What’s this??? Lizzie, DIYing? Haha no, I really suck at DIY but my friend and fellow gyarusa member Dani is an absolute goddess at it. Being able to DIY your own gyaru clothes is a HUGE help for when you’re on a budget, so today we’re going to learn how Dani has created this beautiful agejo dress!
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started…
Christmas started as soon as we stepped out in the streets of Nottingham, head-to-toe in our Santa gear as we headed towards the Christmas market. By “we” I mean myself and QueenE gyarusa/gyaru circle members, and we looked fabulous! We didn’t have to walk for long and within moments we were greeted by wooden cabins with fake snow fluttering in the wind. No one batted an eyelid at our attire; well, it was December after all, so that’s basically Christmas!
“What even is gyaru?” I hear people say whenever I tell them about this Japanese fashion. Sometimes I brush it off and say, “it’s just this Japanese fashion” and let them divulge at their own pace (usually they then follow it with “where you look like an anime doll?” which is very frustrating). Other times I hop onto Google for some inspiration to show them what I mean but then realise that I don’t look anything like the first few pictures of Black Diamond that pop up… And when I finally found one, the stranger has lost interest by then so I just put my phone away.
“I love the look of it but I wish I was more confident to gyaru wear it in public…” is one of the most-used phrases I hear from people who have held back from wearing gyaru. It can be daunting because gyaru, like other Japanese fashion styles, isn’t exactly “normal”. Sure, we can get away with jeans and t-shirts but there’s something about us that sets us apart from Western fashion. Maybe it’s the over-the-top makeup, the curly hair, or the flashy nails… Whatever it is, it makes people look back and wonder “what the hell are they doing?”
I’ve had to deal with more and more ignorant people the more dramatic my style became. It allowed me to grow thicker skin and boy I’m so glad it did because I was a right nervous wreck when I first started! Even now it’s still quite nerve-wracking to be decked out in MA*RS, but my style has toned down because of my laziness so it’s not quite so bad anymore. Here are some tips I’ve learnt over the years on wearing gyaru it in public!
Hey cuties! Long time no wishlist post? It’s been such a long time since I’ve done a wishlist post – my last one was in Christmas 2016 – and since then my spending habits have spiralled almost out of control. Organising my own wedding didn’t help my budget, but now I’m suffering from the aftermath of it.
So instead of doing lots of impulse shopping I’ve decided to do a cute little jfashion wishlist to help me figure out what I really, really want.
It’s a strange concept, isn’t it, the thought of an introverted gyaru? Gyaru are always portrayed as out-going and fun-loving in the media, but I’m so far away from that. It used to get me down quite a lot as I felt that my introverted nature meant that I wasn’t a “real gyaru”, but the older I got the less I cared. I just preferred to be in the comfort of my home with my husband and my cat than out partying, it’s as simple as that.
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Life is like a box of kawaii… You never know what you’re going to get!
Well, that’s how I feel every time I receive a box from the lovely people at Kawaii Box. It’s one of the things that I look forward to the most and I love the element of surprise.
This month – the Summer Festival box – did not disappoint. It was bursting with kawaii/cute goodies and I couldn’t wait to write this post! What’s even better is that Kawaii Box and I are hosting a giveaway where you can win one of these amazing boxes! Find out more at the bottom of this post.
And without further ado… Let’s look at what I received this month!
Hello m’dears, it is your gyaru granny speaking. I’ve been into gyaru for nearly 10 years now and it has evolved so much during that time, so it can seem a bit overwhelming to come across it as a beginner as there’s so much to take in. Here are my top tips to help you out on your journey as a gaijin gyaru!
I know what you’re thinking – Is it even possible to feel lonely doing/being gyaru? Gyaru is, after all, a fashion, so how can you feel lonely by just wearing different clothes?
For me, gyaru is more than that. It’s what made me fall in love with Japan in general and accept my ‘kawaii’ side unapologetically. I don’t think I’d ever have the courage to use Rilakumma stationery at work if it wasn’t for gyaru (even though gyaru technically doesn’t have anything to do with it). Gyaru gives such a confidence boost, and the makeup is my war paint.
Dress: eBay
Accessories: Muse
Sandals: New Look
Hat: Haven’t a clue
Bag: Primark
Sunglasses: Accessorize
But it’s one thing dressing up and taking pictures in your gyaru gear vs actually going out and hanging out with other gyaru. To be surrounded by others to talk about things we’ve seen lately (like Sakurina’s new brand Riina Couture) or to help each other out in improving our style. Gyaru has always been a mainly internet-based style, and we tend to just communicate over FB/Twitter/Insta with the occasional gyaru meet here and there. I’ve always dreamed of the day that I could just hop over to a fellow gyaru’s house just for a casual hangout in our PJs and watching cheesy chic flicks rather than travel (what seems like) thousands of miles to see them.
So yes, being gyaru it is quite lonely.
If there was an easy way to feel less lonely then I’d be all over it. But in the meantime I’d say that the way to combat this loneliness is to just keep on being present, whether that’s on the internet or in the real world. Post those selfies, those outfit photos, and be effortlessly you in your style. Hell, start a blog! Get gyaru on the map but don’t feel disheartened if it doesn’t work out… As long as you’re having fun and not forcing yourself to be gyaru for gyaru’s sake, than that’s all that matters, right?
Lizzie Bee xx
The first thing I fell in love with when I first discovered gyaru was how easy it was to incorporate it into everyday life. Back then EGG magazine was huge, and it was all about wearing casual attire and amping it up with amazing hair and makeup. It was, all in all, pretty low maintenance but effortlessly gyaru, and I loved that.
A few years down the line it got more and more complicated to do. Straight hair wasn’t really done much and was replaced with elaborate curls and really exaggerated makeup. I would like to say that it wasn’t because of Black Diamond or of outside opinions, but it really was. People didn’t think of others as gyaru anymore unless they looked like they were out of Black Diamond or very dramatic in their style. The everyday gyaru died because we were pressurising everyone to look over-the-top.
Sweater: DaTuRa
Top: Skinny Lip (I think)
Jeans & boots: Boohoo
I admit that I felt the same, too. I didn’t really think you were gyaru unless you had the full gyaru makeup on and styled hair. Wearing MA*RS with casual makeup? Erm, hell no! I started taking ages to get ready in the mornings and at one point it would take me 2 hours just to be dolled up to go to the cinema.
And it was such a waste of time.
I’ve learnt that time is of the essence as I got older, and I caught onto the ‘toning down’ trend. At first I hated it, but now I can’t get enough of it. It was almost as if we are going back to the older gyaru stages where we would wear ‘ordinary’ clothes and just lightly curled our hair and were called gyaru. And I love it.
It doesn’t matter if you are over-the-top or super-toned-down, all maintenances of gyaru is still gyaru. You can be gyaru with elaborate curls, but you can also be gyaru with straightened hair. You can be gyaru if you’re head-to-toe in brand but can also be gyaru with offbrand items. We have to be more accepting of the ‘casual’ styles in order for the gyaru community to grow bigger again. Make it easier to wear for other people, and more people will join.
This post was inspired by Vanilla Bear.
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