J-FASHION ATTENTION WHORE

As I sit here typing this I can already tell that this post in particular is going to prove quite unpopular. This isn't going to be the most eloquent thing ever but please remember that this is just my own personal opinion.

I feel like a lot of people use J-Fashion as a way to gain attention.


Before you sit down to tell me how wrong I am, you're right to do that but please read this post. This doesn't encapsulate everyone who is in the J-Fashion community. There are plenty of people who fall outside of this category and I think a large majority of the J-Fashion community does.

You're not an attention whore if you post a selfie (c'mon, everyone loves the fuzzy feeling of validation from having people 'like' your photo). You're not an attention whore if you post on social media a lot or if you cause drama or post outfits of the day. Maybe you just like sharing a lot which is perfectly okay!

I'm talking about people who jump from J-Fashion to J-Fashion.

Even then, if you've been in one or two J-Fashion communities that's fine. Great, even! Personal style evolves over time so it's natural to see someone maybe growing tired with their current style after many months and years and moving on to something that is usually a bit different yet similar at the same time.

I call this natural progression.

Maybe there's a different term for this, I'm not sure.

For example, an example of natural progression is my friend who is a gorgeous lolita who asked me on tips for himekaji. It may feel like a big jump from style to style but they also have a lot in common. Another great example of natural progression is Lizzie from Mystic Thorn. The linked post is showing her making some 'baby steps' into hime. Coming from agejo to hime is a natural progression as although the styles are different they're also similar. I experimented and flirted with these rules whilst going for my Ayacon Ball outfit.


People who are SJAWs (Serial J-Fashion Attention Whores) are those who jump from style to style because it's popular or will gain them enough attention. It's an attempt to stay relevant in the fashion community because J-Fashion is both unique and different enough to drag the eye of people who aren't involved and unaccustomed to the unique look of J-Fashion.

Face it: if you're wearing normal clothes with normal make-up or outlandish J-Fashion clothes with J-Fashion make-up which one will net you more attention?

...

I don't think I need to state the obvious answer.

A SJAW will jump from J-Fashion to J-Fashion and they feed off the attention. They're gyaru for 6 months, the next 6 months they're lolita, the following 6 months they're mori, then next they're fairy-kei...

If you truly loved and felt invested into a style there would be no need to jump from style to style in such a small space of time.

There are a lot of arguments that people may come up with in order to defend their notorious jumping from J-Fashion to J-Fashion as an excuse for the real reason of, well, being a SJAW.


No. Do not even go there with me. There may be a case where you feel too old to wear a certain fashion but abandoning that and jumping straight onto another J-Fashion isn't progressive but rather a continuation of absolutely needing attention regardless if it's positive or negative.

There's plenty of examples of older people wearing fashions that people were 'too old' for such as Mao-chan and even Sakurina for gyaru. Misako Aoki, the super famous lolita model and ambassador, is 32. Junnyan is a great example of someone who looks older and is rocking the clothes he wants to wear. Age isn't a reason and is more of an excuse to jump to the next interesting J-Fashion.


Furthermore if you're too old to wear, for example, lolita, is jumping to gyaru going to make things better? Fashion isn't meant for just young people; if it was then everyone over the age 30 would be wearing jeans and t-shirts every day.


Why would you choose gyaru over a Western fashion, for example? As it isn't as exotic as a J-Fashion the clothing we see in the Western world may feel boring in comparison but gyaru, for example, has many elements which are borrowed from Western fashion but with a bit of a twist on it.

If it's not truly about attention then why is it that people always jump to J-Fashion and more recently, K-Fashion?

A lot of people use the argument that Western fashion is 'boring', yet with styles such as onee-gyaru and the now infamous Neo Gal which are slowly progressing towards the Western aesthetic and with many of these Western girls jumping onto these trends, I can't help but watch with distain. When Neogal became the 'new' thing a lot of SJAWs jumped onto it.

