Gyaru history
So I'm like superduper bored at the moment, and saw someone else do this too. So I've decided to do the same thing!
it contains pictures!!!
I wanted to add more pics but these were the only ones I've found on my photobucket ever since my computer crashed..
So before I'll tell you how I've came across gyaru I'll tell you the complete history of JFashion.
JFashion is actually the first thing that got me into the 'japan-thing' (even though I still think that I'm not much of a Japan-fan, I just happen to like some things from that country)
It started like this..
Getting to know JFashion in general.
I was in last grade of elementary school, and I was at the dentist waiting in the waitingroom.
And I was reading this magazine to spare time. And they had this article about Japanese Fashion!
And I immediatly fell in love with the style! It was actually very casual and more compared to the FOBstyle from korea in my opinion.
But still I felt that this was something for me..
Unfortunatly I didn't really do much with it, untill I was in highschool.
It was the summervacation between 1st and 2nd year of highschool, and that was also the time when something personal happened which led me to spend more time on the internet, and well just question myself a lot style-wise.
I was a goth back then, but I never really fell in place with the goths. (no offense to the goths)
That was also when Gwen Stefani came with her harajuku girls and bladiebla. I immediatly remembered that I read that article at the dentist and well just searched it more.
At first I thought that lolita would suit me, but then I found out how strict that community was so I immediatly quit before I tried.
That was also the time when I started listening to jrock and I started going visual kei. But I never really tried that style either.
My style back then was kind of weird. It was dark but with some bright colors.
My hair was very "asian-ish", straight and bangs.
I always had those geisha-lips!! That was really part of my style back then.
Heavy eyemakeup and I put crazy clips in my hair with plasticy stuff as extensions.
If I look back at the pictures I seriously lmao! It was crazy, but fun at that time!
I'm sorry but I'm too embarrased to show other pics. XD
Trust me.. it got even crazier!!!
From crazy style to casual
In this time I've also tried visual kei, but I wasn't so amazing with the makeup which lead me to stop it too.
But the great thing about the jrock scene was that nobody had the same style.. Everybody was different!
And also people with casual outfits were walking around there right in between the JFashion peeps and stuff.
My school was also another reason why I went more casual.
The people weren't so friendly to the people with the crazier styles (including me) and I guess I just didn't have the confidence to stick it with the crazy styles and went more and more casual.
I decided to wear more jeans with bandshirts and a hoodie. And sneakers because they were comfortable.
For some events I would still do something crazy like put wool-braided-extensions in my hair.
But it was A LOT toned down from what it used to be before.
My hair also went from my own natural dark color to brown because I've always liked that haircolor!
Oh and I did fake having blue hair sometime.. I really liked that but I never had the confidence to really dye my hair blue.
Those were the wool-braid-extensions I was talking about..
Not thát crazy, like I said I toned down A LOT!
Style back then:
Very casual.
& I think I've lost weight, LOL.
Getting to know Ganguro
In 2005 (I think?), thanks to some JFashion community on Vamfirefreaks (LOL) I got to know Ganguro.
Someone posted a topic about Ganguro girls and my first reaction was: "EHHHHH O_O?"
But the thing that I did like was that the girl were tanned.
Me being part Filipina, have seen it a lot that asian girls are trying to become more and more pale.
While I am super jealous of their tanned skin, bcoz I wasn't allowed to tan when I was younger (some problem with the skin)
And just the fact that these asian girls weren't trying to be pale, but tanned instead.. I started liking it.
After watching a few times I started liking it, and around 2006 I've started doing the white makeup too.
I don't consider it a ganguro attempt, but it was inspired by it.
And my everyday look just had the white panda eyes.
Getting to know Gyaru
And this is where the magic happened.
I haven't been into Ganguro that much at this time because I felt like it wasn't my style either.. Even the white panda makeup stopped.
I was just casual like I was before..
But then I went to Jrock Con in 2007, and I saw this girl who was a gyaru.
I don't remember who she was, but she had this look inspired from Kaoru Watanabe.
It was with the stockings that one leg had leopard print, and the other leg was just black.
I LOVED IT!!
It was girly, yet soo funky.
After the con that girl posted on some forum that her style was called Gyaru and I just decided to research it more.
I came across the blog called: "Cherrypop" and it had soo much scans of cool styles.
That's when I've decided that this is a style I really really like.
But I never really did something with it. I just stalked some blogs and saved pictures from models as inspiration.
And I just tried to add some of these elements in my own outfits. But I never really tried 100%.
I did feel like posting on e_g sometimes, but I'm glad now that I didn't.
Saves some shame XDD
What I did do was just do alot of research about different styles and stuff.
I knew a lot about styles, but never tried it on my own.
If I did attempt it would look like this:
LOL fail.
Note this was at the time when Haaaaady was hot! So I got the pink stocking inspiration from that.
But still. Sloppy coordinate was sloppy!
If I did the makeup better here, and did something with the hideous eyebrows.
And added false lashes, it would've been a good attempt
I miss this tan!!
Years in between
For some strange reason gyaru faded away a bit, I still liked it.
But stopped researching it, stopped stalking blogs.
I actually went more hiphop in this while.
No pics.. Probably some on facebook or friggin hyves though.
Getting back with gyaru
Ok I still liked gyaru, and then I saw this add somewhere for this gyaru circle Shebooya.
I joined the forum and decided; "Ok I've never really stopped liking gyaru.. Why wouldn't I start getting more active and try the style out myself?"
At first, I must be honest with myself. I was a disbeliever that Makeup was a must in gyaru.
I had my own makeupstyle and felt like it was more about the coordinates instead of makeup.
Oh my.. Why didn't I listen?
The makeup is soo minimum here haha
Ok I know now that I was wrong since I've gotten on my fingers about how wrong I was about that.
So I finally believed that Makeup was number 1 factor in gyaru. And coordinates is actually number 3.
So when Shebooya asked me if I wanted to join them, that's when I decided: "Ok.. From now on I'm going to step it up!"
Most of my money went to fake hair and fake lashes.
And ofcourse to the meetings.
As far as clothing: I still win at finding nice clothes for affordable prices. I'm lucky with that!
Figuring out what my own style was, was kind of hard.
And right now I still feel like I haven't fully found it.
My biggest achievement so far was on the first day of the International gyaru invasion meeting. It was the first time that I was actually confident about my outfit. I felt that everything was right. Hair + make + clothes + accessorries.
But I do still need some work!
Progress:
1. Finally some makeup. But still not good imo.
2. bought extensions.. Hair starts to look more styled.
3. Toying around with lowerlashes, realised these weren't good for me. Made my eyes look like flesh eating plant.
Also should focuss more on hair and other make.
4. Nice style, but not my thing. Eyebrows are weird LOL
5. pic that made it to western gal tumblr. I personally think I still needed work. Hair's messy, outfit was mehh.
6. Overall was good, still needs more accessories. But soo not my cup of tea. I felt uncomfortable walking around in this cutesy outfit.
This made me realise that i just like the 'harder' styles more!
7. Needs more accessories!! Rest was good.
8. Finally satisfied.
As of right now
Well I'm still busy trying to get better. I still don't feel like I'm on the level of good gals but I do feel confident enough to post on e_g one day.
I just need more outfit shots for the post, and get a little more confidence.
I hope to get more advice on e_g that will help me improve.
I've also had some downsides with the gyaru community and felt like leaving some times.
But thanks to the international gyaru invasion and some compliments I've received from great gyarus on ricoche, I've decided to stick it out!!!
Wish me luck :P
Oh btw. I'm thinking about moving to blogspot.
Should I do it or not?