Find the Gyaruo substyles here.
Gyaru Substyles (A-Z)[]
Kuro gyaru and Shiro gyaru are not substyles, but rather umbrella terms, Kuro gyaru for tanned gals and Shiro gyaru for pale gals.
3/25 substyles updated and rewritten-
Agejo[]
Agejo, from 'Koakuma Ageha' (the magazine), and 'jo/嬢' (miss/lady), was used as a sort of 'nickname' for gyarus/models that would dress in fashion from Ageha magazine. This means that anything from ageha can be counted as agejo, making the style very broad! However, as it was mainly a hostess magazine, it quickly became popular among them, yet some other gals just liked the look.
Agejo is very glamorous and feminine, but due to it's hostess history it isn't recommended to gyarus under 18. AV (adult video) gals would also commonly wear this type of style. Ageha was also its own brand, but the brand most commonly associated with Agejo is MA*RS.
Amekaji[]
Amekaji, comes from ame (American) and kaji (casual). This style is bright, colourful and inspired by the fictionalised stereotypical idea of America. In it's boom, multiple magazines rushed to feature the style in their pages, with various brands such as COCOLULU and Buzz Spunky being popular amongst amekajis in this era.
Commonly seen in Amekaji is baggy jeans, fun prints, bold text and various accesories. Hairstyles can be anything from just straightened hair to crimped ponytails.
Amuro[]
The Amuro style, named after Namie Amuro was one of the first substyles of gyaru. The girls who would partake in this substyle were nicknamed amuraa. This style, although similar to ganguro, was dedicated to Namie Amuro's appearance. Amuraas would have tanned skin, and lightened hair mostly as light as honey blonde. Their hair would be teased and styled, along with some makeup (usually blue eyeshadow and mascara).
Amuro often gets confused with ganguro because they were both around at the same time, meaning their similarities were more visible than their differences. Many Amuraas are mistakenly labelled as the 'kogal substyle' overseas, as they would be in the hair, makeup and tan whilst going to school and staying in uniform.
Ane[]
Ane is a mature, classy style of gyaru; it is described as the 'Older sister' of Ora-Ora. This style is often popular with older gyaru; including gals from early twenties to mid thirties. Like Onee, this style is mature, yet more daring and rebellious.
Ane gyaru can have a classy finish to a bold outfit. Animal print is common, along with denim and leather.
B-Gyaru[]
B-Gyaru, (with the name coming from b-boys and b-girls, so the B in it means breakdance), is a style that is no longer prominent in gyaru. B-Gyaru takes inspiration from hiphop and other aspects of black culture, sometimes (but not always) going as far as to appropiate it.
Clothing varies on RnB and Hip Hop trends at the time, with sneakers, leopard print, and black/while/gold color combinations being common within the style. B-Gyaru usually have medium to heavy tans, and often have coiled or braided hair.
Banba[]
Banba was developed from manba by Angeleek members. It often features a noticeable tan, yet without the White makeup in the upper eyelid and among the cheek. If it does, it's usually in lighter amounts than manba. Banba was very popular when it was first made, meaning 'Barbie manba'. However, as it evolved, the Barbie part was leaned into more rather than the Manba part.
Banba gals didn't generally wear anything different than Manba gals, yet most outfits had some sort of glam to them.
Bohemian[]
Bohemian gyaru is derived from typical bohemian fashion; it is not typically worn as its own style, rather it is incorporated into a gyaru's look.
The style consists of neutral, earthy and pastel tones, often accompanied with flowers, large prints, and braids. Hair colors can vary from blond to dark brown, and styling is often more natural than other gyaru styles; wigs and wig pieces are not common. Loose-fitting clothing is often worn, along with summer-appropriate styles and wedge/sandal shoes.
Cyber[]
Cyber gyaru is a new style developed by Japanese model Dede. It has not taken off with the wider gyaru community yet, but the term was coined in 2019. It is developed by Ganguro and Yamanba styles from previous decades.
Clothing features bright pink, neon colors and holographic materials. Hair is dyed pink, and can be large with multiple hair pieces. Cyber gal has long, decorative nails, and the style features Hawaiian influence.
Ganguro[]
Ganguro is a broad style of gyaru. The style has almost completely died out in Japan, but many gaijin gyaru have picked up this style in recent years, ensuring it is not completely dead as a style. The term 'Ganguro' is more often considered a broader term for the styles of gyaru which feature white makeup and dark tans, with the style inspiring several sub-style offshoots, such as Yamanba, Manba and Banba.
The style features bright colours, heavy tanning and heavy makeup, and stickers on the face. Contrasting white makeup is often used on the face.
Goshikku[]
Goshikku, or Gothic, incorporates gothic styles into gyaru. It is separate from Rokku, however it is not as widely worn. A casual gothic style also gained popularity in the mid 2010s.
Hair is often blond, dark brown or black; hair can be styled in various ways with wigs being popular. Popular clothing colors include black, gray and occasionally white.
Haaady[]
Haaady, meaning flashy, is a short-lived style from around 2006 until 2011; it was inspired by American and British rock music and 1980s culture.
The style featured neon clothing, bright makeup, dyed hair and printed fabrics. Animal, star, skull and striped prints were all popular with the style. Hair was often dyed blond, and would sometimes have colorful extensions in or be crimped.
Hime[]
Hime gyaru, or princess gal style, focuses on being cute and innocent, creating the 'princess' element of the style. Hime gyaru is often incorrectly linked to Lolita, but they are two separate styles.
Hime gyaru features pink or pastel colors,[1] as well as big hair and very decorative nails and accessories. Fake hair pieces are very common to achieve the large hair look, and hair is usually blond or light brown. Common colors for the style include pink, white and beige. Patterned clothing is popular, as well as long nails, bows and lace.
