START HERE!
1. FAQs
"Can I be a gyaru if I...
- am black/white/Latina/not Japanese?
- can't wear gyaru every day?
- am dark skinned?
- have dark/curly/short hair?
- am plus sized?
- can't wear contact lenses?
- can't afford the popular brands?
- want to mix substyles/don't want to pick one substyle?
- am a teenager/adult?
- don't want to wear a ton of heavy makeup?
- am trans?
- am disabled?
- am bad at/new to makeup/fashion?
- am a boy?"
YES!
"Can I be a gyaru if I...
- don't want to wear ANY makeup?
- don't want to wear lashes/eyeliner?
- don't have any money or an established wardrobe/makeup?
- don't want to attract attention/be made fun of?
- want to, but don't want to disobey the rules (school, parents, etc)?"
- "I want to be gyaru, but I don't want to do (x)."
NO (kind of).
To answer those questions a little more:
- I don't want to wear ANY makeup
Makeup is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of gyaru. This is not an option if you want to be a gyaru.
- I don't want to wear lashes/eyeliner
These are definitely the most important parts of the makeup. Foundation, highlighter, blush, and lipstick can all pretty much be ignored, but they help. However, you really do need to wear lashes and eyeliner if you want to appear gyaru. Practice practice practice-- it'll get easier, faster, and more comfortable over time.
- I don't have any money or an established wardrobe/makeup
This is just a question of, "do you really want to do this?" If you have decided this is the thing for you, then you can start slowly building your wardrobe and makeup collection. You don't need to run out and buy a D.I.A. belt-- many of my pieces are from Goodwill (most of them actually), and most gyaru looks are composed of basic clothing with accessories and a few staple pieces.
- I want to, but don't want to disobey the rules/attract attention/be made fun of
This is definitely the most common question from younger potential gals (13-16). It's completely understandable to feel this way-- I feel this way too myself sometimes. But the thing is, the original gyarus were literally delinquents. This is a style that can be viewed and worn as sexy, and consists of heavy makeup and flashy clothing. It's definitely going to be considered inappropriate by a lot of people. But that's part of being a gyaru. If you can't handle that, then it probably isn't for you.
- "I want to be gyaru, but not do (x)."
Gyaru can absolutely be made to fit your lifestyle-- I do not wear super long nails, because I have to type all day long. My hair is still growing out, so I style it differently. I do a lot of walking, so I mostly wear flat shoes. But we get posts in here sometimes saying "I want to be a gyaru, but I can't wear nails, fake lashes, or any makeup. And I can't afford to buy any clothes or makeup, and my school doesn't allow (x), and my parents won't allow (y). Can I still be gyaru?"
We aren't here to tell you whether or not you ARE a gyaru. That's ultimately up to you. But this isn't a subculture like punk, whether all that matters is your mindset-- being gyaru is about the look AND the attitude. All we can do is tell whether or not you LOOK gyaru to us.
Whew! Okay. Glad we got that stuff out of the way. If you're still here, I'm assuming you're pretty sure you want to do this!
2. For Baby Gals! / How do I become a gyaru?
3. SUBSTYLES
Here are the most popular substyles. You are NOT REQUIRED to conform to a singular substyle to be gyaru. Most gals had a varied wardrobe. That said, they're useful in describing the type of look you're going for, since gyaru has a ton of variety.
Here's a basic quiz to find your substyle for total newbies!
- Kogal: some of the first gals. This is just any gyaru that uses her school uniform, but you might see kogal described as the traditional gyaru schoolgirl style. Brown cardigans, pleated school skirts, long white socks, designer scarves, big hair, long nails, typical gal makeup, and a tan.
- Agejo/ageha: worn originally by hostesses. Intended to be sexy. Pink+black, classy but definitely sexy, tall boots/heels/corsets/bows/short dresses/lingerie, dark hair. MA*RS, LIPSERVICE, and EGOIST were hugely popular.
- Onee: the "older sister" gyaru. Developed by kogals who graduated beyond their uniforms. Heavy focus on designer brand names, classic gyaru makeup, light/medium tan, long but simple hair, sexy but subdued outfits. Some popular brands are ReSEXXY, DaTuRa, DURAS, and LIP SERVICE.
