Z
Zhao Yun
Guest
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</td> </tr> <tr><td class="content_subtitle" align="left"> Tue, Jan 26, 2010
The Straits Times </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15">
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Risque uses for school uniforms <!-- TITLE : end--> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" height="15">
</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="bodytext_10pt"> <!-- CONTENT : start --> By Shuli Sudderuddin
A Raffles Girls' School (RGS) uniform is going for $136.68. A Cedar Girls' uniform is $124.43 and a St Joseph's Institution outfit is $101.81. An eBay seller has been retailing uniforms from secondary schools and junior colleges here - but the catch is who his target buyers are.
The uniforms are categorised as costumes and re-enactment attire. They are labelled with their school's name followed by words like 'Adult Girl Spanking' or 'Adult Boy Spanking'. The seller, who wanted to be known only by his username sgskyboy, said: 'Most of the people buy uniforms to wear for party or function purposes. However, they are also used in role-play.
'I am told by overseas buyers they often play the roles of headmaster and student. Spanking or caning is one of the main types of play involved.' He said he started selling uniforms online in 2003. He moved onto eBay a few years later when free auction sites started to shut down.
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4" class="bodytext">Screen captures: Ebay
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> 'I was clearing my old school clothes and noticed there was a lot of interest in the uniforms, both locally and overseas. Since 2005, most of my buyers have been foreigners,' he said. He has uniforms for sale from more than 20 schools, including River Valley High School, St Patrick's School, Anglican High School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School.
He buys most of them from uniform shops. He also sells pieces that he gets from second-hand shops and school leavers. His takings are nothing to sniff at. Most new school uniforms cost $25 to $38 and he sells them for at least 50 per cent more, depending on demand.
For example, an RGS uniform retails for about $25 at its supplier, Bibi & Baba. Sgskyboy retails it for $136.68 each. For girls, pinafore-style uniforms are the most popular, while for males, uniforms with shorts are most sought after, he said. Checks with uniform suppliers showed that buyers do not need to be linked to a school to buy its uniform. Sgskyboy said he gets about one buyer a month purchasing five to 10 sets of uniforms - giving him a profit of between $50 and $200.
He has both male and female buyers, usually between the ages of 15 and 35. They are from the United States, Australia and European countries like Sweden. He has received only a few complaints. He said that if any school complains to him, he will not sell its uniform. Most schools The Sunday Times approached did not wish to comment on the matter.
But Madam Heng Boey Hong, principal of Nanyang Girls' High School whose uniform is on eBay and going for $124.43, said: 'The school uniform represents the school and should be worn with pride and decorum. The uniform represents the wearer's and the school's identity, and members of the public must respect that.' Psychologist Daniel Koh said the appeal of Singapore uniforms to overseas buyers is their novelty factor.
'Foreigners would prefer to use our uniforms rather than their own as a uniform is something you are taught to respect. They would not disrespect their own uniforms by wearing them for parties or fun purposes,' he said. Singapore Cosplay Club president Stephanie Loh, 26, said that wearing local school uniforms falls under costuming rather than cosplay as it focuses on cultures other than Japanese anime.
In cosplay, people wear costumes representing characters from Japanese fiction, such as anime. 'There are some people who like to collect uniforms without wearing them and it may be because they want to learn more about the culture of a place,' she said. 'As for the fetish aspect of wearing them, this is less likely to catch on in Singapore, which may be why foreigners are more interested in them.'
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The Straits Times </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15">
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Risque uses for school uniforms <!-- TITLE : end--> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" height="15">
A Raffles Girls' School (RGS) uniform is going for $136.68. A Cedar Girls' uniform is $124.43 and a St Joseph's Institution outfit is $101.81. An eBay seller has been retailing uniforms from secondary schools and junior colleges here - but the catch is who his target buyers are.
The uniforms are categorised as costumes and re-enactment attire. They are labelled with their school's name followed by words like 'Adult Girl Spanking' or 'Adult Boy Spanking'. The seller, who wanted to be known only by his username sgskyboy, said: 'Most of the people buy uniforms to wear for party or function purposes. However, they are also used in role-play.
'I am told by overseas buyers they often play the roles of headmaster and student. Spanking or caning is one of the main types of play involved.' He said he started selling uniforms online in 2003. He moved onto eBay a few years later when free auction sites started to shut down.
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="120">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> 'I was clearing my old school clothes and noticed there was a lot of interest in the uniforms, both locally and overseas. Since 2005, most of my buyers have been foreigners,' he said. He has uniforms for sale from more than 20 schools, including River Valley High School, St Patrick's School, Anglican High School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School.
He buys most of them from uniform shops. He also sells pieces that he gets from second-hand shops and school leavers. His takings are nothing to sniff at. Most new school uniforms cost $25 to $38 and he sells them for at least 50 per cent more, depending on demand.
For example, an RGS uniform retails for about $25 at its supplier, Bibi & Baba. Sgskyboy retails it for $136.68 each. For girls, pinafore-style uniforms are the most popular, while for males, uniforms with shorts are most sought after, he said. Checks with uniform suppliers showed that buyers do not need to be linked to a school to buy its uniform. Sgskyboy said he gets about one buyer a month purchasing five to 10 sets of uniforms - giving him a profit of between $50 and $200.
He has both male and female buyers, usually between the ages of 15 and 35. They are from the United States, Australia and European countries like Sweden. He has received only a few complaints. He said that if any school complains to him, he will not sell its uniform. Most schools The Sunday Times approached did not wish to comment on the matter.
But Madam Heng Boey Hong, principal of Nanyang Girls' High School whose uniform is on eBay and going for $124.43, said: 'The school uniform represents the school and should be worn with pride and decorum. The uniform represents the wearer's and the school's identity, and members of the public must respect that.' Psychologist Daniel Koh said the appeal of Singapore uniforms to overseas buyers is their novelty factor.
'Foreigners would prefer to use our uniforms rather than their own as a uniform is something you are taught to respect. They would not disrespect their own uniforms by wearing them for parties or fun purposes,' he said. Singapore Cosplay Club president Stephanie Loh, 26, said that wearing local school uniforms falls under costuming rather than cosplay as it focuses on cultures other than Japanese anime.
In cosplay, people wear costumes representing characters from Japanese fiction, such as anime. 'There are some people who like to collect uniforms without wearing them and it may be because they want to learn more about the culture of a place,' she said. 'As for the fetish aspect of wearing them, this is less likely to catch on in Singapore, which may be why foreigners are more interested in them.'
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