Feizl, for example, is another Asian aesthetic yet it's rare that girls jump onto the bandwagon of being feizl because it's not popular and will not net them attention (it's basically the Chinese version of ulzzang which is also on the rise). In fact, people are more likely to tag ulzzang than feizl because, as previously mentioned, it's simply not popular despite being extremely similar to the well known ulzzang movement.


Shironuri is yet to explode in popularity although there are one or two girls who have jumped from other J-Fashions and are now shironuri for no reason other than it's slowly increasing popualarity.

People who were once very prominent and very dedicated to a particular fashion often completely tone down once they have moved to a 'new' fashion.

Upon graduating the increasingly toned down Popteen just last year, Kumicky changed to me a 'mature' adult which meant that some of the very staples of J-Fashion make-up such as false eyelashes were gone. The image she has now is a feminine yet still westernised look. I may be wrong but I have never heard of a prominent figure go from gyaru to fairy-kei, for example, nor have I seen the reverse happen (although there may be cases; I will admit I'm not reliably informed and have no idea which figures were once considered prominent in Shibuhara styles unless you're talking about Kyary or Kimura).

In the gaijin community especially I see girls jumping from these fashions like it's normal, yet never once do Western or other Eastern fashions ever enter their new image. It's always J-Fashion. Lolita to gyaru and vice versa is common and one of the jumps I often see which is one of the ones that doesn't bother me personally; a lot of people discover one and then realise the other fashion suits them a little more afterwards. For myself, it's where the fashion jumps keep happening that an issue arises.


Another common symptom of a SJAW is that no matter what they're wearing it will somehow be related to J-Fashion. A darker, edgier look will instantly be rokku or v-kei. A boho look will be mori. A preppier look will be gyaru. A head bow of a slightly poofier skirt will be instantly labelled as lolita.

First off, there is nothing wrong with using the English equivalents of these words.

People use the J-Fashion term (even if it looks nothing like it) to describe these looks because they want the attention that J-Fashion will bring them. It's the equivalent of girls who tag their photos with everything (non-gyaru tagging everything as gyaru and ulzzang and doll and all of those 'popular' buzzwords) because it will reach more people and show them how unique and special they are.




Of course this isn't a catch all post. For example, a lolita who followed the style for 2 or 3 years before moving onto the 'ulzzang' aesthetic (I'm still not 100% sure how this can be called a style) for 2 - 3 years before moving onto gyaru would fall outside of this threshold. This could be seen as a natural progression as mentioned earlier.

It's hard to define through words and perhaps I don't have the best way to communicate on an issue that is genuinely just irritating not only to myself but a few other people. Personally I was worried about putting this up but the people who will get offended by this post are those who I would personally describe as a SJAW.

I'd love if a discussion on any of the points I've raised could be discussed. There's a few more I personally wanted to say but I honestly do not have the words to eloquently get into aesthetics, reasons, etc. It's possible to like more than one style (I do!) but I can't fathom how expensive it must be to have a gyaru wardrobe and then a full lolita wardrobe, haha!

Stay sweet! ♥

Gyaru Progression 2014

In 2014 I began to take gyaru a bit more seriously and thought I'd do that kind of meme where you post what your make-up looks were over the course of a year just to see how I'd improved!


This starts at March 2014.

March 2014

I'd bought my few gyaru brand and my first pair of DreamV shoes and I was in love with them. Although I didn't have the make-up down I still did a bit of light contour on my face and wore Dolly Wink lashes which was my staple throughout the years.

I've always had a love/hate affair with white eyeliner (ick) on the lower lashline and in this phase I was all about it. Yikes.

I was still too nervous to wear circle lenses with my 'gyaru' look because it felt like a big step although I had started being able to wear lenses by this point (also the day I took this selfie I'd been wearing circle lenses as part of a cosplay so I was a bit wary of keeping them in for too long). Also: half wigs. I'd discovered how magical they were a few months prior and loved them as they made hairstyling super quick and easy.

