The design combines the standard-issue Japanese school swimsuit with traditional Chinese clothing.

In Japan, students wear “sukumizu” during swimming lessons at school. Short for “Sukūru mizugi“ (“school swimsuit“), the sukumizu is a type of swimwear that’s usually navy blue, and consists of form-fitting swim trunks for boys, and a one-piece or two-piece swimsuit for girls.

First manufactured in the late 1950s, when nylon became more widely available, the standard-issue swimming uniform for schoolgirls has undergone slight changes over the years. While modern-day examples bear a closer resemblance to everyday swimsuits, earlier one-piece models were styled in the shape of a two-piece, with a nylon bottom section and singlet-style top sewn together with a seam, to create the shape of a short skirt on the hips.

For people in Japan, this style of swimsuit conjures up feelings of schooltime nostalgia, and for some creative individuals, the youthful look provides the perfect inspiration for a whole new type of swimwear.

The fetish designer and owner of Moira Design has already rocked the swimwear world with sailor-style school uniform swimsuits, and now she’s back again with a whole new concept that combines the traditional Japanese school swimsuit with a traditional Chinese dress.

Called the “China Sukumizu“, this gorgeous new design comes in a choice of two colours: red or blue.

Both designs feature cut-out sections, a high-neck collar, and a highly decorative button closure. While the red style has slimming strips of black nylon on either side, the blue version adds a little spice with a set of pale blue lace inserts.

Since the swimsuits appeared online at the end of March, they’ve become so popular that they’ve already inspired anime-style fan art on social media.

https://twitter.com/000ta/status/849956021141295104

While the creative illustrations are certainly impressive, the swimsuits really look their best on real-life models.

https://twitter.com/mekemon/status/846578465813938176 https://twitter.com/mekemon/status/846706555525382145 https://twitter.com/GFProject_aoi/status/859030220061384705 https://twitter.com/motikosakura/status/858592171116576770

Japanese novelty retailer Village Vanguard is currently taking orders for the China Sukumizu, which retails for 14,999 yen (US$133.40), with deliveries scheduled for early July. The price might be steep, but it’s a small price to pay for those who want to turn heads at the pool!

Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Village Vanguard
Insert images: Village Vanguard (1, 2)