Gal culture, which was popular in the 1990s, is experiencing a revival. The name Gal (in a nutshell) means youth who are stylishly dressed, and it was used in the 1980s by magazine editors to describe young women on the streets of Shibuya. However, this word has come to mean anyone who dresses up fashionably regardless of age or gender.
EGG magazine was a bible for Gal culture. The magazine was also known for its use of slang and casual language, which is a big part of what made it so popular. It was a way for women to feel connected to the subculture — even if they weren’t able to relate on a personal level, they could still enjoy reading about it from the comfort of their homes. The magazine covered topics like dating, fashion trends, and celebrity gossip in a way that felt relatable even though many readers were not actually part of gal culture themselves. The magazine then took a more playful and tongue-in-cheek approach to fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and pop culture compared to other women’s magazines. It was also one of the first publications that introduced the concept of Gal Mind, which is still very present in Japanese society today.
The 1990s gal boom was the beginning of a new generation of Japanese fashion. The 90s Gal Boom is also known as “Shibuya109 Boom.” In the early 2000s, gyaru were models for egg magazine and were featured on their cover pages. Following this trend, we can see that the 1990s Gal Boom has given birth to a new wave of Japanese fashion through egg magazine. The following year, shibuya109 took over as a mecca for style in Tokyo’s youth culture arena. This led to an increase in demand for more fashionable items such as over-sized sunglasses and unique clothing from brands such as UNIQLO with their own unique designs compared to other brands like Levi’s or Gap Inc., which had been popular during previous eras before becoming outdated after only being worn once every few years when people looked back at photos from past decades and decided that they no longer liked how those fashions looked anymore because it made them seem old fashioned.
The SHIBUYA109 department store, located in Shibuya Ward, is a historic site for gal culture. The store opened in 1992 and has been a major player in the development of gyaru fashion since its inception. The store’s name comes from its location, which is 109 meters from the Hachiko statue (a popular meeting spot), and it initially specialized in denim clothing for men. However, after seeing demand for more feminine styles growing rapidly during the late 1990s, SHIBUYA109 started selling clothing targeted at women as well as men. (Not to mention that Shibuya109 also counted with stores catering to men at their 109-2 building).
In particular, they quickly became known for their brand-name fashions; Shibuyasize labels such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors were popular with young women looking to update their wardrobes on budget. Gal style was all about mixing high-end items together with low-cost ones—this meant that if you bought something expensive at the department store and then went home to put it on other inexpensive items like jeans and sneakers (instead of fancy dresses or heels), then you could create an attractive outfit without spending too much money!
SHIBUYA109 was also known for having many different kinds of stores within itself: there were over 140 by 2011! This made it easy for people who didn’t know where else nearby might sell what they needed; if one place didn’t have what someone wanted then he or she could easily move to another area instead.
The modern Gal has exceeded the boundaries of definition, and the definition of the 90s Gal has been erased from memory. For example, if we look at SNS such as Instagram, there is a new trend in which girls who like to wear gothic lolita or kawaii fashion have become popular by combining these styles with streetwear and Japanese-style makeup. This is what society is calling “no-gal” (ノーガール, no-gāru). The new generation of gals does not copy the previous generations, but rather creates something new by combining elements from different subcultures within Gyaru culture and diluting it as much as possible.
The word “no-gal” is used to emphasize that this new type of gal isn’t just an ordinary gal—she’s an individual who stands out from other people because she doesn’t follow conventional rules and norms of society. She doesn’t just want to be accepted; she wants to stand out as someone special in a crowd full of similar-looking individuals so that she can feel proud about herself when she looks in her mirror every morning before going out into society again as her true self! Despite seeking this individuality, however, she still seeks approval from everyone rather than focusing 100% on individuality.