Himekaji[]
Himekaji is originally a trend of it's own that got popular with gals, and a style that requires less upkeep. The style itself is very similar to that of Roma Gyaru but has its own key differences, including more lace and pink being the most consistent colour used in co-ords.
The style is similar in aesthetic to Hime, but does not go to the same extremes: e.g. nails would be long, but not overly decorated, hair would be dyed and curled, but himekaji does not feature hair pieces as often as its style counterpart.
Ishoku Hada[]
Ishoku gal, blue
Ishoku Hada is an uncommon style, that exists mainly outside of Gyaru and is easily recognized by its abnormal skin colours. This style is meant to be a bit alien-like, with eye droops being less prominent, and rhinestones and stickers used as part of the makeup.
Blue is the most common colour for ishoku gals, but green, pink, and yellow are also used. Hair is also dyed colourfully, and prosthetics are occasionally used to aid in creating an alien appearance. Bright prints are most of the wardrobe, although this style often incorporates kogal and/or manba clothing.
Kogyaru[]
Kogyaru is not a substyle of gyaru but a term referring to gyarus of high-school age. Nanchatte Seifuku is the name of the style using school uniforms as fashion, though it is not limited to gyaru.
Some of the pictures that are mistakenly labelled as Kogyaru in the West are actually Amuro Gyaru.
Kuro Gyaru[]
Kuro Gyaru is an umbrella term for gyarus who tan.
Manba[]
Manba, derived from the original Ganguro style, is similar to Yamanba, but features white makeup above and below the eye. The style has mostly declined in popularity, but is still worn by some gyaru today.
Manba features heavy tans, heavy makeup and white makeup along the eyes, nose and mouth. Hair is often bleached or dyed unnatural colors, and large hair and fake hair pieces are common to get the large look. While Ganguro featured many earthy tones with the objective of looking cool and confident, Manba placed a focus on "kawaii culture" and incorporated cat elements and pastel colours to the style.
Mode[]
Mode is a type of gyaru style, originating from the French word for "high fashion". This style is mature, sleek and classy; it is often worn by older gyaru and worn into their thirties, so the gyaru style can follow them into the workplace.
Pale skin to light tans are common for this look. Hair is sometimes, but not always dyed, and natural hairstyles are popular. Black and white clothing is most common, with bold prints or small amounts of bright color incorporated into the style.
Onee[]
Onee is known as a mature, well developed and sexy gyaru style. It has a focus on brands and brand-names, and is a style regarded for gyaru with a lot of disposable income and a passion for flaunting labels.
This style often features blond or dyed hair, which is often curled. Leopard is a popular print, as well as the style having heavy eye makeup and medium length nails. Tans are usually light to medium, but not essential to the style.
Ora Ora[]
Ora Ora is a tough and rebellious style of gyaru. It continues the Yankii style and it is not uncommon to see tattoos and piercings with this style too.
Dark or black clothing is often worn, with tracksuits and hoodies being a staple of Ora Ora. Hair varies from bleached to natural colors, with styles also varying between curled and shaven off. Light to medium tans are common, and nails are often simple and at a medium length.
Rokku[]
Rokku, or Rock, is a substyle that comes fron the clothing that Rokku Kei bangyas wear. The style is heavily influenced by the music scene, but the style is not restrictive and is quite open to interpretation.
This is one of the gyaru styles that does not require a tan, and is noticeably different from the standard styles of gyaru for the dramatic change in colour scheme, opting for blacks and dark colours over loud bright prints. Dark hair and heavy makeup are seen on Rokku gyaru, with chokers and chains being a common accessory.
Roma[]
Roma, or Romantic, is a casual style of gyaru. It is similar to Himekaji, but is its own style. Roma is still a relatively popular style today, worn by Gaijin gyaru too.
Pink, white, beige and brown are popular colors within the style, with gingham, plaid and polka dots being popular prints. Tans are not as common with Roma, as it has more of a focus on natural looks; nails are often short to medium length with simple decorations, and hair is usually blond or brown with simple styling. Knee-high boots and long socks are often seen with this style.
Romanba[]
Romanba was a short-lived style created by model Ka-Tan, described as a mesh between Hime and Manba. It focused on feminine styles and colors, accompanied with the heavy tanning and makeup of gyaru at the time.
Makeup for Romanba gyaru was often heavy, featured white around the eyes and nose, and hair was bleached blond or pink. The main clothing colors consisted of pastel pink and white, and is often (incorrectly) referred to as 'Lolita Gal' due to the use of lace and accessories.
Shiro Gyaru[]
Shiro Gyaru is an umbrella term for gyarus who do not tan.
Tsuyome[]
Tsuyome is a broad term to describe strong makeup; it is sometimes referred to as a toned-down version of Banba, and has a similar clothing style to it. Tsuyome is still popular amongst Japanese and Gaijin gyaru, as it encompasses many styles that feature heavy makeup. This style focuses on having a cool and sexy image.
This style requires bold makeup, often accompanied by bleached or heavily styled hair. Clothing is often similar to Ane, Kuro and Banba styles.
Yamanba[]
Yamanba is one of the sub-styles derived from Ganguro. It has mostly fallen out of popularity, however there are a small amount of gyaru who still practice the style.
Old school Yamanba featured dark tans and white lipstick, pastel eye make-up, tiny metallic or glittery adhesives below the eyes, brightly colored circle lenses, plastic day glow-colored clothing, and incongruous accessories, such as Hawaiian leis. Modern Yamanba sometimes wear quieter outfits so that their hair and makeup are the focus of their look.
References[]
- ↑ Goss, R. Tokyo - Capital of Cool Tuttle. 2015. p.28 9781462914975