Most often it's easy to understand anime fashion, after all, mainstream fashion tends to be shared all around the world.
But on the odd occasion, when watching your favorite shows or reading your favorite manga, you'll find something that doesn't quite make sense.
Perhaps you've come across a teenage girl with apparently demure tastes, but an iron-fisted approach to life?
Or maybe a man who looks like a cross between a biker and an Elvis impersonator?
Curious as to what it all means or where it comes from? Read on!
School Uniform
So many anime are set in highschools that it's impossible to ignore this one! If you live in a country with the same system of uniforms (england, australia, china) japanese school uniforms will make some sense. If you come from a country where school uniform is rare or inexistant, the whole concept in itself is going to be foreign to you.
So the first thing you need to know, is uniforms are used to promiote social equality. Rich kids can't show off fashion, and poor kids can't be picked on for being poor- so you'll only see a little rich-kid vs poor-kid drama in anime compared to what you'd see in US teen drama.
The second thing is that, uniforms are very difficult to express or be fashionable with, so differences tend to focus on how items are worn, or what accesories they're worn with.
The uniforms I'll describe are worn by middle and highschool students. Younger children in Japan do sometimes wear uniform, but it's very varied. They do all wear brightly colored (usually yellow) hats when going to and from school, and boys usually wear black backpacks, while girls wear red backpacks. Even younger children in care-groups also wear colored hats, as a sort of uniform.
Sailor Uniform
The sailor uniform is based on British Naval uniforms (thus the 'sailor'). Sailor uniforms are popular uniforms throughout East Asia. In Japan, they are used specifically for girls, and are the traditional school uniform that is most associated with Japan.
Sailor uniforms in real life are usually dark blue, black, or white, with blue, black, white or red stripes on the collar, and sometimes on the sleeves or skirt. In anime they vary through many different colors and extravagant designs. 1, 2 or 3 stripes are all popular.
Sailor uniforms are less popular in real life. They used to be worn by all ages, but now are mostly worn by middle-school students.
In summer, girls usually wear a shirt with no sweater.
The little necktie that goes around the neck of the shirt is simply called a 'ribbon' in Japan. It can be a simple tie, or more stringy, or tied in a bow. A girl might give her necktie to a boy she likes.
Girls wearing sailor uniform have the option of extra sweaters. The long-sleeved sweater is for winter.
Girl's Western Style Uniform
Western style uniforms in anime used to show that a student was from an expensive school, but as sailor uniforms are falling out of fashion amongst high schools in real life, these western style uniforms are becoming more popular, especially amongst older high school students.
The blazer is the top layer for a schoolgirl's outfit. It is the smartest part of the uniform, so when all the characters in anime are wearing their blazers, buttoned up, it probably means it's a formal occasion, (that, or they're just very clean, neat people!)
The overall design is similar to an adult suit, with a white dress shirt and either a plain skirt or tartan skirt. Uniforms for girls include may a bow, string bow, or a necktie. A sweater may be worn in colder weather, or by shyer anime characters.
Boy's Western Style Uniform
A boy's western uniform is not much different to a gakuran. He wears a blazer as his jacket, and a tie. His school crest goes on the blazer pocket, and western uniforms vary a lot more in color than gakuran so the different school's uniforms are much more easily recognised.
It is quite popular to have a pair of pants in a different color to the blazer, such as tan or grey.
Girl's Swim Wear
In anime you'll often see a girl wear her swimsuit to the beach. The swimsuit rule for girls are like those who are under teenage year should bathing suits and those who are teen or above teen (if they wants) wears a bikini.
Boy's Swim Wear
Boys and girls have very different swim suits. Guys wear a short when they go out in the beach. Some guys wear a loose shirts to go with the shorts.
Shoes
Shoes are the least strict part of a japanese school uniform.
The japanese do not wear shoes indoors, so schools all have special indoors shoes, which are white, soft, and very cheap. These shoes sometimes have a band of color on them, to show which class the wearer is in.
The most formal shoes that can be worn are black, leather, shoes- but white sneakers are incredibly popular, and allowed.
Anime characters also wear knee-high boots, nike shoes and converse shoes in all other casual days.
Crazy for Cute!
Japan loves cute! It is part of Japan's national identity, and there is a lot of focus on cute styles and brands. This is because childhood in Japan is very, very treasured, as it is a time in life where japanese people have the most free time. Adults often like to dress slightly cute and wear cute accesories, as it is an easy way to behave childishly that is not rebelious. This still happens in other countries- so you'll find it easy to understand, but it is more common in Japan.
Skirts and Dresses
In the west, for hundreds of years, girls and women were expected to wear dresses, and pants were for men. Because of this, a lot of western women feel dresses are not a nice thing to wear.
This is not the same in Japan. There is no negative thoughts about skirts and dresses, as they haven't had them for long, they aren't consiered 'demure' or 'old fashioned', they're just look very cute on girl's! So, they're worn a lot more frequently in Japan than in the west, including in anime. Japanese girls will even wear them in cold weather, because it is good character not to complain about the cold (those poor girls!)
Lolita Fashion
Lolita fashion is easily recognized by being a short dress with a distinctive bell-like shape.
