Gyaru is a style of fashion that originated in Japan. It’s a very popular look for young women and men, and it’s also become quite popular overseas. However, many people don’t realize that there are actually some significant differences between Gyaru as practiced in Japan and as practiced overseas:
In Japan, there are many people who have a very specific type of style and they try to dress like other Gyaru or idols. At the same time, the lifestyle aspect is crucial for Japanese Gyaru. On the other hand, overseas it is more focused on fashion (clothes) and makeup.
Since most Japanese girls don’t know how to do their own makeup or hair, they go to salons and beauty shops that offer these services, but abroad there are many people who can do these things by themselves so people don’t need those services anymore which means less money for them!
Gyaru overseas tends to be more interested in only the fashion side of Gyaru while Gyaru in Japan seems to focus more on the lifestyle.
Although we have a lot of similarities in our community, there are still some differences between Japan and the West. The biggest difference between Gyaru in Japan and Gyaru overseas is the community. Gyaru in Japan tend to know each other through school or work, so it’s easy for them to gather together at a place like a shop or restaurant. The culture of going out with friends is also stronger in Japan than overseas, where people tend to be less social and more independent (an irony considering overseas is more active on social media platforms).
Despite the fact that practically almost all actual Gyaru brands are either discontinued or have changed their concept to cater to more popular/trending styles, access to brand is still a distinguishing factor between East and West: Japanese shops are more affordable than those overseas, but there aren’t as many options available for those who want to buy second-hand items!
The way Gyaru Circles (ギャルサー) interact with each other is a bit different from the West.
BTW, if you don’t know what a Gyaru Circle is: Gyaru Circle (ギャルサー) is a term used to describe a group of gyaru. Gyaru Circles are generally tight-knit groups that are made up of friends and acquaintances (most commonly referred to as Nagosa as Ibesa are practically non-existent on both sides of the world). In Japan, the age of the group is probably going to be around 20-25 years old, but in the West, people of all ages are welcome. Japanese circles are more likely to meet up and hang out in person while circles overseas are more likely to meet up on social media. In Japan, the circle is more important than the individual while overseas it’s all about individuality!
[Side note: I highly recommend reading my blog post all about Gyaru Circles (Gyaru Circles – The Real Deal ) to get a better idea of the difference between each Circle type and the mechanics behind each]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Hmt_Jfryk
In Japan, members of the Gyaru circle are expected to dress a certain way. A girl who isn’t in line with the style is typically not accepted into the group. In other words, if you want to be part of this exclusive club, you have to follow their rules! The same goes for overseas circles but it’s much more relaxed since there are no set guidelines on how to dress.
The connotation of what a Gyaru Circle should be is a lot looser overseas than it is in Japan. Overseas, it’s more about creating a group with the same interest in Gyaru fashion, primarily over social media with no meetups, mainly due to the fact that most members are located in different states and are too far from one another. There was a time, however, that overseas Circles followed Japan’s cue more closely – though these circles are no longer active; one of the most noteworthy ones was SoCal’s own Diamond Gal Circle (you can see more about what their Gyarusa actually did through one of the leaders’ blogs: Kila Kila Glam). Diamond perfectly embodied what both a regular Gal Nagosa and Ibesa did in Japan.
Speaking of: