Perhaps one of Japan's most fascinating aspects is the observable coexistence of its modern and traditional culture, with fashion being one of the more visible examples. It's not uncommon to see people both young and old walking down the street in kimono, perhaps headed to a graduation ceremony, or people sporting more...adventurous choices. And while there have been stylish efforts to combine modern and traditional fashion such as these awesome casual haori, there might be no better example than this new Sailor Kimono, which fuses the iconic look of a schoolgirl uniform and a Japanese kimono.

While we've seen shrine maiden bikinis and sailor uniform pajamas that double as wearable kotatsu, this three-piece set can serve as roomwear, cosplay, or simply an outfit for those looking to show off sailor uniform and kimono love. The washable top is modeled after the sailor uniform typical of Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, but sleeves flare out into the billowy fashion of kimono sleeves.

Most notable is the obi (the middle sash fastened around a kimono), which seems to transition fairly seamlessly into the overall school uniform motif.

The third piece is a standard pleated schoolgirl skirt. The kimono portion of the sleeves are also detachable, should you want to look more casual or are feeling a bit hot.

As of right now, the Sailor Kimono is only available at bookstore and oddity shop for 17,064 yen, ($156.81 USD) Village Vanguard (somewhat of a Japanese Hot Topic), which unfortunately appears to be limited to Japanese orders, but their items have been known to make their way to Amazon.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.