Long examples exist, as do less puffy versions, but short and puffy is the norm (especially in anime).
The overall appearance of most wearers of Lolita fashion is doll-like, and some of the girls who dress in this fashion will very often aim directly for the appearance for a porcelain doll, including hair accessories, hats and parasols.
There are many sub genres, as Lolita compliments almost every other style. The most commonly seen in anime are 'Classic', 'Sweet', 'Princess' and 'Gothic' Lolita.
There's no real meaning for Lolita fasion in real life. Lolitas don't do certain jobs, or act a certain way. It's just a fashion, and that is reflected in most anime.
Maid Dresses
The Japanese version of the 'French Maid' outfit. The shape of the Japanese version tends to follow the shape of a Lolita dress, but will often have a shorter skirt.
The maid outfit is often the uniform of themed 'maid cafés', which are very popular with male anime or game fans.
The maid outfit is a common form of fan-service in anime, and it can be worn by a maid café employee, an 'authentic' maid, or just as a costume. It's also a popular form of punishment for characters who hate dresses!
Gang Fashions
Bosozoku and Yanki:
These are biker gangs that are no longer in fashion, but are quite frequently seen in anime and manga.
Bosozoku are characterised as wearing jumpsuits, military overcoats or leather jackets, often worn open with bandages wrapped around their torsos. They tend to have a quite biker-ish look about them.
They're most easily recognised by the kanji or rising sun designs (similar to the Japanese flag) on their coats or shirts and their often extravagant hairstyles, which vary from a slight Elvis-quiffs to punch-perms (see 'hair', below)
They also wear long boots, and ride modified bikes or scooters. There are females members, and a female version called Yanki who share a similar fashion.
They carry non-classified weapons, such as metal pipes or 'boken' (especially strong wooden swords that are used for martial arts training). In anime they are most often shown as villains, but sometimes will be a cool, tough protagonist; and it is not uncommon for a protagonist to temporarily join this sort of gang.
Today, bosozoku are a lot rarer and less extravagent, but they are still popular in their original form as villains in anime.
Tattoos
Tattoos have an entirely different meaning in Japan, because tattoos in Japan are very deeply associated with Yakuza, and were actually outlawed for nearly 100 years up until 1948.
An anime character with a tattoo, whether that character is a foreigner or not, is likely to at least have a tough personality or some conflict with society.
If the tattoo covers a lot of the body, it's even more likely to be an actual yakuza member.
In anime, tatoos will sometimes appear or change magically, and often imply some sort of curse or evil possession.
Characters with tattoos may simply be a tough nice guy, or a nasty villain.
But on the odd occasion, when watching your favorite shows or reading your favorite manga, you'll find something that doesn't quite make sense.
Perhaps you've come across a teenage girl with apparently demure tastes, but an iron-fisted approach to life?
Or maybe a man who looks like a cross between a biker and an Elvis impersonator?
Curious as to what it all means or where it comes from? Read on!
School Uniform
So many anime are set in highschools that it's impossible to ignore this one! If you live in a country with the same system of uniforms (england, australia, china) japanese school uniforms will make some sense. If you come from a country where school uniform is rare or inexistant, the whole concept in itself is going to be foreign to you.
So the first thing you need to know, is uniforms are used to promiote social equality. Rich kids can't show off fashion, and poor kids can't be picked on for being poor- so you'll only see a little rich-kid vs poor-kid drama in anime compared to what you'd see in US teen drama.
The second thing is that, uniforms are very difficult to express or be fashionable with, so differences tend to focus on how items are worn, or what accesories they're worn with.
The uniforms I'll describe are worn by middle and highschool students. Younger children in Japan do sometimes wear uniform, but it's very varied. They do all wear brightly colored (usually yellow) hats when going to and from school, and boys usually wear black backpacks, while girls wear red backpacks. Even younger children in care-groups also wear colored hats, as a sort of uniform.
Sailor Uniform
The sailor uniform is based on British Naval uniforms (thus the 'sailor'). Sailor uniforms are popular uniforms throughout East Asia. In Japan, they are used specifically for girls, and are the traditional school uniform that is most associated with Japan.
Sailor uniforms in real life are usually dark blue, black, or white, with blue, black, white or red stripes on the collar, and sometimes on the sleeves or skirt. In anime they vary through many different colors and extravagant designs. 1, 2 or 3 stripes are all popular.
Sailor uniforms are less popular in real life. They used to be worn by all ages, but now are mostly worn by middle-school students.
In summer, girls usually wear a shirt with no sweater.
The little necktie that goes around the neck of the shirt is simply called a 'ribbon' in Japan. It can be a simple tie, or more stringy, or tied in a bow. A girl might give her necktie to a boy she likes.
Girls wearing sailor uniform have the option of extra sweaters. The long-sleeved sweater is for winter.
Girl's Western Style Uniform
Western style uniforms in anime used to show that a student was from an expensive school, but as sailor uniforms are falling out of fashion amongst high schools in real life, these western style uniforms are becoming more popular, especially amongst older high school students.
