Sleepy Kitsune: July 2012

Amuro:

A girl who chooses to follow the look of Namie Amuro...who is rumored to have started the kogal fashion trend with her tan skin and light brown hair and pre-disposition to wear tiny skirts and high boots.

Amekaji-American Casual = American brand casual wear, includes Uggs!

B-Gyaru:

Despite popular belief, B-Gyaru aren't trying to look like Black women, they are copying R&B artists who are predominately African American. The style is distinguishable only by a very dark tan(whereas Yamanba/Ganguro/Gonguro are mostly tan make-up or bronzer, the B-Gyaru tan is 100% permanent with upkeep of course) The hairstyles are mostly micro-braids, cornrows, and almost always extensions.

B-Kei:

Definition: Literally B as in breakdance (b-boy, b-girl in the west etc). Also features reggae style clothes and clubwear, can be pale or tanned. Dancehall is popular with B Gals. Hair is often braided and side ponytails are very popular. Ra-ra skirts, tube tops and sports wear are commonly worn, as well as any other hip-hop style clothes. In Shibuya, it is said that B-kei hang out in a different area to gyaru and they don't mix, so there is obviously a difference between hardcore B-kei and gals that sometimes wear hip hop fashion.

Banba:

Definition: Barbie Style (Manba) Almost extinct now. Saw a brief resurgence in the fall of this year with the banba trend. This could be seen as a lighter version of manba, but is really a style in it's own.Clothing originally started out as literally bright, 'Barbie Style' clothes, like a bright pencil skirt, platform sandals and a bright shirt. Banba then moved on to general club wear and were often seen in popular Psyche brand Shanit Core during it's boom last year. One variety of banba includes Bosozoku (Biker) BanbaThe style is much more raaku (rock) than the previous gal styles. The style is characterized by fishnet and bright colors,lots of tropical print and Hawaiian-inspired clothes (Alba Rosa) but most importantly high stiletto boots and as much streetwalker apparel as a gal is allowed outside of Las Vegas. Not to be confused with Manba, though the hair styles are very similar. Hair tends to be either natural or neon colours, often with a side-swept fringe (bangs) and curls or braids.The teased bee-hive-esque do seem to be a favorite (think Elvira) as well as the bright colors and bleached hair.A Banba can be classified by pale or dark skin depending on preference, but it is thought that you are considered banba with a considerable tan. Make can be light or heavy, but usually banba have light pink lips instead of white. Included the usual white under/over eyes and on nose, although the amount is up to each person, there doesn't seem to be a standard as long as it's not block white like manba. Diamantes in the corners of the eyes are ok too.stickers and glitter applied to the cheeks. Banbas wear bright, solid colors and white, but less heavy and more shimmery eye and lip makeup.

Baika/Bozosoku/B-Gal/B-Girl:

The B stands for "black", it's a style that's inspired by hip hop clothing, but less gangsta/streetwear and more bling-bling. Also it's more flashy and feminine than a lot of the hip hop wear you see in the West. A prominent brand is "Shoop" - with the defining slogan "Real black so cool". As far as I know it had its peak in 2004.Biker style is characterized by lots of black/bright colors, and leather, chains, and plaid. The style is usually isolated to Banba/Bambas, but there are exceptions. The style is surprisingly feminine and nods to the Vivienne Westwood-punk-bondage styles of the 70's/80's in the U.K.Light white panda make-up is applied to the corners as well as some black liner for contour. The hair is usually similar to banba style but can also be cornrows/braids/or faux-hawks. A popular follower of Baika style is Hiromi Endo who epitomizes it with her fierce expression and up until recently jet black hair...which is uncharacteristic for a GAL to remain raven-headed.

Cocogyaru:

A cocogyaru can be any of the gyaru styles, provided that they mostly adorn their self with the brand Cocoulu.

Ganguro/Gangyaru:

Although Gan-gyaru is also another word or ganguro, I’m using it as a place holder here for the 2001 – early 2004 time. The end of this is much like gyaru. Circa: 2001- 2004, Inspiration:Natsumi Yoshida.Moderately tanned gyaru. One of the first styles to emerge when "Kogal" began tanning more heavily. They tend to wear GAL brands as well as whatever the new trend is.Footwear is seasonal, but I can tell you go-go boots and tube top skirts are out.The hairstyles usually lean more towards soft waves or stick straight hair with plenty of volume or spiral curled ends.Fake nails are a must or at least some hint of a manicureThey take contouring make-up (the white on the bridge of the nose and through the eyes) to a new level.

