Keyakizaka46 & Sakurazaka46 Costumes & Uniforms Thread

As promised, I have created a thread dedicated to Keyaki's costumes! It will be an active thread & archive, and I encourage fellow posters to add any extra photos or details they could provide about any outfits Keyaki has worn-- from official single uniforms to Live Uniforms, please post everything you can find! I will link every post with info related to the costumes in the Index below, so don't fret if the costumes aren't in order, everything will be organized in this post.

Feel free to also comment and share your thoughts on your favorite costumes and what you want to see in future costumes! Also I may make some mistakes so feel free to correct me if I make any errors.

I'm currently working on translating official magazine scans with info on the single costumes (SaiMajo - Kazeni era). Will try to post a new translation/new costume every few days until I get through them all. If the outfit is listed in the index but not yet posted, it means I intend on making the post soon.

Keyakizaka46 Index:
2015

• Member Announcement - August 21, 2015
• First Meeting "Omitekai" - November 14, 2015
• Pre-Debut Uniform
• Seifuku no Mannequin @ FNS Song Festival 2015 / Yamanotesen (2016)

2016

• Pre-Debut/Early Magazine Shoots (Imgur album, won't make individual post)
  
• Silent Majority Uniform & Song Costume @jam x natalie Expo 2016 (More info about military details here)
• Silent Majority x Tower Records
• Te wo Tsunaide Kaerou ka?
• Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai
  
• Shibuya Kara PARCO ga Kieta Hi
• Kataru nara Mirai Wo...
• NTV Halloween Performance - October 30, 2016
• Futari Saison
  
• Otona wa Shinjitekurenai
• 3rd Single Uniform
• Manepa Card CM - November 21, 2016
• Futari Saison @ FNS Song Festival - December 7, 2016
• Kouhaku 2016

2017

• Fukyouwaon
  
• Eccentric / Cruel Crowd (Zankokuna Kankyakutachi)
• W-Keyakizaka no Uta
• Masshirona Mono wa Yogoshitaku Naru
  
• Tokyo Idol Festival 2017 - August 5, 2017
• Kaze ni Fukarete mo Uniform
  
• Hiraishin
• Xytiol Special Costume

2018

• Garasu wo Ware!
• Rock in Japan 2018
• Ambivalent

2019

• Kuroi Hitsuji
• Nagahama Neru Graduation Dress
• Keyaki Republic 2019
• 10gatsu no Pool ni Tobikonda (Mechakari CM)
• Kouhaku 2019

Extra: SakamichiAKB Costumes

Sakurazaka46 Index:
2021

• Nobody's fault
• 1st Single Uniform
• Naze Koi wo Shite Konakattan darou?
• Buddies
• Nobody's fault @ Music Station Ultra Super Live 2020 - December 25, 2020
• Kouhaku 2020

Spoiler: Key

Green: Singles Costume
Light Blue: Uniform
Dark Blue: B-Sides Costume
Red: Live Performance
Purple: Event
Orange: CM & Other

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General Keyaki Costume Info:

• The majority of the costumes have been designed by Kimika Onai, who has also designed a large handful of Nogizaka's costumes.
• Most uniforms have different variants, and which member gets which costume is usually determined by the member's age. Sometimes the "age-cutoff" fluctuates, but you could see in the image below members born before 1997 (Yuuka, Mon, and Rika) have shirt collars, while members born after 1997 (Techi, Mona, and Risa) have mandarin collars, and the blue trim around the buttons do not do straight down. I will refer to them as either Junior or Senior costumes.
• A running theme among most Sakamichi costumes is the even height of the skirt's hemline for each member, meaning that the lower edge of the skirt will stop at the same spot for each member, measured from the ground up. The best example of this is the SekaiAi uniforms, where the blue line at the hem of the skirt created a wonderful effect when all the members stood together.
  

 

Finally! Let's make this an amazing and informative thread!

My first one comes a bit out of blue - a Futari Saison era CM uniform.
On November 21, 2016 Keyaki began a campaign for Manepa Card.
The campaign uniform was announced on January 20, 2017. The costume they are wearing in the linked video looks like a bit like simplified Sekai Ni one and features both Manepa logo and brand colors.


One interesting thing to notice is their unusual choice of footwear. Red heeled boots. Kind of excessive, isn't it? Or am I just being picky?
The costume also seems to have pockets.


What I find quite funny is that the central part looks exactly like something Gucci would make. Green-and-red stripes is their trademark after all.


Even though this costume is not that memorable or anything, I was still happy to find out about this. It always feels great when you get to know some lesser known details about Keyaki.

