As Gyaru culture gained more popularity, it's been observed that it strayed from its original concept of being a reflection of real youth in Japan and transformed into heavy consumerism. The culture has been seen to focus more on the latest trends, the newest stores, and dressing like exclusive models, rather than being a representation of real youth in Japan. It’s believed that the decline of the Gyaru culture can be attributed to its straying from its original concept. While this can be observed by most Japanese fashion magazines catering to young women (i.e. JELLY, Ranzuki, ViVi, etc.), Gyaru culture was most affected by EGG and Popteen’s shifts.
The popularity of EGG Magazine, a publication that has been known as the "bible" of the Gyaru culture, led to the decline of "real Gyaru." The magazine, which was known for its street snaps and coverage of real youth in Japan, strayed from its original focus on real youth and instead became heavily focused on consumerism. As the magazine gained popularity and began to promote the latest trends and exclusive models, it lost its authenticity and connection to the real youth it had once represented.
Some of the original photographers for EGG magazine have also observed this shift in the culture, noting that the magazine's focus on consumerism and the latest trends led to the blurring of the lines between the social movement against conservative Japan. This, in turn, slowly led to the decline of the Gyaru culture as it lost its connection to the real youth it had once represented and became more focused on superficial consumerism.
Popteen also played a significant role in the decline of Gyaru culture. Popteen, which is still a popular fashion magazine aimed at young Japanese women, featured models like Maapipi (Ai Matsumoto), who was known for her conservative fashion and makeup style.
The trend of featuring models like Maapipi, who had black hair and wore more conservative clothing and makeup, is said to have had a huge influence over the decline of Gyaru culture as it became more popular and worked with the trends presented back then. This is because it marked a shift away from the flashy, over-the-top aesthetic that had been associated with Gyaru culture, and instead moved towards a more conservative and toned-down look. As a result, many young Japanese women began to embrace this new trend, which led to a decline in popularity of the traditional Gyaru aesthetic.
Additionally, as the magazine POPTEEN began to focus more on this conservative and toned-down style, it became less representative of the real youth in Japan and more focused on consumerism and the latest trends, which is popular now even in Reiwa where the main focus is manufacture-led fashion.