April 2014

I was in London during this time of year. I'd actually started applying the circle lenses to go out in and loved it. I was able to keep them in for a little longer than recommended too and I felt fabulous. Those cat ears... I loved them soooo much and wanted them to be on trend forever so I stubbornly kept wearing them to try and bring them back.

I had no lower lashes at this time because I was still stuck in the era of, "I LOOK STUPID WITH THESE BOO HOO." I also was wearing that GOLDS Infinity dress as it was my most 'gyaruable' item that wasn't himekaji. Shortly after this I went back into the himekaji route only to fall out of it shortly after.

June 2014

May was a terrible return to himekaji and I refuse to talk about it as I feel so dumb looking back at it.

This month was... questionable.

The photo I'm using was from a girls night out where I was too nervous to bring full gyaru out with me but attempted to attempt an eyeshape with black kohl liner which I hadn't worn in years. Coordinate-wise I think there was something a bit 'party-gal' about it but I'm not too impressed with myself.

July 2014

This month was where I started trying to make a serious attempt. I was still relying on wigs for my hair as my hair styling skills are nonexistent. I'd purchased a few of my first ever MA*RS items and applied to an English gyarusa, JEWEL (although I freaked out when they messaged me back and ran away like a coward because I was so nervous and awkward). I put together my first ever agejo coordinate and I'm still in love with it and the items I bought. I think I'll always treasure those first few MA*RS items.

I tried not doing the heavy gyaru make-up I'd began learning but I think that suits me more which is a lesson I'd learnt. By this point I'd stepped away from Dolly Wink and was using JEWERICH lashes which I'd purchased for my Junko cosplay. I also had lower lashes from Diamond Lash at this point so... ~improvement~.

August/September 2014

As much as I loved agejo I went into experimenting with hime for a ball outfit. I learnt a lot during this phase.

I began doing my nails again and I learnt how to use my half wig to make my hair huge and with lots of POOF. I was wearing six types of wigs on my head including two fringes and two rope wigs, it was crazy. I had also gone back to using the eyeshape I really loved and purchased my first Jesus Diamante item.

I had a lot of fun researching hime that month.

October 2014

I put two pictures down as I did a lot that month. Both codes are MA*RS because I was in love; the first code was the same one from July but improved. I had better jewellery and a better understanding of how to use my half-wig to make my hair have more volume. I also became a lot more comfortable with how I posed in photos and what to do!

I also began to experiment how to mix other fashion brands into codes - I wore Harajuku brand KOKOkim with MA*RS and it worked a lot better than I had anticiapted. Codes aren't always my strongest point but I was very proud of that evening. I'd also tried mixing some Shibuhara looks together but I'm not personally sure I liked them.

November 2014

I'd done big gyaru hair but I wanted to try going more relaxed for everyday things, as well as using clothes that didn't look gyaru and making everything look gyaru (that turtleneck is MA*RS I'll have you know!!). Natural hair colours have been making their way back into fashion so I attempted something I'd seen by mode brands but with... well, my natural hair. Still undecided on this. It was a experiment but I think it looks a bit creepy.

Still... I learnt something which is what the point of this is all about. Mixing and matching.

December 2014

OKAY, I lie. This is January 2015 but I wanted to use this photo.

I once again began experimenting with make-up. I'd never used lipliner before, I started using lipliner. I also began on experimenting with how to make my lips look bigger as I'm unfortunate enough to have small, thin lips. I experimented with warmer winter codes and overall I feel satisfied. I also used another pair of false lower lashes I'd never tried and felt super satisfied with the result.

Just need to lose weight as I put a lot on!



To be honest I never felt much of an improvement throughout the year until I've seen everything put together. My peak this year was August - October, definitely. Now, for another year to see how I improve.

Stay sweet! ♥

Make-up Shields

One of the things I've always loved about gyaru is how different it can make you look. Sure, it's fake with the heavy make-up and false hair and all of the other additions but it's different. It almost feels like I'm dressing up in some sort of elaborate costume or as my 'true' self that only the addition of a ton of blusher and false eyelashes can bring out. I know that I'm not the only one.