Full imgur gallery here

 

Member Announcement - August 21, 2015



Our first meeting with the Keyaki 1ki, on the date when Nogizaka46 was formed 4 years prior. This was also the date when they announced that the group's name would change from "Toriizaka46" to "Keyakizaka46."



The outfits worn on this day were standard school uniforms, blazer style or sailor uniforms style with no particular "Keyaki" customizations. The uniforms seem to be distributed randomly and not based on age.



Full Imgur Gallery

First Meeting "Omitekai" - November 14, 2015

1ki's first interaction with fans (fan meet) at Zepp DiverCity TOKYO. Another uniform look, but this time with a Keyaki-like dark green cardigan, grey knee-high socks and brown loafers. If you want to read what was said during the introductions, you could find it here (in Japanese).



The two uniforms types are green plaid skirt with green bow for senior members, and red plaid skirt with red bow for junior members.



These uniforms were actually not custom-made unlike future uniforms. In fact for a time, these uniforms were actually purchasable at the uniform store called CONOMi! So fans could actually dress up like the members if they wanted to



Full Imgur Gallery

 

This is incredible, great job and kudos to starting this thread. It will be like a trip down memory lane So much info too, superb research and tidbits on the uniforms.

Its amazing how different they all look now, but I do have a soft spot for that debut uniform with the green cardigan.

 

Pre-Debut Uniform (2015)



Next up is Keyaki's pre-debut uniform! This uniform consists of a grey jacket with navy trimmings, navy pleated skirt and knee-high socks with black loafers.



The uniform is the first time we see the patch with the Keyaki logo! And it is also the first time we get to see two distinct Junior and Senior costumes. For the Junior costumes, we get a jacket with no collar while the Senior costume has a regular blazer.



Unexpectedly, the shirt worn with the uniform is not solid white, but a light blue mille striped shirt (very thin stripes that appear solid color from afar). And judging by the fabric's texture, the jacket may be made from linen. The jackets also look to be tailored for each member.



Neru, being a Hiragana member at the time, had a slightly different uniform than everyone else. The jacket's trims were made of a darker grey, and her ribbon was red instead of navy like the other members!



Also, as this was prior to SaiMajo, the girls did a lot of handshakes to promote themselves... you could find a lot of gems among these older photos!



Full Imgur Gallery here

 

This is so interesting and well organized! Thank you for all the effort and passion behind this @heatsignature !!

 

Seifuku no Mannequin @ FNS Song Festival 2015 / Yamanotesen (2016)



For Keyaki's first live performance on December 16, 2015, they performed Seifuku no Mannequin on FNS Song Festival with Nogizaka and AKB. Their uniform was pretty much identical to Nogi's, except they had a green ribbon instead of Nogi's purple and of course they had the Keyaki patch instead of the Nogi one. Keyaki has worn several seifuku before but you could identify this specific one because triangular patch of fabric above the ribbon is navy blue instead of white.




And here's the actual performance...



The seifuku was also worn by Techi for her Yamanotesen live performances (and also for Noriokureta Bus in the First One Man Live).



The seifuku in the video however, is slightly different as it does not have the Keyaki patch on it.



Full Imgur Gallery here

 

Silent Majority Uniform & Performance Costume (2016)



The ubiquitous military-style uniforms. If you know Keyaki, you know this uniform. Open the scans below for interviews with the designer and a few of the members to hear their perspectives!



The uniforms between the junior and senior members differ with the trimming on the chest panel- junior members had a gold trim, while senior members had a dark green trim. The hem is cut right above the knees, and the dress is paired with black knee-high socks and brown loafers.



Neru had her own dark blue "Hiragana" version of the uniform.



There is also a "summer" iteration of the uniform with short sleeves-- virtually all the other details remain the same!




A close-up of the logo! You could also see the fabric very clearly here (looks high quality but very hot!)



Here's a few photoshoot shots that I liked as well:



Full Imgur Gallery here

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Silent Majority Song Costume @jam x natalie Expo 2016



Looking at the magazine scan for the SaiMajo uniform, you may notice another costume on the page- A monochromatic dress with an abstract print on it! The print is of an actual building- the Shibuya Hikarie.



It's a digital print of the Shibuya cityscape arranged in an abstract way to fit the shape of the body! The dress was made of elastic materials and mesh (see the armholes and neckline) with silver chord accents. The upper half is fitted but the skirt is made of two half-circle patterns (why the dress is wavy on the side but straight in the front) so when the girls rotate, the skirt flares in an even circle. The dress hems are all lined up perfectly, so when the members stand beside each other the skirt lands at the same point for everyone.



