shibuya 1999: a fashion study - part 1

 

At first glance, gal fashion may seem like an imitation of its Western counterparts, but at the core of this movement was the motivation to dress like people who were far less distant: Shibuya 109's charismatic shop staff, magazine models, and domestic musicians. Yusuke Arai, social anthropologist, pg 8

A quick scan of my blog will undoubtedly reveal a deluge of 90s-era gyaru: tan-skinned girls on towering platforms with white-painted eyes. I'm an old-school ganguro who loves old-school ganguros. 

As an old-school gal and lifelong student of gyaru fashion, I am constantly on the hunt for primary sources. I recently came across the book Shibuya 1999, a collection of photographs of Shibuya residents from the late 90s. Most of these residents are gals. 

Similar to what I did in my How To Be A Ganguro Girl post, I want to dive into Mike Nogami and Masami Takahashi's (collaboratively known as Clown) fantastic photography book to see what we can learn. There are too many beautiful coordinates in the book, and I want to give them all justice, so I'll divide this into parts. This is part one. 

It's possible that at the end, I'll compile a compendium of everything we learned. A fashion study review! 

But for now, let's tackle today's coordinates... Class is in session. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Bright green shorts. Orange zip-up, short-sleeved hoodie (seems to be a soft, knitted fabric) with a green floral bikini top underneath. Straw cowboy hat with fake hibiscus flowers. Sandals with a cork or wood-like platform. Oval sunglasses hung from a puka shell necklace. A lanyard with her cell phone attached. Glitter square-shaped nails. Rings in silver and wood.

MAKE

White eyeshadow all the way up to the brow bone and on the namidabukuro. