1953? Why 1953? Well…sounded like an old enough year…but more to the point a more realistic year for any school (in Ireland or anywhere other than Japan) to be using the iconic sailor-suit uniform.
Honestly, I don’t know if this was every really done in Ireland, but I needed an alternative to the horrendous polyester V-Neck Hogwarts uniform that’s standard in most Irish and British schools now. The sailor-suit seemed like a suitable alternative…especially since manga is full of such material.
My thoughts on that are: It’s irrelevant whether they did so in real life or not. This is your story, tell it however you wish. But as a guess, I’d say that “sailor suits” for school children would have been more likely in the mid to late 19th Century. If I am recalling correctly, that is where the Japanese got the “tradition”, from their adoption of Western clothing / ways during the Meiji Era. In 1953, I would think a more “parochial school” style would be in use. But hey, again, it’s your story so all of that is irrelevant. Perhaps this school chose to stick with the “sailor suit” look for reasons of tradition. 😀
I’ll agree that it doesn’t really matter if they really did use the “sailor suit”, but even in this fiction I like to try ground as many of the elements as I can in real life (which is hard enough in itself when the comic is about a girl dealing with ancient Celtic magic :D)
The next page will contain an brief explanation from Aoife about the ‘Sailor Suit’ years of Colaiste Muire, which is pretty much falls in the reasons of tradition you mention 😀
I did a little homework it appears that Ireland didn’t really have a standard school uniform in the 50’s (although many didn’t really get to go to school back then…poverty and all…). In more recent times the standard Irish school uniform became a nasty polyester v-neck jumper + shirt + nasty trousers (or kilt for female students). I remember it being too warm in summer, and not warm enough in winter. Total lose-lose situation 😀
At least the Japanese is a little more practical…in the sense that the girls can double as an auxiliary navy…I guess 😀
Wait what? Aoife can see the ghosts? Interesting…
Also, I like how Ashling is nonchalantly carrying that staff around.
Regarding the uniforms, I agree with Azrael that it’s basically you’re choice. It’s not like the depiction of the seifuku in anime is exactly realistic either – those skirts aren’t actually cut somewhere just short of mid-thigh! (sadly :P) Though some girls do wear their skirts a bit shorter, if they can get away with it.
I like how you noticed Ashling carrying the staff around 😀 It’s an important continuity point that Ashling keeps carrying it around with her, but sometimes I actually forget that it’s in the scene. I occasionally find myself wedging it in last minute while inking a page!
You know, it’s only after re-reading this after all these years that I finally realize that Karen is in that picture. XD
Ah ha! Finally! 😀
There’s also a few Bata Neart easter eggs in Back Office. They’re even harder to spot 😀