The dress looks very comfortable with its short sleeves and the shoes look easy to dance in as well.



The main difference between the dresses is the neckline. There are three different neckline patterns: the dark green and white round neck, the V-neck, and the plain dark green round neck.

Generally Sakamichi girls tend to wear pretty plain footwear, but these shoes are actually from Zara- the Trend Contrast Sneakers, or Multicolor Contrast Sneakers.



Judging by the So-En interview, it seems that this dress was considered to become the performance costume for SaiMajo at one point, but it never came to be. Aside from this performance, it's been worn at least one other time by Inoue Rina during the "Tokyo Tower" performance at 3rd Year Anni Live


if the video does not show watch the video here

Full Imgur Gallery here

 

I really like the Neru version of the iconic SaiMajo green uniform. That shade of blue (royal? navy?) really meshes well with the design.

 

First of all, thank you @heatsignature for translating the magazine part. Great job!

My five cents on the 1st single costume. As I already mentioned this one is my favorite. The way I see it, the amazing design by Kimika Onai played a huge role in establishing the core Keyaki image. Even though Fukyouwaon was my personal first glimpse of Keyakizaka's performarmance, shortly after I watched Saimajo MV and oh boy! Some kind of construction site, heavy machinery, cute girls in military uniforms gazing sternly. This is not what you were expecting from an idol group. Why are they looking like this? What's the deal here? Really makes you curious. Using all the details, including the costumes, they absolutely nailed the first impression for thousands of people.

Same story with Saimajo's premiere on TV. SOLID IMAGERY RIGHT HERE.





These opening shots really do mean business. Powerful.

Speaking about costumes themselves, I can't help but admit they look very proper. The military vibe is strong here, but details like collar and ribbon do a good job of softening the overall image, making the uniform look sharp, yet with a touch of feminine elegance. This costume is inspired mostly by the uniforms worn during the Napoleonic wars period and in the mid-19th century. This connection becomes even more evident, if you look at Keyaki Republic 2017 opening ceremony uniform and the Tokyo Dome's Saimajo costume, which clearly resembles a dolman jacket or a pelisse that were originaly worn by Hungarian hussars and were later adopted by many different cavalry units around the world.

Heck, I'm clearly getting out of line here. No doubt, the two of the aforementioned special uniforms deserve a separate post.

Returning to Silent Majority. It was interesting to learn that the costume is 100% wool. Thanks to this fact, the actual costume looks much more substantial than all the available cosplay imitations. To tell the truth, I'm not sure if this costume is, in fact, that hot. Depending on the wool type and fabric's thickness some suits are really breathable and tend to feel nice to wear even in summer.

If my understanding is correct, the sleeve chevron (2 stripes) indicates that the wearer is a corporal. Historical example here. A somewhat cool idea could be to add the service stripes or hash marks, indicating the period of service. For example, if our corporal Keyaki was a part of the US Army, he would get one stripe for each three years' service. Pretty neat.

Lastly, I find it amusing how they designed the costume to be easy to get in and out of. The main example here is this zipper on the back which is usually well hidden and doesn't stick out.



I̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶t̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶I̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶
̶N̶o̶w̶,̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶I̶ ̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶?̶

Simply put, iconic.
That's all! I'm out.

 

@turbogig thanks for your info about the military-related details! The sleeve Chevron stuff is particularly interesting!

Since the SaiMajo one took quite a bit of time I'll throw out a simpler uniform today...
Te wo Tsunaide Kaerou ka? (2016)



This is one that, as far as I know, hasn't been worn outside the MV except for their mobage KeyaKise.



It's a simple grey and white sailor uniform with a light blue ribbon. Worn with it is a blue/grey plaid skirt with black knee-high socks and black loafers. It's a rather simple outfit which explains why we really haven't seen it much, but it's fun to look back on it for nostalgia's sake!



Securing the ribbon is a loop with a cursive monogrammed "K."



Not much else to say but include the bizarre post-apocalyptic video that came with this cheery song...


if the video does not show watch the video here

Full Imgur Album Here

 

This is such a great thread! Many thanks to @heatsignature and to anyone who contribuited to it!
I had never seen the Manepa Card's uniform before and the Shibuya ones are truly great (the visual on stage is wonderful with those black sides) but I think it's unavoidable for keyaki fans to just love Saimajo costumes. Even for people who followed Keyaki later, it all started from there.
@turbogig thank you for your deep explanation! The more we know the better we can appreciate keyaki's unform/costumes

 

Today we are going to have a very special (and funny) type of uniform.
On April 6th, 2016 Keyaki members dressed as Tower Records and Shibuya Tsutaya "employees" as part of the 1st single promotion. The "uniform" consists of the SaiMajo costume with the addition of Tower Record's apron or Tsutaya's short sleeve shirt, respectively. Both uniforms feature individual name badges for each member.