Ganjiro/Shiro-Gyaru:

This style pertains to any GAL who chooses not to tan but follows all of the other gal trends.(like cocogyaru) They even go above and beyond the call of duty to remain "bihaku"(beautifully white) and apply sun-block. Some ganjiro choose a light bronze skintone but never tan religiously. It's not the tan that makes you GAL it's the attitude and way of carrying yourself...as well as the fashions you tend to wear.Ganjiro can still be any of the previous fashions other than Gonguro and Ganguro, some even slick on orange make-up and pretend to be Yamanba for a day...many Yamanba are very pale under all the make-up.

Gonguro/Ganguro/Gongal/Buriteri:

This style like Ganguro is taken up a notch. This style came a little after ko-gal, and was much more extreme. A few major brands: Egoist, Cocolulu, and Esperanza. Inspiration: Buriteri (she was definitely not the norm, but she was an idol) Circa: 2000This style requires a super dark tan,the only prerequisite.Hair was usually short, and often curly, and was usually colored a light brown..Sometimes bleached white or silver streaked hair is also common.Some of the more permanent styles today include rock and military (lots of black and camo print, think models like Hiromin), b-gal (hip-hop fashion) and surf (tees and tanks, denim bermuda shorts, slip-on sneakers).Mini skirts from Egoist (as well as other brands) and short dresses were worn, often with a long coat, and almost always with incredibly high platform boots or sneakers. Makeup consisted of some subtle-ish white around the eyes, as well as white and black eyeliner, lips were white colored, and making faces darker with makeup was at the height of its run as fashionable.

Gyaru Mama:

Basically the same style as Gongal, except that it was won by young mothers in their 20’s or late teens. Many of them also dressed their children in stylish brands. Circa: 2000

Himegyaru:

it is a style characterized by pink make-up and long eyelashes as well as either tan or very light skin.Huge hair in a bouffant/beehive is practically the uniform. Hair is teased up on top and curled tightly in spirals on the bottom. Hair color is always caramel, black, or dark brown. Rarely is hair dyed white and never unnatural colors.Himegyaru wear Liz Lisa typically because the brand sums up the style. Lots of fur and rich materials as well as lace and velvet are common. High heels are always a must, as well as a good structured handbag preferably white, black, or pink. Animal prints as well as rhinestones, roses, orchids, and other flowers. Pearl and cameo inlays and beadwork on nails is a big trend. Casual Himegyaru can be confused with Oneegyaru.

Variation: Himekaji (Casual Hime):

More like Onegal, includes things like silk camisoles, mini skirts and shorts, blouses, etc. People in casual hime often have their hair down and curled. Really the only time it's acceptable for himegal to have straight hair is if your hair is short or it's partially up.

Kogyaru/Kogal:

A high school girl who chooses to hinder her skin tone and hair color to go against standards set by her school to dictate what she wears or doesn't wear, kogal are set apart from others because of their need to stay "Kawaii" (Cute) ?and one step ahead of fashion trends.The earliest incarnation of the style, kind of its roots. I’m not saying that there weren’t some ganguro at the time, but for the kogals, school uniforms were the norm. I want confirmation of this, but I don’t think that kogals had as much white eye-makeup, maybe a little, but the big thing was that they had tan skin and blond or light brown hair. Some had so much bronzer on their faces that it looked like a mask. Loose socks are a must, usually worn with a very baggy sweater and loafers. They probably invented the word kawaii. Inspiration: Namie Amuro, an Italian / Japanese pop star with dark skin. Circa: mid 1990’sBut I think to have the status "kogal", if you're not living in Japan, is to simply be a gal who is currently in high school. I say this because if one wears a Japanese school girl uniform and trying to come off as "kogyaru" you'll just look like a cosplayer. And nothing more. Now, I could be wrong, (some one please correct me if I'm thinking too much) but I think to be kogal in the west is to follow one or more of the gyaru styles. For example, if you are a high school manba who normally dresses in the Cocolulu brand, then your title in the gyaru world is "kogal/cocogyaru/manba.

