Japanese women and their crazy fashion!

Stand by for a looong but VERY entertaining and interesting update!
The idea of this was given to me by another website but I've modified it a bit and added more content. I will be adding my own pictures later in the week.

It’s no secret that Japan is home to some wild fashion trends and fads, particularly when it comes to girls/women. Here are some examples of common species to be found in Tokyo. My favorite is the Lolita and Gothic Lolita. I think the Ganguro and Yamanba are just nasty!

Kogal

First, the famous (and sometimes notorious) Japanese schoolgirl. In the photo below, you’ll see 2 types. On the left, you see the standard Japanese schoolgirls wearing their school’s uniform. On the right, you see high school girls who have deep tans, blonde-ish hair, loose socks secured in place with adhesive, with skirts pulled up at their waist. These fashion-conscious high school girls are known as “kogals” and frequently travel in packs around the Shibuya district shopping for clothing and brand-name goods. The most notorious of these girls practice “enjo kosai” which is translated as “compensated dating”, but is really just prostitution to fund their materialistic shopping habit.

From Wikipedia:

Kogal (コギャル, kogyaru) is a subculture of girls and young women in urban Japan, one of several types of so-called gyaru. They are characterized by conspicuously displaying their disposable income through distinctive tastes in fashion, music, and social activity. In general, the kogal "look" roughly approximates a sun-tanned California Valley girl, and indeed, there are even some linguistic similarities between these Western groups and Kogal. Both subcultures have derived entire sets of slang terms (such as "Kogalese" (コギャル語, kogyaru-go)). Kogals are not to be confused with the ganguro subculture, although they are similar.

Kogals are known for wearing platform boots, a miniskirt, copious amounts of makeup, hair coloring (usually blonde or brown), artificial suntans, and designer accessories. If in school uniform, the look typically includes skirts pinned very high and loose socks (large baggy socks that go up to the knee). Kogals' busy social lives and desire for new material goods leads them to be among the first consumers of Japanese mobile phone technology, and their taste in clothes tends toward names such as Burberry scarves and Louis Vuitton handbags. Kogals spend much of their free time (and their parents' income) shopping, and their culture centers on the Shibuya district of Tokyo, in particular the 109 building, although any major Japanese city is sure to have at least a small population. During the summer, kogals may sometimes be seen at the beach. They are generally not seen in high-end department stores.

Critics of the Kogal subculture decry its materialism as reflecting a larger psychological or spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. Some kogals support their lifestyle with allowances from wealthy parents, living a "freeter" or "parasite single" existence that grates against traditional principles of duty and industry. More may engage in the practice of "compensated dating", or enjo kōsai, which may at times border on quasi-legal prostitution. Internet-based usage of this term has led some Western observers to the mistake of believing that "kogal" means "prostitute".

The kogal phenomenon emerged in the mid-1990s and its effects can still be seen today in its numerous off-shoots of sub-categories, although conservative tastes in dress and hair color seem to be on the upswing. Interestingly enough, the Gothic Lolita aesthetic has been described as a reaction to the kogal look, in that it attempts to reclaim childhood innocence, though skeptics of this theory would point out that most Lolita merely model after J-rock cosplay and spend just as much, if not even more money on their appearance when compared to kogals.

The term'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, kōtō gakkō), or kōkō (高校, kōkō) for short, although others claim that it comes from ko (子), the Japanese word for "girl" or "child". The "gal" originates from English. See gyaru.

Ganguro

Next, we have the “70’s California surfer girl” look species commonly known as “Ganguro”, or “black face”, so named for their dark artificial tans. Here’s more info from Wikipedia:

Ganguro (ガングロ, Ganguro) is an alternative fashion trend among young Japanese women which peaked in popularity around the year 2000, but remains evident today. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo are the center of ganguro fashion.

In ganguro fashion, a deep tan is combined with hair dyed in shades of orange to blonde, or a silver gray known as "high bleached". Black ink is used as eyeliner and white concealer is used as lipstick and eyeshadow. False eyelashes and sparkling face powder are often added to this. Platform shoes and brightly-colored outfits complete the ganguro look. Also typical of ganguro fashion are tie-dyed sarongs, miniskirts, and lots of bracelets, rings and necklaces.

The deep ganguro tan is in direct conflict with traditional Japanese ideas of feminine beauty. Due to this, as well as their use of slang, unconventional fashion sense, and perceived lack of hygiene, ganguro gals are almost always portrayed negatively by the Japanese media.