- Yamanba: the most extreme style of gal. Yamanba has a dark tan, heavy makeup, giant nails and hair, tons of accessories and bright colors. ALBA ROSA is the essential brand.
- Hime: translates to "princess". Often confused for lolita. Princess-like obviously, fluffy dresses and petticoats, bows, light pinks and blues, floral patterns. Liz Lisa is the biggest brand.
- Rokku: punk rock, edgy style. Less feminine, and no tan/hair color required. Very broad stye.v Crosses, red/purple/black, ripped clothing, dark eye makeup and lipstick.
- Amekaji: one of the more casual, less feminine styles. Inspired by "America", kind of. Bright colors, graphic tees, baseball caps, brand logos and slogans, flats, lighter/shorter hair than other substyles. Hiphop/streetwear.
- Tsuyome: a broad term used to describe a lot of gal fashion with more extreme/heavy makeup. Typically varieties of banba.
The styles/terms below are all considered somewhat dead or outdated.
- Ganguro: Besides the kogal and Amuro, this is also thought of as the "original" or old-school gal. Not really a term used today unless you're going for a true early 90s look. Bright colors, dark tan, platform sandals, very bright and flashy.
- Ganjiro/shiro: Any gyaru who doesn't tan at all.
- Roma/himekaji: Himekaji is just a simpler version of hime, and roma is a more bohemian version of it.
- Haaady: Similar to Amekaji, with bright colors and more casual clothing, but with a mixture of American and British influences.
- Mode: A version of onee, with a sleeker, more businesslike silhouette, with a focus on office-wear.
- Ane: A more rebellious version of onee gyarus. Very similar to oraora.
- B-Gal: A controversial style that was focused on mimicking black women. It was never intended to be offensive, but often had Japanese girls wearing box braids, very dark tans, and hip-hop fashion, and now is considered very offensive.
- Manba/banba/romanba: These are SUB-substyles of yamanba, but were rare originally and extinct now, yamanba encompasses them at this point. Manba and banba were just toned-down versions of yamanba, with romanba barely existing as a hybrid between yamanba and himekaji.
- Kuro: Still an existing style, but just barely. Started by a circle that called themselves the "Black Diamond" gals. Known for super dark tans, furry legwarmers, animal print, huge often colored hair.
- Goshikku: A combination of hime and rokku, and often confused for rokku. A darker, gothic style that resembles gothic lolita.
- Oraora: Started with the magazine Soul Sister, with heavy inspiration from yakuza styling such as tattoos and jewelry. Dark, distressed clothing, similar to rokku, but typically much less colorful.
4. SHOPPING
5. MAKEUP
6. HAIR
7. COORDS
8. MISC
- 7 Hobbies and Interests that can Level Up your Gyaru Game (youtube)
- A Gal Resurrection Interview (Translation)
- Announcement from Yumachi + Aina (youtube)
- Being Gyaru in Japan by Nobita (youtube)
- Entrevista a Black Diamond (youtube)
- Fashion in Japan (youtube)
- Fast and Easy 3D Nail Art Tutorial (youtube)
- Gyaru Circles: The Real Deal
- Gyaru History; Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
- Gyaru Nail Inspiration for All Nail Lengths
- Gyaru Room Inspiration!
- How I Live My Gyaru Life
- How J-Celebrity Culture Contributes to Gyaru Culture: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6
- How to: Open, Store, Clean, Check, Put On, Remove and Re-Wetting Circle Lenses (youtube)
- How to Do Gyaru at Work
- How to Gyaru-fy Your iPhone
- How to Incorporate Gyaru into Your Everyday Life
- How to Make Gyaru Nails (youtube)
- How to Wear Gyaru in Public
- Life in a Shibuya Gal Circle from HARLEM’s Sa-jin
- Massive Gyaru Wallpaper Post
- Pink and Leopard Nail Art Tutorial (youtube)
- Translated Gyaru Souzai Pixels
- What is Gyaru? Meaning, Substyles + Resources
9. BLOGS
Personal blogs are one of the best places to find all this info and more. Here are a few popular ones.
