a way to subvert the rules and norms by shortening their skirts or wearing loose socks.

Lately, uniform-style outfits have been popularised as casual wear outside school hours. This trend has even extended to elementary students, who are not required to wear school uniforms. These modified school uniforms have also earned the approval of their parents; cute age-appropriate modifications like frill trims appealed to young elementary school-aged students, while still looking clean-cut enough to be worn at formal events like school entrance ceremonies. Young adults that have already graduated from formal schooling have also been in on the trend. Faux uniforms are often designed to be more stylish and cute, differentiating them from official uniforms which were originally thought of as “uncool.”

The popularity of this uniform-style trend can be attributed to a variety of factors. One is the influence of manga. A variety of manga set on idealised school campuses, featuring lovable characters in fashionable uniforms were a hit with readers. Characters in series like Sailor Moon and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya wore uniforms with unique motifs, and came in a wide range of colours and styles. In some of these series, characters wore their uniforms in a different way, or jazzed them up with fashionable accessories, expressing a sort of freedom and individuality that many fans sought to emulate.

Another factor is the booming popularity of Japanese idol group AKB48. AKB48 is an all-girl pop group made of young performers in their teens and early twenties. They often perform in blazers and plaid skirts - in cuts and patterns that are reminiscent of school uniforms - so much so that they have been referred to as a band of “uniform idols.” Their popularity has certainly helped to spread the trend of uniform-style outfits, with youths seeking to emulate the group’s signature style.

Nowadays, there are many clothing stores that cater to this trend. Shoppers can get everything they need in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku area, with a range of boutiques that offer blazers, skirts, shirts, ribbons, and more! Specialist fashion magazines dedicated to uniform-style outfits have also been on the rise. Rising trends, suggested coordinates, photo-editorials of fashionable outfits and new accessory designs -- the glossy pages of these magazines help those interested in uniform-style outfits stay on the pulse of trend.

In recent years, the trend seems to have also caught on in countries outside of Japan. For example, girls in Thailand can sometimes be seen dressed in Japanese-style faux uniforms as casual wear. Uniform-themed events like fashion shows have also been held there, and in various other countries. For students in Singapore who love Japanese fashion, why not try remixing your own uniforms with accessories to create your own unique uniform-style ensemble?

Resources

Classroom Chic. (2010). Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://web-japan.org/trends/09_fashion/fas100729.html
Japan Fact Sheet | FASHION. Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e34_fashion.pdf
School Uniform-Style Fashion. (2012). Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/cool/12-06/index.html

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