Fashion magazines like Egg and Cawaii have had a direct influence on the ganguro. Other popular ganguro magazines include Popteen and Ego System. The ganguro culture has evolved its own synchronized dances, called Para Para. Participants do predetermined moves at the same time, usually as accompaniment to J-pop music. Para Para events are held by ganguro circles, and involve either going to clubs to perform Para Para or gathering to learn new dances.

One of the most famous early ganguro girls was known as Buriteri, nicknamed after the black soy sauce used to flavor yellowtail fish in teriyaki cooking. Egg made her a star by frequently featuring her in its pages during the height of the ganguro craze. After modeling and advertising for the Shibyua tanning salon "Blacky", social pressure and negative press convinced Buriteri to retire from the ganguro lifestyle.

Yamanba (ヤマンバ, Yamanba), is a newer term often used to describe extreme practitioners of ganguro fashion. Yamanba feature darker tans and add white lipstick, pastel eye makeup, tiny metallic or glittery adhesives below the eyes, brightly-colored contact lenses, plastic day-glo-colored clothing, and incongruous accessories to the ganguro look. Some yamanba wear stuffed animals as decorations. The male equivalent is called a "center guy" (センター街, Sentaagai, Center Street), a pun on the name of a pedestrian shopping street near Shibuya Station in Tokyo where yamanba and center guys are often seen.

The etymology of the word "ganguro" is disputed. Some academics claim that the name derives from the word ganguro (顔黒, ganguro blackface), but ganguro practitioners invariably say it derives from the phrase gangankuro (ガンガン黒, gangankuro exceptionally dark). The term yamanba derives from Yama-uba, the name of a mountain hag in Japanese folklore whom the fashion is thought to resemble. It is sometimes shortened to manba in Japanese slang.

Yamanba

Next, we have a close relative of the Ganguro, the Yama-uba (山姥, Yama-uba mountain crone) is a yōkai ("spirit" or "monster") found in Japanese folklore. The name may also be spelled "Yamamba" or "Yamanba". From Wikipedia:

Yamanba (ヤマンバ, Yamanba), is a newer term often used to describe extreme practitioners of ganguro fashion. Yamanba feature darker tans and add white lipstick, pastel eye makeup, tiny metallic or glittery adhesives below the eyes, brightly-colored contact lenses, plastic day-glo-colored clothing, and incongruous accessories to the ganguro look. Some yamanba wear stuffed animals as decorations. The male equivalent is called a "center guy" (センター街, Sentaagai, Center Street), a pun on the name of a pedestrian shopping street near Shibuya Station in Tokyo where yamanba and center guys are often seen.

The contrast in that last photo is striking. I guess this is one way to express your individuality in a homogeneous society.

Lolita

From Wikipedia:

Lolita fashion (ロリータ・ファッション) is part of the fashion style and subculture Gothic & Lolita, which originated in Japan, largely inspired by Victorian children's clothing and the elaborate costumes of the Rococo period. Other influences include the western gothic and punk fashions.

Skirts are typically knee length and are worn with a panier or petticoat to add volume. Over-knee socks, knee socks or stockings are extremely popular, especially printed with roses or crowns or topped with lace. Footwear is typically cute, child-like shoes such as Mary Janes, though Vivienne Westwood rocking horse shoes, and replicas of them are also very popular. Skirts are typically paired with either a frilly, ruffled, or lace-trimmed Victorian blouse, often with Peter Pan or sailor collars, or a lacey 'cutsew'.

Other garments are either dresses in one or more pieces, or pinafore jumper skirts, made to be worn over a blouse. Lace-trimmed headdresses, mini-top hats worn to one side, and intricate old-fashioned jewelry are some favored accessories of lolitas.

Though not the founder of the style, the Lolita fashion is often considered to have been popularised by Mana, of the band Malice Mizer and current moi dix mois, who also coined the term "Elegant Gothic Lolita" for his clothing brand.
The fashion started in the 70s, though it did not gain popularity and media presence until the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Lolita Fashion Subcategories:

Lolita Fashion can be classified into Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita, and Punk Lolita. There are also other spinoffs of the style, such as Wa-Lolita. Additionally, related sub-fashions of Aristocrat and Ouji are sometimes considered to be in keeping with the lolita culture and fashion.

Gothic Lolita

Influenced by certain elements of gothic fashion, Gothic Lolita - also abbreviated to gothloli - has probably become the most popular style within Lolita fashion and certainly the most recognized in the west. This style started as a youth subculture sometime around 1997/1998 and became a well-established genre available in various boutiques and some major department stores by around 2001. Some observers consider it a reaction to the "Kogal" aesthetic.

