1.
traditional boys' school uniform with stand-up collar
A black, military-style uniform with a stand-up collar (Prussian collar) and brass buttons, traditionally worn by male students in Japanese middle and high schools. Still used at many schools today.
学ランを着た男子。
A boy wearing a gakuran uniform.
うちの中学校の制服は学ランだった。
The uniform at my middle school was a gakuran.
最近はブレザーの学校が増えて、学ランは少なくなった。
Recently, schools with blazers have increased and gakuran uniforms have become less common.
学ラン comes from 学 (学生, student) + ラン (from the Dutch word "rand" or the Japanese abbreviation of オランダ, referring to Western-style clothing).
The 学ラン is characterized by:
- 詰め襟 (stand-up collar)
- 黒 or 紺 color
- 金ボタン (brass buttons)
The female counterpart is the セーラー服 (sailor uniform). Both are iconic symbols of Japanese school life, though many schools have switched to ブレザー (blazer) style uniforms.