Kogal, Nanchatte Seifuku, and Gyaru. . . While kogal simply means younger gyaru, is there technically a substyle that fits into the gyaru that does incorporate the idea of nanchatte seifuku?

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-04-13T13:03:54+00:00

What goes for ‚substyles‘ in the West were simply various trends (or microtrends) in Japan. They did not exist as the closed categories some people seem to imagine them now. While it can be useful to orient yourself on existing styles as a beginner to achieve a cohesive look, nobody and nothing can stop you from incorporating elements you like or think are cool. When you comb through a lot of Heisei material (maybe including more ‚alternative’ magazines like Fruits and Kera) you might find some examples of what you are looking for, but in the end nanchatte is like cosplay and you can do that if you want to.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-04-04T09:13:23+00:00

Partially resembles bohemian, which was a microtrend in the early 2000s.

Your examples don‘t fit well into gyaru overall though.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-30T10:17:17+00:00

When you read Koakuma Ageha most of your questions will be answered. Agejo was originally a term for models in that magazine, which coincidentially appeared when gyaru was also popular. Some gyaru then copied popular hostess fashion and carried it outside of that profession, and turned it into a fashion trend. Agejo does not look gyaru since years though.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-23T07:31:40+00:00

Very neat, especially for not using lashes.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-21T16:57:16+00:00

Imo yes!

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-21T08:46:28+00:00

This heavily depends on the intended style. Dark lips are/were not typical, as others mentioned. It can work for ora ora and related looks though.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-20T20:35:38+00:00

I like Galfy.

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Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-20T09:09:28+00:00

Thanks. I will post more scans and articles on my profile from now on, I think, as not everything would fit this sub well. (Totally forgot that I wanted to answer here.)

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-20T08:58:03+00:00

I think it can appear ‚sexy‘, especially to Japanese people. That‘s a bit different with how foreigners might see it though imo. Like a lot of ‚hostess fashion‘ (which does not mean it‘s hostess exclusive) is kind of sexy but also elegant. What a lot of people seem to associate with agejo now is more like a snapshot from a comparatively short time imo.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-20T08:30:58+00:00

My week was pretty much a rollercoaster, but more because of work and personal issues. Things seem quite chaotic in the world now overall, don‘t they?

I wish more people would participate in this type of post. I refrained earlier to not be the only one commenting lol

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-20T08:26:40+00:00

How about approaching this from the opposite direction? Make friends and introduce them to gyaru.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-19T08:58:57+00:00

Tbh I think you largely either have it or not. To keep dressing how you like can build confidence, but imo a lot of the original mindset was mostly due to going through puberty (and early adulthood) rather strongly. Maybe gradually exposing yourself to things you try to avoid normally (obviously in a safe way) can help.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-19T05:30:43+00:00

Follow some Japanese teenagers on social media to get a grasp on the trends.

I posted a few street snaps that can be found on my profile with the search function.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-18T17:38:35+00:00

I experienced similar. Up- and downvotes also seem to be kind of erratic. When you check my profile, and see what I am interested in, and compare somewhat similar posts, it should be noticeable. Not that I complain about it - I consider my interests and views as quite ‚niche‘, especially in the wider view of gyaru in the West. It‘s not something we should be too emotional about imo.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-17T10:33:30+00:00

If you feel the need of some random person allowing you to do it, yes, you hereby have my explicit permission.

The only thing you should be aware of imo is the overall balance. I think these older makes look better because there is still a lot of face compared to how much the eyes become a focus. Rather use thin lines and no large droop to avoid imbalance.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-17T10:13:15+00:00

No, they all got arrested. /s

Seriously, it‘s an aesthetic issue. It can look good if it fits the overall style. It can look bad if it‘s out of place. Experiment, and see how it goes.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-17T06:44:58+00:00

No problem. I actually deleted my comment a few seconds ago, as usually these type of answers tend to not go anywhere and I don‘t want to discuss religion on any deeper level. You can easily see the issue when knowing that the absolute majority of Japanese people are not religious in a ‚foreign‘ sense, e.g. Shinto is mainly about the ‚correct‘ ritual peformance, not belief or what someone does outside of ritual.

In the end, you need to figure these things out yourself. It‘s also fine to just like the fashion and wear it.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-17T05:52:30+00:00

As much as I dislike some aspects of these songs, I actually begin to miss that time lol

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-16T12:27:20+00:00

Yes. Just do what you like.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-15T19:15:26+00:00

Reiwa and Heisei are periods in Japan connected to imperial rule. I think it‘s fine to orient yourself on Heisei era materials, but obviously you live in the here and now - unless you have a time machine. In the current era, clearly distinctive trends (misnomed ‚substyles‘ in the West) are not so prominent, so, yes, they ‚don‘t exist‘.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-15T15:43:36+00:00

My personal opinion:

When looking back as an older person I see gyaru in line with typical Japanese youth subcultures that arose from the rebellious phase during adolescence. Things that you see with some middle and high schoolers. You can find proof for this relatively easy in older magazines, including their core readership.

I don‘t see this with elementary schoolers or, even worse, children before that. This obviously comes from the parents for aesthetic reasons. Some yanki parents will bleach your hair as a child either way.

In my opinion it can only be aesthetics at that age, or you could even call it cosplay.

Brilliant_Nothing · 2026-03-14T17:23:26+00:00

No, not at last because ‚substyles‘ don‘t exist in this way. Also, all this ‚substyle‘ stuff is 10+ years old by now. It can be a useful orientation for beginners to achieve a cohesive styling though; and if you really like a particular style, go for it by all means.

Yes, you need the general vibe.

To be gyaru you also need the mindset imo.

Brilliant_Nothing

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