This blog is going to consist of my (mostly) gyaru-related ramblings and drawings (and hopefully makeup reviews, once I get a job...)
As per the blog title, I'm going to try and update weekly. But my life at the moment is pretty uneventful, so we'll see...
Today's topic: Substyles, and are they really important?
I often see baby gyarus mention substyles. "What substyle would suit me?" "Can I dress in multiple substyles?" "Can I be tsuyome today, hime tomorrow and amekaji on the weekends!?"
Personally, I really don't think substyles matter all that much. The only thing that truly matters when deciding what kind of gyaru you are is whether you are kuro or shiro.
If you are tanned/brown skinned, whether that be natural or artificial, you are a kuro gyaru. If you are pale skinned, you are a shiro gyaru.
Drawing by me!!
The fun part about being a kuro gyaru is that you can do any substyle you like. Yamanba, banba, manba, hime, rokku, whatever! If you are shiro like myself, you're locked out of those kuro makeup styles (yamanba, banba, manba, etc.) until you Get That Tan.
"But Miya," you may ask, "what substyle should I be? Are my nails gyaru? Do they suit X substyle? What do I do about my current wardrobe!?" Slow down!!!!
You don't HAVE to choose a substyle, they were just old trends within gyaru. If you do wanna pick a substyle, you can't just ask anybody else! You're an up-and-coming gyaru! So strengthen that gyaru heart by asking yourself: what substyle do YOU like? DO you even like any? Do you like dark, edgy clothing? Maybe you'll like goshikku or rokku. Do you like frilly dresses and skirts? Maybe you'll like hime or himekaji. You should take a look in your closet to see what you already have, and try dressing it up with some jewellery or simple layering. If you're interested in expanding your wardrobe, try thrifting or DIYing yourself some pieces. Remember that clothing does not make a person gyaru, YOU make the clothing gyaru. So don't ask silly things like, "where can I buy gyaru clothes?" The answer is: ANYWHERE!
Getting Your Fashion On
Something simple I like to do is to rummage through my clothes every month and assess what clothing I want to keep, and what I gotta throw away. (I HIGHLY SUGGEST READING THROUGH MAGAZINE SCANS ON GALREVO FIRST BEFORE YOU DO THIS. Too many times have I thrown out clothing just to realise weeks later that I threw away a piece with so much potential...) Once you do that, try grabbing just one piece of clothing from your keeps; that'll be your staple. Base your outfit around that oooone piece! I find it super common for new gyaru to overload on accessories, but that really harms the overall look if you're just accessorising with 0 plan. If you're in need of new clothes, go try thrifting. I do NOT want to hear, "thrift stores near me have nothing good!' See my previous statement in brackets. You have to find the potential in others unwanted clothing, and reading through magazines will assist you.
If you're looking for hime-style clothing, that is where it does get a liiittle tricky, and pricey. You probably aren't gonna find old Jesus Diamante in just any thrift store, and it'll be difficult to buy pre-owned online. You might find it helpful to ask lolitas where they get their clothing from, and you'll probably need to do some saving up.
Wrap Up + What's Next?
Ultimately, I REALLY think people should use substyles as a guide to see what they really wanna wear, rather than honing in super hard on 'em. Being gyaru is about being your most authentic self, so focus on developing your own personal style. That ties in with my next post idea: Gyaru is a lifestyle, not a performance! But more on that next week. Thx for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment