You might be familiar with the creative designs of Japanese brand Mocolle, a name which mixes the Japanese word for "fantasy" (mousou) with "collection" for a fairly self-explanatory title. Their official design slogan is "Wouldn't it be nice if this existed?", and so they often take popular fan art and designs on Twitter, and transform them into actual products via crowdfunding campaigns. Most recently, this has resulted in Japanese shrine maiden loungewear, sexy bunny lingerie, and T-shirt that turns your breasts into stuffed hamster cheeks. Mocolle's latest effort crushed crowdfunding efforts, and is now being released in the form of retro Japanese room-wear and pajamas with a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of Japan's Showa Period (1926–1989).

The "Yuru Hakama" (Loose Hakama), are a pair of billowy and extra-comfy hakama pants coupled with different patterned kimono tops, each featuring a design inspired by the traits of four female characters created and illustrated by Shun Aragi to be the official "models" for the set. While many of these Mocolle productions end up becoming popular as costumers for cosplay models on Twitter, they're advertised as providing a stylish but casual-feeling look at home. In fact, they're modeled below by popular cosplay model Kuroneko.

Sakura--"A tomboy with charm."

Chrysanthemum--"A girl who loves reading."

Camelia--"A girl with a fondness for old fashioned Showa songs."

Morning Glory--"A hospitable girl who loves tea."

The "Loose Hakama" sets (along with original artwork) can be found at the online store of Japanese oddity shop and bookstore Village Vanguard, for 9,936 yen each. While they only ship domestically within Japan, Mocolle items often make their way to Amazon or Rakuten for international order.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.