Manba:

Definition: A shortened name for the original 90's style of Yamanba. Has undergone yet another change since 2004.The updated version of Yamamba, is for the most part exactly the same only the thicker white make-up is much more powdery and blended better. brighter and more varied coloured eyeshadow, light to extreme panda makeup, coloured eyelashes and diamantes around the eyes. Often the clothing is Alba Rosa, Cocolulu, and fairly non-beach related clothing. However, 4 inch strappy sandals and Capri pants are all too common. Clothing ranges from neon clubwear to sweat suits, but no longer includes the hawaiian accessories or huge amounts of stickers under the eyes.Hair tends to be bright, flourescent colours or blonde and is cut in a mullet style or braided.

Oneegyaru:

Definition: 'Older Sister Gal' A gyaru who is typically in her early to mid twenties that has reformed her previously wild GAL style into a sophisticated, and understated form of Ganguro. Many oneegyaru still tan and dye their hair light brown or blonde but choose to wear labels and goods like Louis Vuitton, YSL, and Chanel, Coach.Usually seen among "graduated" ganguro/ganjiro, 20-25 years old. More sophisticated than ganguro, with a particular affinity for designer labels and goods. Onee-gals may be tanned or light skinned.A classier style, very similar to regular gyaru-kei in fashion, but including only sexy or very stylish clothes, so for example you would wear a camisole instead of a tshirt, and heels are really the only footwear. There is a HUGE emphasis on designers brands, this is really the main point of Oneegal. Brands are very, very important as well as social status, which go hand in hand really. Don't do this unless you have plenty of money!

Onii Kei:

Definiton: Literally 'Older Brother Style'As far as I know, at first there were the onee-gals - described above. Then some Shibuya boys started a style to match - onii (older brother, to the onee - "older sister"). And then the gals started copying that boys' style, and it became onii for gals. It's inspired by what you'd see in "Men's egg" etc, a sleek look with somewhat macho elements. (Often you add some feminine accessories like heels to make it look less like crossdressing, but some play actively with the style.)This is actually a style for women or men, so you can guess it's quite generally. On a man, it tends to mean a classier version of Gyaru-oh, leaving behind the brightly coloured hair and clothes of their youth in exchange for plenty of designer brands like D&G, dressing mostly in jeans with tank tops and shirts, of course with some very stylish, smart shoes or boots. Most Onii-kei guys tend to have sunglasses permanently attached to their face if they're not in a club. Obviously cool factor is very, very important to them. On a girl, Onii-Kei basically means something plaid (a shirt or shorts), or a tribal print t-shirt worn with jeans/shorts. Really just a mannish Gyaru style, although some have been known to follow onii-kei exactly as men do.

Magogyaru:

A girl not yet in high school but in junior high who follows GAL fashion. Which means, like kogyaru, that you can follow any of the styles. Or perhaps this is just a person who wants to be more of a cute, less sexy version of GAL.

Rasuta:

Rasta style is big in Japan so of course it is big in GAL style also, characterized by Jamaican flags, red-green-yellow, Bob Marley, and lots of straw handbags or hemp clothing. Not to be confused with B-Gyaru but can be sort of a spin-off also.

Romanba/Romamba:

A style that is too often called "Lolita Gal" but is rather Ro, as in romantic, and Manba who wear lots of pink and lots of lace. Romanba wear lots of Marie-chan and lots of pearls and flowers. Though similar to the idea of the Lolita Style. It is far from it. Typical brands are Pinky Girls and Liz Lisa. The skin tone is always very dark and the make-up is the same as Yamanba.Romamba could almost be called the bastard love child of the ganguro and gothic lolita genres. It features cute, frilly clothes, lots of pink and of course, a love for Marie-chan of Disney's Aristocats fame. Kigirumi are the super-sized character suits that manbas and their posse are notorious for running around in; popular characters include Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty and Pikachu, among others.