Full imgur gallery here

Must have felt great for people who worked at those stores during that period

 

@turbogig Ah I didn't even realize a few members had gone to Tsutaya as well! Also your 4th photo reminds me that I didn't include any details of the back detail I didn't realize the trim for that piece differed between the members as well... this costume never gets boring to look at!

Also I wanted to post a costume before the live in a few hours since I hadn't since last week So onto the second single!

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Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai (2016)

Keyaki's first comeback was their summer single, Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai! And with it, we get a refreshing sailor uniform-esque dress with your classic white and navy seifuku colors.



The scan below has my translation for the interview with the designer!



The uniforms differ with the collar and navy button trim pattern. The senior members get a shirt collar with the button trim going straight down to the waist, while the junior members get a mandarin collar and the button trim loops upwards. The signature Keyaki patch is on the left side of the chest.



The navy lines on the skirts hems line up when the members stand together, which just goes to show the detail in the work the costume designers put in since all the members stand as such various heights. The two lines are also a reference to the two chevron lines on the sleeves of the SaiMajo costume according to the costume designer!



Also worth mentioning the belt is not just printed on the dress, but an actual belt that members could hang things from! The dress is paired with knee-high socks and black loafers similar to SaiMajo as well.



Full Imgur Gallery here
and Tweet

 

Shibuya Kara PARCO ga Kieta Hi (2016)



For Techi's second solo, she donned a surprisingly mature bright red iridescent suit. Although it is quite simple, the song and outfit matches perfectly (This may end up being mostly song description because of it haha).



PARCO is an iconic Shibuya store (akin to 109) built in 1973 and was a popular place for young people during the late Showa era. So the song was sonically influenced by the 80s.
In 2016, the building was to be closed for renovations until 2019. So when Techi sings about meeting again as an adult in the song, the line is quite literal! She was 15 when she sang it, and would be 18 when the building would see its reopening. Hence, the adult-like costume for this song.



(Also the sleeves are striped which is unexpected!)



Full Imgur Gallery here
and Tweet

 

You have a lot of homework @heatsignature after that live showed some new costumes but great work as always

I really only started to like PARCO recently, shame it will never be performed again, but its always nice to see the history behind it and the costume

 

@heatsignature Two words my friend, just two words about what you've done: Thank you!

 

Futari Saison (2016)



The autumn-colored dress that perfectly suits a song about the seasons! It's inspired by the trench coat, but is given a "Keyaki" twist.
The scan below has my translation for the interview with the designer.



The uniforms differ with the back of the sleeves. For the junior members, the grey check pattern continues onto the back of the sleeves. For the senior members, the sleeves are completely solid wine red.



On the underside of the dress, you have a bright red lining that you could see glimpses of during the Saison dance. The designer was looking to achieve the "Matador" look with this (best exemplified by Mon on the way right)



A close-up of the dress where you can see the felt-like fabric they used.



And some random photos of the costume that I liked.




Full Imgur Gallery here
and Tweet

 

Mmm, the Futari Saison costume is one of my favourites.

 

Otona wa Shinjitekurenai (2016)




For Futari Saison's coupling track, the costume was a grey Takarazuka uniform-inspired outfit with both a futuristic, yet retro feel.
The scan below has my translation for the interview with the designer.



So first for those of you who aren't aware, "The Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan." The troupe was established over 100 years ago, and before going on to perform in this troupe, the women must first graduate from the associated performing arts school.
The uniforms for its storied academy was the inspiration for this costume.





It overall has a classic feel, but the blocks of black along the dress give it a mod/futuristic feel.



Also unsure if it was intentional, but the ribbon on the costume does call back to Keyaki's original uniform (specifically Neru's red ribbon), which I thought was quite neat.



The logo for this costume looks especially cool, with the red highlight calling back to the red for Futari Saison's costume, giving it a 3D effect. According to the interview with the designer, the patches and buttons were sewn onto the costume on the day of the MV shoot, but I think it came out great!



The costume was also worn by the girls during their rehearsal for their first Kouhaku performance. The girls look so tired and sleepy, it really goes to show how hard they worked during their first year of their group. Uemu especially has that "you woke me up in the middle of the nap" glare which is actually a little funny.



Full Imgur Gallery
and Tweet