The 17 Best On-Screen School Uniforms of All Time, Ranked
Alright, so Gogo Yubari isn’t technically a schoolgirl. Still, while Kill Bill is packed with unforgettable fashion moments—Daryl Hannah’s nurse outfit and eyepatch as she whistles Bernard Hermann, Lucy Liu’s white kimono as Yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii, and, of course, Uma Thurman’s yellow motorcycle suit accessorized with a samurai sword—Gogo Yubari’s schoolgirl bodyguard remains the films most stylish assassin. Oh, and if the actor playing Yubari, Chiaki Kuriyama, looks familiar, that’s probably because of her powerhouse performance in another film on this list, Battle Royale. Tarantino has previously acknowledged that Yubari’s casting and costuming were heavily inspired by the film. The full look of a blazer, plaid skirt, knee-high white socks, and sneakers—plus a meteor hammer, the ancient Chinese weapon she wields and swings above her head—has become an evergreen Halloween-costume favorite for a reason.
How to Watch: Stream on HBO Max.
1. The Craft
It’s not surprising that three out of the top five on-screen school uniform moments came from the grand tradition of the offbeat American high school movie that boomed throughout the late 1980s and early ’90s. But what sets The Craft from its peers is the way in which it takes the tropes of the classic school uniform and blends it with the emergent trends of its day—whether the grunge movement’s height, or the rise of goth culture in the U.S.—making it a style phenomenon emulated by generations of schoolgirls since, and a brilliant fashion time capsule. Whether it’s knee-high lace-up leather boots, kohl-rimmed eyes, black suspenders, or, of course, plenty of crucifix chokers, the style formula of the three teen witches at the heart of the story has never lost its subversive charm.
How to Watch: Stream on HBO Max.
