Gyaru fashion has a sub-style known as Kogal fashion or Kogyaru. This fashion is mainly geared toward young females in high school and targets younger age groups. One of the main gyaru fashion sub-styles is kogal, where many current gyaru fashions started.
A kogal features an intense foundation tan and bleached blonde hair because a sun-kissed California Valley Girl models the appearance of a kogal. When the gyaru style first emerged, numerous distinct gyaru employed a set of slang terminology called “Kogalese,” which the Kogals later developed.
Kogal fashion
Besides the loose socks and the miniskirt or microskirt, kogals prefer platform boots, cosmetics, and Burberry check scarves; some kogals also carry adorable or kawaii items. Additionally, they could color their hair dark and apply a fake tan. They have a unique vocabulary that incorporates English terms. They have frequently enrolled students, but not always. The Tokyo neighborhoods of Harajuku and Shibuya, particularly the 109 Building in Shibuya, are kogal cultural epicenters. Namie Amuro, a pop singer, endorsed the look. According to non-scientific surveys, Kogals are frequent visitors to picture booths, most going at least once a week.
Not just students wear Kogal fashion.
Kogal fashion is unique in that, although focusing on schoolwear, it is not exclusively for kids to try on. Adults may wear Kogal clothing without a doubt since, like Lolita or Mori Kei, Kogal is a subculture that has evolved beyond fashion. It promotes creativity, accepting one’s youthful side, and reflecting on the “high school” experiences that made up most of our formative years. Kogal fashion still receives criticism occasionally because it deviates from the norm or what is conventional, much like any other subculture. But there will never be anything that compares to its influence on the Japanese fashion scene and its portrayal in popular culture.
Modern Kogal
The kogal style was first popularized as a look for high school females and is still today. Even though they frequently favor a different sub-type of gyaru while not in school, women in Japan can still see wearing this style. Gyaru often dresses in their school clothes outside the classroom to mimic the kogal look, particularly older women who have finished their education.
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Critical elements of Kogal fashion
Next, Kogals typically cut their skirts shorter than they usually do. The usual Japanese schoolgirl skirt is below knee length, contrary to what is generally seen in anime (or longer). Kogals typically wear theirs above the knee to match their baggy knee-high socks.
The first thing it does is combine the foundational aspects of the gyaru aesthetic: colored hair (albeit much more “natural” appearing than the actual “gyaru” aesthetic), bedazzled nails, and features of decora fashion, but solely on accessories like smartphones or keychains on their bagsUnlike in the 1980s and 1990s, when gyaru was a prominent style in Japan, tanned skin is not “required.”
Beyond the fundamentals of the gyaru appearance, baggy knee-high socks worn by students are another characteristic of Kogal fashion. One of the essential components of the Kogal aesthetic is these socks, which are leg warmers. However, this does not imply that all individuals who use leg warmers are Kogals.
Clothing
You’re not mistaken if you believe that high school uniform fashion is what the kogal style is all about. The kogal is renowned for its opulent school uniform styling. When I say apparel, I specifically mean clothing. Due to how they consistently modify their uniforms, the kogyarus are already recognized as rule-breakers, going against the norms of how one should wear their school uniforms. Rumors suggest that they dress differently for school and then change into their brought-in uniforms, which blend in with most students.
If you recall, a particular anime lady from an anime series focused on school life. Have you ever wondered why she’s sporting a distinctive school jacket from the others? The character in question is most likely a kogyaru.
First, the kogals’ socks are one thing you’ll always notice when it comes to their clothes. Observe how their socks are consistently slack and saggy. These knee warmers always rock these trends and are crucial to the kogyaru look. By observing whether or not someone is wearing knee warmers, you can typically determine if they are a kogal. Of course, not everyone who wears these socks is a kogal; you won’t know when you meet one.
In addition to changing the skirts of their uniforms, kogals also use their attire to show their culture. One such approach is by changing the ribbons that come with their outfits. The kogals sometimes contrive to wear their ribbons even when their school uniforms miss them. They wrap their ribbons lightly around their collars on typical days. Simply put, the kogals adore their accessories and will adorn everything they wish, even their telephones. The kogals love decorating their phones with many stickers and tiny gems.
Hairstyles
The haircuts for the kogals are renowned for their colors, just like the rest of the aesthetic trends in the gyaru community. The kogals ensure their hair has a tinge of color, bleached or dyed. Many kogals are now rocking this look with their natural hair colors as the kogal trend is being accepted as more than simply a gyaru style.
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