Romantic Gal:

sweet romantic clothes

Sentaa:

Definiton: Male version of Manba Named after 'Sentaa Gai' (center street in shibuya), their style varies a lot as they don't seem to be as influenced by trends as manba and banba. Makeup can still include the white 'whiskers' that manba used to draw on their face.Clothes are similar to manba in that it is mainly brightly coloured clubwear, some do still wear hawaiian prints and leis (possibly for novelty value, but this is not done with manba). Hair is often spiked up with a side-swept fringe and in blonde, silver or bright colours. Sentaa or Sentaa Guys as for lack of a better term male Manbas...They wear the same Alba Rosa pants and have the same long lion manes teased up 4 inches. They wear the same make-up and even dress in tons of pink. One common difference is the amount of jewelry accosted by a Sentaa-Kun...usually tons of beaded "raver" bracelets or Madonna-esque jelly bracelets cling to their super tan arms. Flip flops are a must...flat ones.

Saike:

Definition:"psychedelic gal"Well, as the name suggests... tie-dyed stuff, wild hair (often with colourful extensions, wild curls and everything you can think of), bandannas... not really hippie, more rock. At its peak about a year ago

Yanki:

The yanki style is typically combat or stiletto boots, loose pants, and a long jacket often a military one. This style can often can be confused with miruteri (milatary style) which was big during the fall of 05'.

Yamamba:

Definition: The early form of Manba Characterized by over the top make-up and stickers of popular Disney characters or cartoons as well as jewels or stick-on earrings. The clothing style is heavy "I just got back from Hawaii" complete with lei's on wrists, necks, ankles and even in hair. Thick Ganguro style "panda" make-up, and usually orange, hot pink, teal blue, blue or bleached white hair. The usual hairstyle is long with many multi-colored extensions with the common long on bottom short on top hairstyle that is all too frequent in Japan.

Tsuyome Gal:

Definition: Lighter version of Banba Fashion is the same as banba, the only difference is that they have lighter makeup than banba.The term 'tsuyome' can be applied to many things, but in this context tends to mean a lighter version of banba. There are no set rules to this style, it's very general and it can be difficult to tell whether someone is tsuyome or banba. However, tsuyome will always have light pink lip colour at the most, never the block white that some manba wear. Make can be more white than this, it's literally just between regular gyaru-kei and banba...I guess what would be ideal if you were too shy/pale to do full banba. Clothes are same as banba.

Serebu:

Definiton: Celebrity Gal. This is almost the same as Oneegal, but the emphasis is less on designer gear, more on looking glamorous. Which means flashy jewellery and clothes, big sunglasses almost permanently attached to your head. Style icons are J.Lo, Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton, etc.

Gyaru Oh:

Definiton: Male counterpart of Gyaru Hair is often in a mullet style, ranging from light brown to silver to pink! Usual clothes are clubwear, sweats with tank tops or a stylish jeans + tank top + open shirt combo. They don't wear makeup but are usually well tanned, although a tan isn't a requirement.

Gyaru Kei:

General style, which doesn't require a tan, although most gals have one. Fashions can be worn by both Ganguro (tanned Gals) or Ganjiro (untanned Gals). Has many sub-categories, here are some of the most common ones:

*Saike Gyaru-Psyche Gal = Club wear and tie dye, tribal prints etc. Hard/Hard Onee/rock/I don't know how you call it anymore.... A rather rock-inspired style, with the brand "moussy" in the lead. It has a few similarities to Saike, but without the tie-dyed and the too colourful hair - it's still rather wild though. The clothing has more ripped jeans and kind of edgy tops, rock-style belts etc.

Roma Gyaru-Romantic Gal = Gal that wears frilly, cute clothes etc.

Bohemian = Bohemian print dresses, fake fur waistcoat, etc.

Miritari-Military = 'One Point' eg 1 item of camo or military style

Rokku-Rock = Rock style tee, stripes, plaid, skull prints, denim etc.

Rizouto-Resort = General, gypsy skirts, shorts, tees etc. summer clothes.

Marin-Marine = Blue/Red/White stripes, anchors etc, marine stuff!

Haady Gal is purely a creation of Egg and so it barely deserves notation here, but since people talk about it so much: Includes brands such as JSG and Galaxxy, tied in with rock/punk style Gal fashion. Very bright, often multi-coloured clothes and crazy patterns.

Hard/Hard Onee/rock/ I don't know how you call it anymore.... A rather rock-inspired style, with the brand "moussy" in the lead. It has a few similarities to Saike, but without the tie-dyed and the too colourful hair - it's still rather wild though. The clothing has more ripped jeans and kind of edgy tops, rock-style belts etc.

Credit from http://gal-handbook.livejournal.com/4657.html