But I also recently realised that I use gyaru as a shield to protect my true self.

It all stems back to a lack of self-confidence and some self-loathing that sits deep rooted within my very core but am I really the only person who hides behind a layer of foundation? Not really. And it's okay to feel like that (to be honest I'd die if any of my real life friends saw me without make-up and I make a ton of apologies whenever I show up without a scrap of it on!). I think that there's a fraction of us girls who do follow the gyaru style to enable us to hide our ourselves from those around her; it's hard to believe I'm the only one who wears it as warpaint!

Looking around some old books I picked up over the years I found Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno which does cover some of the legacy of Buriteri, one of the most famous gyaru of all time, and this particularly struck a chord with me:

'Buriteri never showed her face without make-up. ...... Buriteri would shout back, "I am too shy to show you my real face!" She said doing herself up like that was a tool to hide her true personality. She was actually really shy and inhibited.'

If Buriteri, one of the most famous gyaru pioneers who helped evolve gyaru into what it would eventually become today, was using the gyaru persona and make-up to hide her true self then how many other people are doing it? How many other gyaru are taking off their make-up at the end of a day and falling into bed and burying underneath the duvets? How many other people are using their make-up as a shield?


Sure, the gyaru make-up in recent times cannot even begin to be compared to the highs of ganguro and gonguro and manba but there's still a lot to it. Even though it's toned down and become less about the bleach blonde hair and the fake tans there's still girls hiding behind their make-up.

And why? Why is that?

Is it the pressures of society? Is it the that we feel as though our own beings have no self-worth but only physical worth? Do we not feel as though our make-upless selves are adequate enough?

I wonder how many girls feel the same under their false eyelashes and cheers of, "Agepoyo~! ✩" I know I'm not on my own when I say my false eyelashes are my sword and my circle lenses are my shield.

Stay sweet! ♥

Gyaru vs Ulzzang

The biggest mistake I see amongst J-Fashion enthusiasts is the amount of people who get these two terms mixed up. Whether or not it's through not being educated in the way the two fashions are or through ignorance, it's actually frustrating. There are so many differences between the two that it shouldn't be difficult. I believe the main reason that the two styles get completely confused it because they're both asian make-up styles, and with gyaru toning down compared to old school it's easier than ever to get mixed up between the two.

But the two styles aren't interchangable.

Gyaru is not ulzzang.

Ulzzang is not gyaru.

With the natural beauty that ulzzang covets, most gyaru would be irritated to be mislabelled as following ulzzang trends. Gyaru is about rebelling, standing out and it's a style that is completely fake. Whilst ulzzang uses make-up it's much lighter than that of gyaru.

The two styles that have the most in common and are most likely to be be mixed up and confused is an old favourite of mine, himekaji.

For gyaru I'll be using Yui Kanno as an example.
For ulzzang I'll be using Shin Ae Sol as an example.



Throughout the years gyaru has toned down from it's hair and make-up and is much more relaxed compared to what was all over gyaru magazines back in 2008. Himekaji make-up is definitely much more relaxed compared to what would make it in the past.

Instead of big, bold eyelashes you have more natural looking brown eyelashes and there's a trend towards more natural looking lower lashes. Brown circle lenses are more trendy than blues, greens, and other colours that would be unnatural to asian colours which is a trend that's been in ulzzang for quite some time. Instead of using bold, black liner it's more common to use muted browns and eyeliner on the lower lash line? A thing of the past. It's much more popular to use eyeshadow to line the lower lashline. Blusher is still prominent but there's a trend to place it towards the eye area as opposed to the cheeks.

As for lips? Trusty pinks and neutral colours for lipsticks are still in. Some girls do rock a bright lip for a pop of colour although it's not usually the staple for himekaji girls.

Ulzzangs, on the other hand, tend to go for a even more natural look than this (some exceptions though due to the photoshoot like nature of ulzzangs but standard trend is much more natural looking).

