Fashion is changing rapidly: new trends appear that replace previous collections. A dozen years later, outdated trends are back, and they are menacingly called "retro"!
However, there are elements of the wardrobe that everyone will recognize. They have become a symbol of a certain style in a particular country, culture or fashion in general, such as a beige trench coat, pumps, a white shirt. One item of clothing that has become a symbol of anime, Japanese schools, and Japan itself is the Japanese pleated short skirt.
History of Appearance
It is known that in Japan at all times the wearing of a kimono was welcomed, the length of which is well below the knee. How could mini-skirts have appeared in the culture of a country where a long women's skirt has been welcomed since ancient times?
In the 90s of the last century, pop singer Namie Amuro was very popular in Japan. Her main elements of clothing were a short skirt and high boots. After she became famous, girls began to wear miniskirts in everyday life, and this period was called the "amuro boom".
Contributed to their spread and Japaneseanimated films - anime and manga. The standards of female beauty in anime are reminiscent of Barbie proportions: thin waist, long legs, big eyes. Japan has a very developed cosplay culture, which implies external copying of the character, which to a certain extent also provoked a surge of attention to Japanese pleated skirts.
School uniform in Japan
The uniform in Japan is called "fuku", and the classic school uniform is called "sera-fuku". Sera fuku traditionally consists of a V-neck blouse, red tie, and a pleated skirt. The most commonly used colors were blue, red and white, so the uniform was called the sailor suit.
Japan has very strict rules about wearing uniforms, schoolchildren wear them all year round. By the way, girls are not allowed to wear pantyhose. Quite a harsh condition, as the weather in Japan can drop below -10 °C in winter.
Initially, the school skirt covered the knees, but due to the Amuro boom, schoolgirls sought to shorten it to look like anime heroines. It is very easy to make a Japanese skirt shorter: since it has a rather thin belt, it only needs to be tucked up to turn the skirt into a mini. This technique is used by Japanese schoolgirls.
However, at the moment, the Japanese skirt should be no more than 15 cm above the knee, this is the Tokyo standard. She is still the staple of every Japanese schoolgirl's wardrobe.
Colors
The classic color of the Japanese pleated skirt is blue. It is easy to see a huge number of blue short pleated skirts in different lengths in retail stores and clothing sites, but the classic version - 15 cm above the knee - is most common. Now you can find many different colors of Japanese skirts. Most popular: burgundy, beige and black.
Modernity
To date, short skirts, which many associate with anime, have gone far beyond Japan. A few seasons ago, they were very popular, Japanese short skirts could be seen on the shelves of many stores. In Japan, such an element of the wardrobe has even become a symbol of street fashion. However, on the street, midi-length A-line skirts, long pleated skirts and trousers compete with her. Now you can often see a plaid skirt with pleats, but this is rather a mixture of cultures - a quila and a Japanese skirt.
What to pair with?
Despite the fact that miniskirts are already part of the uniform in schools in Japan, in everyday life, few people will wear it with a blouse and a red tie. The style is so versatile that a skirt in this cut can be paired with almost anything, but the choice of blouse, sweatshirt, jacket, jacket, T-shirt and shoes depends on the color and pattern on the skirt.
If the skirt is solid, it goes with almost everything, you just need to consider whether the colors match. Of course there arewin-win options: blue with white, pink with gray, brown with pastel shades, yellow with khaki. The type of top is also selected at the discretion of each. In summer it can be a T-shirt or a cotton blouse, in spring and autumn - a loose-fitting shirt or a cotton sweater, in winter - a jacket or a wool jumper.
When choosing a top, girls face difficulties if there is a pattern or print on the skirt, but there is a little trick here too: you can choose a plain top, the color of which will overlap with one of the colors in the ornament on the skirt. This option will most likely be a win-win, and the top will go well with the bottom.
You don't need to limit yourself in choosing shoes either. Sneakers or ankle boots are perfect for a pleated skirt. Try to avoid shoes with high heels, as with stilettos the image will turn out to be somewhat vulgar, and pumps with 3-4 cm heels are perfect. You can follow in the footsteps of Namie Amuro and wear a short skirt with high boots in the cold season.
Fancy Japanese Hikaru Skirt
A recent trend in Japan is the illuminated guipure skirt by designer Kiyoyuki Amano, or the Hikaru skirt. Like the skirts in Japanese school uniforms, it is a short, layered, pleated skirt made of lace. From the inside, it is slightly illuminated, which looks quite unusual in the dark.
Since Japan loves everything extraordinary, this is an innovationwas received very positively. However, this option is not suitable for everyday life, it is better to leave it for creative photo shoots, themed events or incendiary parties. It should be noted that in the photo this style of skirt looks very impressive.
