Sailor fuku - Definition and Overview

Japanese high school students in uniform, many are girls wearing sailor girl outfits

The sailor outfit Japanese school uniform (セーラー服 sērā-fuku) is strictly for girls of middle and high school age (although some people wear it as a costume). It is usually navy blue with a pleated skirt. It is called a sailor girl uniform because it derives ultimately from the old United States Navy uniforms for enlistees, although the resemblance is in most cases rather tenuous nowadays.

The top has a ribbon on it of different colors and shapes. The typical type is just a big bow in the front. Some other schools have a thinner ribbon around the neck which is held together by a little loop in the front.

The socks that people wear with the uniforms are usually navy or white. More recently, navy knee socks are generally considered the best looking because it makes the wearer's legs appear slimmer due to the dark color. Some schools have socks as part of their uniform so they do not have a choice of what type of socks they want to wear.

The shoes that girls wear are usually penny loafers, brown or black.

See also

• Gakuran