I won't lie; I am pretty inspired by gyaru fashion. I love the way the girls can express who they are and who they want to be simply by their clothing and make-up; each different style seems to give them a new personality. I like following the style and seeing what they're choosing for each season but realistically I do not have the time, patience or money to be hardcore follower. I'm just someone who is inspired by them.
So gyaru. What is it?
Gyaru is the Japanese word for 'gal'. It is a fashion style which is followed by young women in Japan as a style of rebellion. It is named after a brand of jeans which was called 'gals' back in the 1970s but the name has stood the test of time. The style itself is very girly and glamorous; some of the sub-cultures within the style can be a little bit sexy!
Oh, like that ganguro thing?
That is pretty close! Ganguro was once a popular style back in the 1990s but it died away into obscurity back in the 2000s. The ganguro style has since evolved into yamanba, manba and plenty of other styles. There are different types of gyaru away from all of this though.
I see. So how do gyaru typically look?
That depends on the type of gyaru but universally all gyaru like to look 'fake'. Natural beauty has no room in gyaru. It's very rare that you'll see a gyaru with black hair; their hair is either dyed brown or blonde. Some gyaru do dye their hair different colours such as red and purple though. Gyaru make-up has a tendency to be pretty distinctive too. The eyes are made to stand out through black eyeliner and both top and bottom eyelashes. Some gyaru accentuate their eyes further by wearing circle lenses as they make their eyes look larger. Some gyaru also decorate their nails with a little bit more than nail polish; if you saw a gyaru with long nails with little Chanel ornaments on them don't be surprised! Some gyaru love to have tanned skin although the degree of the tan depends on what sub-style the gyaru is following.
Type of gyaru?
Yes, there are different sub-styles within gyaru which I will blog about later. Different styles include himegyaru, agejo and manba. Each style has their own preferences for how they want to wear their hair and how they want to wear their make-up, as well as how they want to wear their clothes! 'Gyaru' is the collective name for the entire sub-style and it can get a little confusing!
Is Kyarypamyupamyu gyaru?
No. Stop that.
All pictures for this post were sourced from Tumblr!
Other Posts In 'February Gyaru Month'
❥ Gyaru Sub-Styles
❥ 15 Popular Gyaru Brands
❥ 9 Essential Gyaru Magazines
why isn't she gal?
ReplyDeleteA lot of people seem to think that Kyary is 'gal' when it reality she isn't. It's probably something to do with her hair and eyelashes but if that was the case then people would consider some lolitas gal. For example this girl, would you consider her 'gal'? Or this girl?
ReplyDeleteI love Kyary and I don't have a problem with not seeing her as 'gal'. Whilst she is a model it's not for gal magazines.