Instead of the carefully groomed and arched brows of gyaru, ulzzang trends point to a straight brow. As for false lashes, some ulzzang to wear the more natural kinds but they absolutely aren't a staple of ulzzang make-up. You could still wear your make-up as an ulzzang girl and still be considered to following the style (whereas a gyaru without her false lashes will absolutely not be called gyaru). Natural brown or black circle lenses are the normal and although a more natural look is favoured, some ulzzang do rock different eyeliner styles; just last year the infamous gyaru 'puppy eyeliner' was trending. Blusher can be used but it's not important and it's usually light to the touch - if anything stains are much more popular. Lip-wise, ulzzang tend to go for a natural lip but the now famous gradient lip is a popular ulzzang trend.

Although the two styles do share similarities there are differences.

Similarities:
♥ Trending natural looking circle lenses in browns
♥ Natural lips
♥ More natural looking eyeliner are trending for both styles presently
♥ Nude tones are trending for both styles

Differences:
♥ Stronger blusher is trending in gyaru compared to ulzzang
♥ Gradient lips are completely ulzzang; gyaru will tend to not favour this trend
♥ An ulzzang can be an ulzzang without false lashes; a gyaru cannot be a gyaru without her false top lashes at minimum and there's a lot of debate whether someone without lower lashes can or cannot be considered gyaru




Himekaji gyaru and ulzzang are very similar when it comes to their hairstyles.

For ulzzang, natural hair colours such as black and browns are favored. It's rare that a ulzzang will choose to dye her hair any lighter than a medium brown and any girls with hair lighter than this tend to be wearing wigs of some sort. Hair is usually kept natural or waved; styling wise the hair is kept in cute, easy to do styles. It's rare that elaborate hairdos or hair pieces will be used.

For himekaji, presently medium brown to light brown hair is trending. Although in the past gyaru were known for having blonde locks but times have changed. Their hair is very rarely straight and will always be curled or waved. It's popular to keep hair in updos such as cute ponytails, pigtails or dual-buns at the moment but it's not to say that the hair won't be worn down. Hairpieces may sometimes be used to add extra body to the hair. Gyaru will tend to use more hair accessories.

Similarities:
♥ Natural colours are trending
♥ Waved hair

Differences:
♥ Gyaru has lighter hair colours trending than ulzzang
♥ Gyaru hair is always curled or waved; it's rare to see them with straight hair, especially in himekaji
♥ Ulzzang may choose to use a full wig whereas gyaru will usually go for a half-wig




All gyaru will follow what is currently on trend, whether they're himekaji, agejo, rokku or whatever. Most gyaru will have a favourite few brands that they will choose to follow; himekaji would be Liz Lisa, Ank Rouge, Swankiss, Larme... there's a lot. Himekaji is 'princess-casual' so they follow sweet clothing designs that a princess may choose to wear on her day off. Each style has their own rules so the gyaru who follow that style will stick to those rules.

On the other hand, ulzzang tend to wear comfy outfits and follow many different brands. One day a ulzzang could be rocking a big, comfy jumper and the next oozing glamour with a pretty dress. It's not important that your outfit is a brand name, so long as it looks good. Ulzzang will always follow Korean fashion trends.

Similarities:
♥ Cute clothing rules all
♥ Outfits tend to be well coordinated

Differences:
♥ Gyaru will follow substyles and trends whereas ulzzang will not. Ulzzang girls may dabble in many different styles.
♥ Gyaru love their brands whereas ulzzang will go for what looks good
♥ Ulzzang cherish comfort over all else



In conclusion although there are similarities between ulzzang and gyaru they aren't the same. Both styles borrow from each other and adapt as new trends come out but they absolutely are not one and the same. Your gyaru brands such as Liz Lisa aren't ulzzang although some ulzzang may wear Liz Lisa. Just because a girl who follows ulzzang wears false lashes she isn't automatically classified as gyaru.

Both styles are different and cater for different demographics. If a girl is gyaru she'll look gyaru compared to ulzzang; although there are similarities visually it's easy to tell the difference.

Any questions?

Stay sweet ♥

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. ♥