10 More Gyaru Brands

Gyaru brands come in and out of Shibuya 109 like a revolving door. In comes a new brand, out goes a dearly beloved brand that just couldn't make it (remember when everyone loved W♥C?) in the number one fashion haven. With that in mind it's time to look at some of the brands we didn't look at back in 2012 when there was the little Gyaru Month back on the blog.



Ank Rouge

Following the sweet style and taking cues from the famous Liz Lisa, Ank Rouge follows the himekaji style to a route. It's a little different from Liz Lisa so it's perfect for those girls who love himekaji but aren't a fan of the cookie cutter look that Liz Lisa has a tendency to bring with it.

Popular with: Himekaji, Hime Gyaru, Roma Gyaru
Website





DreamV

Also known as Yumetenbo.

DreamV may not be considered a 'brand' by some but it's cheap, affordable gyaru clothing that ships overseas. It follows himekaji and agejo styles mainly but with cheap shoes and cheap clothes it's easy to mix and match for the perfect look.

Popular with: Himekaji, Agejo, Rokku, Onee
Website





GHOST OF HARLEM

Ghost of Harlem's main aim to make clothing that 'expresses the unusual world'. Now, Ghost of Harlem isn't a Shibuya 109 store and is found in La Foret and Harajuku but it's still a gyaru brand; the girls love it. Sakurina is a huge fan of the brand and models for it. She's also snapped shopping there frequently.

Popular with: Rokku, Harajuku
Website





JSG

JSG is a fun brand (think: Galaxxxy). Whilst it might not fit the gyaru style outright a few items tend to be picked up and used. Standing for Japanese Super Girl the brand is fun with bright prints and bold, brash colours. It's not for everyone.

Popular with: Manba, Tsuyome, B-Gal, Gyaru-kei, Harajuku





JugeETTA

JugeETTA is Liz Lisa's older sister. It has himekaji and roma elements whilst being suitable for the older girls who are afraid that they have outgrown Liz Lisa. It's not as sweet as Liz Lisa and definitely has a more mature look that some girls who can't give up himekaji are looking for.

Popular with: Himekaji, Roma Gyaru, Onee
Website





Laguna Moon

At a first glance, Laguna Moon may not scream, "THIS IS GYARU," at you as it looks somewhat similar to what you could find at your local shopping centre but I assure you, it is. The gyaru who grace the pages of magazines love this brand. This is more suitable for your onee girls.

Popular with: Onee
Website





me Jane

It genuinely makes me sad that I never see girls announce that they're wearing me Jane. They're another onee kind of brand with a celebrity like look. The clothes I've seen are luxurious and more glamourous than that some of the other stores offer. It can be overlooked easily, though.

Popular with: Onee, Gyaru-kei





Princess Melody

Another hime gyaru brand. It's a little more agejo style than the others whilst still being distinctively hime. It's not as elaborate as Jesus Diamante or La Parfait but the dresses are genuinely nice and it's modelled by Himena, one of the leading himegyaru models.

Popular with: Himegyaru





Sexpot Revenge

Dark, gritty and edgy, Sexpot Revenge is another rokku brand. What's unique is that as well as women, this brand also caters to mean and is more likely to be seen on the page of Kera than it is Popteen.

Popular with: Rokku, Harajuku
Website





titty&co.

Things you never thought you would have to say: "I got my shirt from titty." titty&co. is a nice brand that manages to cover a wide range of styles without sitting too much in one substyle.

Popular with: Onee, Roma Gyaru
Website


There are so many gyaru brands! What's your favourite?

Stay sweet. ♥

Liz Lisa A/W 2014 : New Fancy Girl

Off the back of Swankiss' A/W Collection, Liz Lisa have offered a preview of their own collection. Liz Lisa is one of the leaders in sweet and roma gyaru styles and appeals to the non-gyaru market through the use of their sweet and girlish approach to fashion. As always, this has carried over to their A/W collection.


The name of their A/W 2014 collection is 'New Fancy Girl' and envelops the retro girly look that's set to be a big trend in the upcoming season whilst staying with their recognisable Liz Lisa brand. Tartan, floral prints, flared skirts and muted colours are the main points of this collection. It's not overly girly and sweet compared to Swankiss' collection which is a nice surprise!

The key colour trends of this collection are:

♥ Red
♥ Rose Pink
♥ Dusty Green
♥ Brilliant Blue
♥ Bordeaux
♥ Navy

The collection also includes the classic A/W fabric choices such as tweed, corduroy, knitwear, quilting, etc. which is perfect for the cooler weather!

