New design and colors from designer with a knack for mixing sailor suits and swimwear.

With Japan currently on summer vacation, school uniforms are hanging idle in closets. That doesn’t mean the iconic outfits aren’t still inspiring fashion designers, though.

Moira Kuchikaseya, head of Moira Design, has repeatedly worked styling cues from schoolgirls’ sailor suits into her creations, starting with the aptly named Sailor School Swimsuits she unveiled last year. Originally available in orthodox white and navy, the unique one-piece is now offered in an eye-catching olive green. While it isn’t a hue you’re likely to see on legitimate school uniforms, it’s definitely an intriguing color for swimwear that manages to be eye-catching without resorting to intense hues or plunging necklines.

Moira Design has also rolled out a brand-new design for 2017, in the form of the Sailor Marine Swim. Unlike the Sailor School Swimsuit, which sticks to the modest cut used for P.E. swim class uniforms in Japan, the Sailor Marine Swim is bikini.

The two-piece swimsuit is actually part of a three-piece set, since it includes the jaunty cap seen in these photos. While the string-sided bottom is pretty skimpy, there’s actually a lot of coverage up top, with the draping color keeping the sun off the wearer’s upper back.

▼ The top is held in place by wide shoulder straps and a tie in the back.

While the snazzy olive color of the Sailor School Swimsuit isn’t an option, buyers do have their choice of pink or sky blue for the Sailor Marine Swim.

Of the two new suits, the 12,000-yen (US$110) olive Sailor School Swimsuit is the less expensive, though at 13,500 yen for the Sailor Marine Swim the price gap isn’t all that wide. Both can be ordered here through novelty retailer Village Vanguard’s online shop, as can the rest of Moira Design’s swimwear lineup.

Source: Village Vanguard
Top image: Village Vanguard
Insert images: Village Vanguard (1, 2, 3)
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