School uniforms in Japan
[5] She adapted the clothing worn by ladies-in-waiting at the Japanese imperial court, which included hakama, to make a uniform for her Jissen Women's School.
During the Taishō period, male students began to wear gakuran (matching black trousers and a tunic with a standing collar and five gold buttons, and geta).
[citation needed] The gakuran and sailor-style dress have always been a part of Japan's "growing modern" culture due to its formal appearance and its existence as a concept.
The sides of the uniform are similar to existing styles of Japanese dressmaking and the collar had straight lines.
The Asahi Shimbun stated in 2012 that, "The sailor suit is changing from adorable and cute, a look that 'appeals to the boys,' to a uniform that 'girls like to wear for themselves.'"
As of that year, contemporary sailor suits have front closures with zippers or snaps and more constructed bodices.
The Asahi Shimbun stated that "the form is snug to enhance the figure—the small collar helps the head look smaller, for better balance.
The sailor outfits replace the undivided hakama (known as andon bakama (行灯袴)) designed by Utako Shimoda between 1920 and 1930.
Depending on the discipline level of any particular school, students may often wear different seasonal and activity uniforms within the same classroom during the day.
Girls may shorten their skirts, permanently or by wrapping up the top to decrease length; boys may wear trousers about the hips, omit ties, or keep their shirts unbuttoned.
[citation needed] Since some schools do not have sex-segregated changing- or locker-rooms, students may change for sporting activities in their classrooms.
[8] The gakuran (学ラン), also called the tsume-eri (詰襟), is the uniform for many middle-school and high-school boys in Japan.
Traditionally, the gakuran is also worn along with a matching (usually black) student cap, although this custom is less common in modern times.
Although not part of the prescribed uniform, alternate forms of legwear (such as loose socks, knee-length stockings, or similar) are also commonly matched by more fashionable girls with their sailor outfits.
However, in April 2019, public junior high schools in Tokyo's Nakano Ward began allowing students to choose their uniform regardless of sex.
This started with a sixth grader who did not want to wear skirts in junior high school and asked her female classmates for their opinions on uniforms.
[14] There was a lot of support from female students for the adaptation of genderless uniforms and the implementation of slacks since it allowed for more comfort by keeping their legs warm and making it easier to ride their bicycles.
[16] Genderless swimwear gradually evolved from the need to protect against sunburn to a desire to deemphasize body shape by adding more coverage.
In past decades, brightly coloured variants of the sailor outfits were also adopted by Japanese yankii, sukeban and bōsōzoku biker gangs.
