In a conservative, traditional atmosphere such as Japan, you wouldn’t expect a dramatic and flashy style such as the gyaru style to exist. For this reason, gyaru holds such a special place in Japan’s fashion culture, being the fashion rebels they are. These days it’s considered normal to walk down the streets of Japan and expect to see a gyaru. Not only is it a huge statement on progressive culture, the style holds a prominent place in advertisements and media. Its popularity has stretched on for more than two decades, still going strong.
The gyaru style started in the 1970s and gained popularity in the early 2000s. It consisted of girls wearing dramatic makeup and having bleached hair, decorated nails, and hyper-preppy outfits. The name gyaru is the literal katakana pronunciation of the american word “gal.” It grew among teenagers in Shibuya inspired by American style and culture combined with the preexisting kogal, school uniform style. It was a form of rebellion to the oppressed youth in Japan at the time. The culture was to go against the traditional beauty ideals and attitudes young women had to shift to. “I just think their outfits are loud and dramatic. They look really unique and cute, but the societal views on them are very harsh.”
The makeup style is made up of harsh contour, thick false lashes, and droopy eye liner. It can be compared to the US and UK’s 2000s dramatic style of makeup. Most gyaru outfits consist of garter stockings, shorts and mini skirts, crop tops, and leg warmers. Although this list sounds like pretty normal clothing, the finishing outfit is jeweled with wacky accessories like huge studded belts, platform boots, and atypical matched-up colors. In gyaru subculture, there are many themes to which a girl can dress, including a tropical theme, baseball theme, harajuku theme, and many more. The huge subculture of gyaru leaves lots of space for fashion enthusiasts to fit in wherever they feel comfortable. It’s a huge reason why the gyaru community is open to many people.
It’s hard to really pinpoint a gyaru’s style despite following a similar flow of slang and makeup. Some gyaru substyles can look completely different from each other. The hime gyaru style is a frilly, glamorous, lolita gyaru that consists of dresses. Many describe this look to be cute and doll-like, which is the complete opposite to the B-Kei style. The B-Kei style has a more streetwear tone with hip hop and 2000’s American style. Despite these huge differences in appearance, the two substyles still share common gyaru points: big hair, dramatic makeup, tan, big eyes, and 2000’s inspo on any outfit.
Other than making a huge statement, the style has affected Japan in many positive ways. Its eye-catching visuals take hold of famous Japanese musicians, models, and idols, creating a successful form of commercialism that typically attracts a younger women audience. Its stand-alone style has inspired many fashion and makeup companies to follow in their trendy footsteps. Not only does the style represent a huge economic status, it also represents the strength and pushback of traditional ideals of women. Gyaruism rejects the modest and polite image that most feminine media portrays, giving the younger generation a new spark of self-identity.
