N[>]avigate // learn

Looking through one's demographics, one can theorize character. That is not the determining factor, however. Is it one's love for oneself or for one's friends which influences the greatest? Ah, how one's self is highlighted through one's sense of fashion. What looks 'good' or 'bad' to purely subjective. What actresses model may fair poorly on one's sisters. Life has too little answers ... just stay home

F[>]ashion // stylesheet

The "Ami fashion sense" is one of maturity and subtlety with a hint of traditionalism. Thankfully, her color scheme does not focus primarily on blue or light-blue (as in seramyu) so we get to see her in a variety of hues and colors. But its her hair which really defines her. Anime animators have admitted that Ami's hair is the most difficult to replicate, crowning Ami the "queen of inconsistency" episode-to-episode. In this section, I'll investigate the evolving styles of our maturing young Ami through "anime eyes" with cropped screenshots *thankfully* provided by the oracle.

E[>]arly // classic (Ep. 8-46)

The "classic" season of BSSM is rightfully titled in terms of Ami fashion; her style includes mostly-covered skin, semi- formal wear, a very concrete hair style, and an assortment of colors. We mostly see her sporting her Juuban school fuku (uniform):

Classic - SuperS Uniform: ruffled, v-neck, sleeved white blouse with attached bandana-like scarf around neck lining. Scarf is held in position by an attached pink bow. Sleeves end in blue and white striped pattern that fits tight around skin. Comes with long, almost ankle-length blue skirt with supporting blue bow in the back.

The majority of Ami's clothes include skirts, dresses, and button-down shirts. You'll rarely see her sporting anything above the knee. During the summer season, Ami's bathing suits are usually one-piece patterns. Casual usually consists of summer dresses with tasteful and reasonable skin exposure. Winter months encourage the wearing of pants and jackets. Sweaters are generally very baggy and loose-fitting. Jackets are usually worn over solid-colored shirts. Pants have wide waists and are also loose-fitting. There is a very 80's feel to this style.

Ami's main color scheme is usually bright, warm colors (pinks, yellow, oranges). But she does not forget about her light and dark blues! Ironically, her more "modern" outfits are usually blue-oriented. You may recognize that Ami is not afraid to mix-and-match different colors in her outfits. She has worn bright-orange pants with a magneta turtleneck covered by a light-blue jacket.

Hair wise, things are a bit stiff. There is very odd flow in the front and the back. Her overall shape is very round and full but does appear to be layered at times. Ami's hair very neatly-cut, reflecting a "bowl-like" shape because of its very even consistency, texture, and design; much attention is given to the front part rather than the back. Bangs are very evident in the front with a part usually on her left-side. Rarely does Ami wear hats (sometimes in the summer) but she can be found wearing bandanas across her forehead.

I find Ami's early style very typical of her character. She is shy, indecisive, and unsure of herself. Her emphasis on length and bagginess evoke a sense of insecurity in her physical beauty. Frequently, we see her wearing patterns or modeling odd-color mixes both of which draw attention away from her face. Hair is very conservative and remains that way throughout the series. There are slight changes between artistic directors but the "bowl" shape remains constant. When Ami, Usagi, and Rei become closer, however, Ami's style does feature some tight, figure-fitting wear; her blue summer dress in Episode 15 and shirt/dress combo in Episode 9 are my favorites. Both outfits combine elements of Ami's original tradition style and a new appreciation for herself, her body, and her beauty.

G[>]rowing // romance (Ep. 47-89)

Ami's style retains its conservatism as we moved in the second season. There are a lot more scenes with her in her school uniform or sailor suit and we do get some repeats from the "classic season"; However, she does spruce it up a bit with some interesting color combinations, cuts, and tops. We see a gradual shift to more modern wear.

Ami experiments with a fit tighter-fitting garments and some modern cuts coordinated with her traditional loose clothing. We find she had more in her closet than we expected! She wears stockings, skirts and shorts above the knee, some sleeveless tops, and even some body-hugging sweats.

Ami takes more risks in her color choices, fearing not to mix pinks, yellows, and blues all in the same combination! I love her emphasis on lighter colors in this season because it makes me think she's a lot happier with her friends. Other than her uniform, there are only a few outfits with are blue-based (which includes my favorite from this season).

Ami's hair seems very bigger this season! You can definitely see a difference in the fullness and thickness of her hair. If you'll look at the middle picture below, her hair is taking a rounder shape with different layers. I love the flow of her bangs and how thing start big in the front and get smaller in the back. There's still a great inconsistency from episode to episode (based on artist) but I think they all understand that her hair is not flat!

Although I think this is Ami's oddest fashion period (I actually hated looking at her when I first watched this season), I still love her attention to color and variation. She is not afraid to mix and match very distinct styles and colors and takes some chances with a few things she wears. I enjoy her mix of different cuts and fits on her tops and bottoms. She is really growing as an independent woman with a distinct style. But sometimes, her tops are ... a little questionable.