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Kogal or Kogyaru (コギャル) refers to both Gyaru who are still students and utilize their school uniforms as part of their style, and the sub-style of Gyaru identified by the appearance of school uniforms.
Kogals are generally younger than most Gyaru and relates mostly to young girls in high school. Kogals are a major part of Gyaru and were the originator of many modern Gyaru styles.
The look of a Kogal is inspired by the idea of a sun-tanned California Valley Girl, and due to this Kogal incorporates a solid base tan as well as bleached blonde hair. Kogals derived their own set of slang terms known as 'Kogalese' which was used by many different Gyaru back at the surfacing of the Gyaru style.
The term Kogal's etymology is disputed. The most common theory is that it was derived from the Japanese word for "high school", kōtō gakkō (高等学校), or kōkō (高校) for short, although others claim that it comes from ko (子), the Japanese word for "girl" or "child".
Style[]
Kogals often shorten the length of their skirts by tucking in the top part in order to expose more bare leg. Cardigans are often worn above the school uniform and commonly in pink, white, or beige. Loose socks are an iconic part of Kogal fashion and commonly 60 to 100cm long. In order to prevent the loose socks from collapsing, sock glue is used to keep them in place. The shopping bags of the various Gyaru brands are commonly used as secondary bag next to the school one. During colder seasons, plaid scarves in beige or brown tones are commonly worn.
Generally, most Kogal are of high school age and younger, but some Gyaru choose to remain in the Kogal style even after their graduation.