The blazer is the top layer for a schoolgirl's outfit. It is the smartest part of the uniform, so when all the characters in anime are wearing their blazers, buttoned up, it probably means it's a formal occasion, (that, or they're just very clean, neat people!)
The overall design is similar to an adult suit, with a white dress shirt and either a plain skirt or tartan skirt. Uniforms for girls include may a bow, string bow, or a necktie. A sweater may be worn in colder weather, or by shyer anime characters.
Boy's Western Style Uniform
A boy's western uniform is not much different to a gakuran. He wears a blazer as his jacket, and a tie. His school crest goes on the blazer pocket, and western uniforms vary a lot more in color than gakuran so the different school's uniforms are much more easily recognised.
It is quite popular to have a pair of pants in a different color to the blazer, such as tan or grey.
Girl's Swim Wear
In anime you'll often see a girl wear her swimsuit to the beach. The swimsuit rule for girls are like those who are under teenage year should bathing suits and those who are teen or above teen (if they wants) wears a bikini.
Boy's Swim Wear
Boys and girls have very different swim suits. Guys wear a short when they go out in the beach. Some guys wear a loose shirts to go with the shorts.
Shoes
Shoes are the least strict part of a japanese school uniform.
The japanese do not wear shoes indoors, so schools all have special indoors shoes, which are white, soft, and very cheap. These shoes sometimes have a band of color on them, to show which class the wearer is in.
The most formal shoes that can be worn are black, leather, shoes- but white sneakers are incredibly popular, and allowed.
Anime characters also wear knee-high boots, nike shoes and converse shoes in all other casual days.
Crazy for Cute!
Japan loves cute! It is part of Japan's national identity, and there is a lot of focus on cute styles and brands. This is because childhood in Japan is very, very treasured, as it is a time in life where japanese people have the most free time. Adults often like to dress slightly cute and wear cute accesories, as it is an easy way to behave childishly that is not rebelious. This still happens in other countries- so you'll find it easy to understand, but it is more common in Japan.
Skirts and Dresses
In the west, for hundreds of years, girls and women were expected to wear dresses, and pants were for men. Because of this, a lot of western women feel dresses are not a nice thing to wear.
This is not the same in Japan. There is no negative thoughts about skirts and dresses, as they haven't had them for long, they aren't consiered 'demure' or 'old fashioned', they're just look very cute on girl's! So, they're worn a lot more frequently in Japan than in the west, including in anime. Japanese girls will even wear them in cold weather, because it is good character not to complain about the cold (those poor girls!)
Lolita Fashion
Lolita fashion is easily recognized by being a short dress with a distinctive bell-like shape.
Long examples exist, as do less puffy versions, but short and puffy is the norm (especially in anime).
The overall appearance of most wearers of Lolita fashion is doll-like, and some of the girls who dress in this fashion will very often aim directly for the appearance for a porcelain doll, including hair accessories, hats and parasols.
There are many sub genres, as Lolita compliments almost every other style. The most commonly seen in anime are 'Classic', 'Sweet', 'Princess' and 'Gothic' Lolita.
There's no real meaning for Lolita fasion in real life. Lolitas don't do certain jobs, or act a certain way. It's just a fashion, and that is reflected in most anime.
Maid Dresses
The Japanese version of the 'French Maid' outfit. The shape of the Japanese version tends to follow the shape of a Lolita dress, but will often have a shorter skirt.
The maid outfit is often the uniform of themed 'maid cafés', which are very popular with male anime or game fans.
The maid outfit is a common form of fan-service in anime, and it can be worn by a maid café employee, an 'authentic' maid, or just as a costume. It's also a popular form of punishment for characters who hate dresses!
Gang Fashions
Bosozoku and Yanki:
These are biker gangs that are no longer in fashion, but are quite frequently seen in anime and manga.
Bosozoku are characterised as wearing jumpsuits, military overcoats or leather jackets, often worn open with bandages wrapped around their torsos. They tend to have a quite biker-ish look about them.
They're most easily recognised by the kanji or rising sun designs (similar to the Japanese flag) on their coats or shirts and their often extravagant hairstyles, which vary from a slight Elvis-quiffs to punch-perms (see 'hair', below)
They also wear long boots, and ride modified bikes or scooters. There are females members, and a female version called Yanki who share a similar fashion.
They carry non-classified weapons, such as metal pipes or 'boken' (especially strong wooden swords that are used for martial arts training). In anime they are most often shown as villains, but sometimes will be a cool, tough protagonist; and it is not uncommon for a protagonist to temporarily join this sort of gang.
Today, bosozoku are a lot rarer and less extravagent, but they are still popular in their original form as villains in anime.
Tattoos
Tattoos have an entirely different meaning in Japan, because tattoos in Japan are very deeply associated with Yakuza, and were actually outlawed for nearly 100 years up until 1948.
An anime character with a tattoo, whether that character is a foreigner or not, is likely to at least have a tough personality or some conflict with society.
If the tattoo covers a lot of the body, it's even more likely to be an actual yakuza member.
In anime, tatoos will sometimes appear or change magically, and often imply some sort of curse or evil possession.
Characters with tattoos may simply be a tough nice guy, or a nasty villain.