It is commonly mistaken as the blanket term for Lolita fashion and Gothic Lolita in Western Lolita culture. The name "EGL" applies only to that specific line of clothing in Moi-même-Moitié, which is in the Gothic Lolita style. Non-Japanese outsiders sometimes refer to Gothic Lolita as EGL, but this is generally frowned upon within Western lolita circles, as anyone who uses it is assumed to have only a shallow understanding of the fashion. (See bottom paragraph for more.)

Gothic Lolita clothes can be divided into the further subcategories:

• Gothic Lolita: Gothic lolita is the most common and most popular in the gothic subcategory of lolita fashion. Clothes are often black and white in colour but the term may encompass black and dark blue (in the style of Moitié) or black and red. Dark green is also used, but is uncommon. Generally speaking, gothic lolita is a darker style of lolita with typically gothic elements added to it
• Kuro Lolita (black lolitas): Kuro Lolita, or Kurololi, is gothic, or sometimes sweet, lolita but with a strict black on black color scheme.
• Guro Lolita (gruesome or grotesque lolitas): Guro Lolita, or Gurololi, means gruesome or horrible lolita. This style is often more of a costume and requires the wearer to dress with gore, as though they had been injured or in hospital - for example bandages, casts, fake blood and eyepatches.

Makeup is usually dark in color, in contrast with other Lolita genres where light makeup is used. A pale complexion is preferable, but not 'goth/white face' pale. However, in western countries it is not unheard of - and actually quite common - to have gothic lolitas with darker skin. Red lipstick and smokey and/or neatly defined eyes using black eyeliner and khol are often used. However, the makeup is not as heavy or dramatic as Western gothic; it is softer.

The outfits may be accessorized with other props like conspicuous pocketbooks, hatboxes and handbags, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals are occasionally carried, and some brands make special "goken" teddy bears out of black leather or PVC. Super Dollfies may also be carried around.

Gothic Lolita was influenced and popularized by the look of androgynous musicians who pertained to the Japanese visual kei movement. Mana, the crossdressing former leader and guitarist of the visual kei themed band Malice Mizer, is widely credited for having helped popularize Gothic Lolita. He coined the terms Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat (EGA) to describe the style of his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitié, which was founded in 1999 and quickly established itself as one of the most coveted brands of the Gothic Lolita scene. Another common Gothic Lolita brand is Atelier BOZ.

Yes, they do exist. Check out the scene at a McDonald’s in Tokyo (below).

Maid

From Wikipedia:

Cosplay restaurants (コスプレ系飲食店, Cosplay restaurants), are theme restaurants and pubs that originated in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan around the year 2000. They include maid cafés (メイドカフェ, maid cafés) and butler cafés (執事喫茶, shitsuji kissa), where the service staff dress as elegant maids, or as butlers. Such restaurants and cafés have quickly become a staple of Japanese otaku culture. Compared with service at normal cafés, the service at cosplay cafés involves the creation of a rather different atmosphere. The staff treat the customers as masters and mistresses in a private home rather than merely as café customers.

The popularity of the Cosplay restaurants and maid cafes has spread to other regions in Japan, such as Osaka's Den Den Town as well as other countries, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Canada.^{[citation needed]}

Maid cafe

Maids promoting maid cafes in Akihabara

Meido

The maids are often dressed in a combination of french maid-styled uniforms in attempt to look "moe". They also behave in a "cute" and "moe" manner. Sometimes, the maid outfit is augmented with cat or bunny ears. At maid cafes, most service staff members are female, and male jobs are typically limited to bar-backing and janitorial duties.

Some homepages of maid cafés offer pictures and profiles of the maids.

Service

When a customer enters the café, the maids typically give an extraordinarily humble greeting, such as "Welcome home, Master" (お帰りなさいませ、ご主人様!) in order to play the role of a house servant. In order to enhance the illusion that the customer is indeed the master, they often serve the customer in a very deferential fashion. For example, staff sometimes kneel to mix sugar or milk in teas or other drinks. The purpose of the maid cafés and their service is to make customers feel as though they are at home and to encourage them to relax. Although exemplary customer service is typical of Japan, maid cafés take special care to pamper patrons.

Image is Everything.

Do you believe in the stereotype that Japanese women are conservative? You may change your mind after you see the next few photos. The scenes below are common throughout the city at all times of the day.

Notice the exposed garter on this young lady’s right leg (below).

And it doesn’t stop even after you become a parent, apparently.