Looking at the 60s trend that is sweeping the current collections there are definitely a few pieces inspired by this time period in the Liz Lisa collection. However, I feel like Liz Lisa didn't quite hit the mark with these. They were close but no dice.




I really feel like the last one is hideous as it's so frumpy! It's definitely 60s but not glam; it feels like something my gran would have worn!

This collection will be available from 26th July instore with further pieces to be added.

Stay sweet! ♥

Swankiss A/W 2014 : Poo Doll

It's a fact that I've never been fond of summer fashion. It's so boring and every year it's the same trends that come in and out. Sometimes a girl just wants to wear something with cute sleeves without burning up whenever the great British sunshine decides to come out and play! I'm growing bored of the same old floral summer S/S prints so I'm deadly excited to see that stores are slowly but surely bringing out their A/W collections.

First up is Swankiss.


The name of their A/W 2014 is Poo Doll. As in 'poodle' but it's a very questionable name in English! I don't think it quite gives off the cute and kitsch retro gal theme that they're looking for! A+ for effort Swankiss, you tried! It just didn't quite work.

60s and retro styles are set to be huge in Autumn & Winter and Swankiss takes this and adds their own girly flair to it. Pearls? Check. Lace? Check. Flared skirts? Check. The collection also includes muted versions of our favourite pastel colours and has a variety of prints.

In some ways, this collection reminds me of a cross between Liz Lisa and KOKOkim. Shibuhara and sweet/roma gyaru can both take pieces from this collection so it'd be interesting to see how both subcultures choose to style these pieces. It's something to keep a watch on and to take inspiration from for sure!

It's very interesting how they've chosen to interpret the 60s. Instead of the bold reds and polka dots I often see from Western designers choosing to emulate this style it's refreshing. Mauve is nicer on the eyes.







The collection is available to preorder from the Swankiss website.

Stay sweet! ♥

Dreamy Bows

Whilst browsing on Tumblr I came across a store that catered to hime and lolita fashion, Dreamy Bows. I've never worn lolita because I personally feel like the style wouldn't suit me and I haven't got the guts to even think of dressing myself in Jesus Diamante but I decided to take a browse around the store anyway. It wouldn't hurt, right?

Wrong.

I ended up blowing far too much money there!

As a UK based importer of Japanese brands I found some surprises there. They stock from DreamV, Chocomint, Angelic Pretty, Dolly Wink, Diamond Lash... I could go on. I had been looking at a pair of shoes that I used to see on DreamV (ironically I can't see them on the store anymore so perhaps they were removed since...) but I had stopped myself from buying them due to sizing issues. DreamV actually had a size chart that broke the sizes down into UK sizes.

Did I crumble and buy them? Oh yes.

Was it worth it?


Yes.

The package arrived within two days and everything was securely wrapped. The shoes themselves came in a cute pink and white plastic bag and were in perfect condition. They even had a Dreamy Bows tag attached to them around the heart shaped heel so it was really easy to remove.

I was really surprised at how quickly they arrived and the size of the box they came in!

The website recommends going one size lower because the shoes are big fitting. I have awkward feet at a UK size 5.5 so I'm forced to usually wear a size 5 or 6. I bought the size L shoes and I promise you that they fit fine. There's even a little room should my big old feet decide they should want to grow.


Honestly, I thought these shoes were going to be a pain to keep on and uncomfortable. I've always had problems with slip on shoes but I've been lusting after these shoes forever so I was willing to deal with those problems. Surprisingly I've never once had these shoes slip off my feet. I've walked up hills in them, I've jumped around with them, I've stumbled around in them and they've always remained on my feet even with cute frilled socks on!

They're also surprisingly comfortable. I had heard that Japanese shoes had extra padding and were more contoured to the foot previously but I had always brushed this off because I've heard a lot of brands say that and fail to deliver.

These actually did. I didn't get any blisters from them and I had no sore feet despite wearing these shoes for hours at a time. I have extraordinarily weak ankles so I fall a lot and I never once fell over with these.


I'd honestly buy from Dreamy Bows again just because of how fast and convenient the shipping was and the fact that they convert shoe sizes for me. They also sell accessories, make-up, wigs, etc. I've actually purchased Chocomint accessories from them and they're exactly as pictured.

The top 5 things on my wishlist are as below:

❥ Curly Split Wig - Honey x Brown
❥ Diamond Lash - Dolly Eye
❥ Dual Strap Lace Bag - Boston Brown
❥ Rose & Pearl Heart Heels - Pink
❥ Super Long Taro Wig - Brown Blend

If you're a lolita they also stock Angelic Pretty items which I know can be a pain importing.

Stay sweet!