Gyaru

Gyaru (Japanese: ギャル) pronounced [ɡʲa̠ꜜɾɯ̟ᵝ], is a Japanese fashion subculture for women but a male equivalent also exists. This male equivalent is called a gyaruo. The term gyaru is a Japanese transliteration of the English slang word gal.[1][2][3][4]

The fashion subculture was considered to be nonconformist and a rebelling against Japanese social and aesthetic standards[5] during a time when women were expected to be housewives and fit Asian beauty standards of pale skin and dark hair. For Japanese women who saw those who participated in this fashion during its rise, they considered it a fashion style too racy and freewheeling; with some feeling it caused a ruckus, juvenile delinquency and frivolousness among teenage girls.[6] Its popularity peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s. They are also known for partying and clubbing, being rather provocative, being flirtatious, and unwinding and having fun.

  1. ^ Evers, Izumi; Macias, Patrick (July 1, 2010). Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-7885-2.
  2. ^ Miller, Laura; Bardsley, Jan (December 10, 2005). Bad Girls of Japan. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-6946-0.
  3. ^ Apter, Emily (2006). The Translation Zone:A New Comparative Literature. Princeton University Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-6910-4997-7.
  4. ^ "ギャル について". www.kotoba.ne.jp. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Hillstock, Cara (September 11, 2012). "Foreign fashions protest societal expectations". The Collegian. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Miller, Laura (December 2004). "Those Naughty Teenage Girls: Japanese Kogals, Slang, and Media Assessments". Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. 14 (2): 225–247. doi:10.1525/jlin.2004.14.2.225. ProQuest 195127170.