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Ahoy, Sailor Meg!

Things have sort of come full circle for Japanese novelty goods maker Bibi Lab’s schoolgirl outfit-themed “roomwear,” as Japan calls clothing designed to be worn when relaxing at home. First came the Boku Sera line, which took the classic Japanese sailor suit school uniform and gave it a roomier cut so that men could wear it. Now, following the surprising sales success of Boku Sera, Bibilab has now launched a second line, the Sera Kore (“Sailor Collection”), as a unisex option for women or slender men.

Three designs are available, so we quickly snatched up one of each to be modeled by RocketNews24 Japanese-language correspondent Meg.

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The three different Sera Kore sets loosely correspond with three different eras of schoolgirl outfit trends. For example, the monotone navy Sukeban Style, with its extra-long skirt, is evocative of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, and has a bit of a bad girl vibe to it.

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Moving on to happier times, the Kogyaru Style is a throwback to the late ‘90s, when short skirts and long, loose socks were all the rage.

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▼ Aren’t you happy you left Costco to come and live at RocketNews24 headquarters, Mr. Panda?

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Finally, the JK Style is most similar to current school uniforms, with a feminine, balanced look.

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Since the Sera Kore outfits are billed as unisex, some of our male staff also decided to try them on, and reporter Seiji even changed into the Boku Sera he field-tested earlier this spring.

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While Meg was posing for us, she mentioned that she went to a high school that didn’t have uniforms, and so this was her first time to wear a sailor suit since junior high. Because of that, she said Sera Kore is a great way for adults to have a little nostalgic fun, and gave all three sets full marks for design and comfort.

“There’s so much more attention to detail than you usually find for roomwear! And the skirt pleats are much more defined than I’d expected.”

“The fabric is really soft, so they’re extremely comfortable. If you’re just relaxing around the house, the Kogyaru and JK are good choices, but if you’re going to be sleeping in a Sera Kore, I strongly recommend the Sukeban. Because it has such a long skirt, even if you roll around in your sleep it won’t ride up and leave your legs feeling cold.”

So there you have it: Bibi Lab’s Sera Kore line gets Meg’s stamp of approval. If you’re interested in ordering one, or all three, the Sukeban, Kogyaru, and JK are all available online here from retailer Village Vanguard, identically priced at 6,172 yen (US$58).

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