Originally posted at Mindmonger
Sailor suits are cute. Sailor suits are sexy. And, yes, a bit pedo. But how did they go from being the uniforms of big, hairy sailors to the dainty attire of Japanese high school girls? Also, how did they come to develop their defining characteristics?
Sailor suits are cute. Sailor suits are sexy. And, yes, a bit pedo. But how did they go from being the uniforms of big, hairy sailors to the dainty attire of Japanese high school girls? Also, how did they come to develop their defining characteristics?
The essence of the sailor suit is the collar with its distinctive back flap. There are a number of erroneous theories about how this came about, but the true story is connected to the old nickname for sailors - "Jolly Jack Tars." Yes, in the old days, sailors used to wear their hair long, and to keep it under control - and also waterproof it - they would smear it with actual tar. Hence the need for an easily replaceable and washable sailor collar with a back flap. Yes, they would even have a ribbon on the front to tie it all together.
Later, in Victorian England, the sailor suit became an item of children's fashion, with both girls and boys using it, but because of the long hair of the girls, the back flap had a practical use for girls, although often young Victorian boys would wear their hair long as well.
Later, in Victorian England, the sailor suit became an item of children's fashion, with both girls and boys using it, but because of the long hair of the girls, the back flap had a practical use for girls, although often young Victorian boys would wear their hair long as well.
This functional benefit was even truer in the case of Japan, where women used a lot of tsubaki (camellia) oil to make their hair sleek and manageable.
Even if they bathed every day, Japanese ladies washed their hair a lot less frequently in the past. Older ladies tended to wear their hair tied up, whereas younger ladies and girls wore their hair down. This meant that the long oily hair was a problem for their clothes. The obvious solution therefore was to adopt the child's sailor suit, making use of its collar in exactly the same way as the old "Jack Tars" did - using it as a barrier between the clothes and the unwashed oily or tarry hair.
Once established as an icon of schoolgirl fashion, potent positive associations with youth and budding sexuality did the rest.
Even if they bathed every day, Japanese ladies washed their hair a lot less frequently in the past. Older ladies tended to wear their hair tied up, whereas younger ladies and girls wore their hair down. This meant that the long oily hair was a problem for their clothes. The obvious solution therefore was to adopt the child's sailor suit, making use of its collar in exactly the same way as the old "Jack Tars" did - using it as a barrier between the clothes and the unwashed oily or tarry hair.
Once established as an icon of schoolgirl fashion, potent positive associations with youth and budding sexuality did the rest.
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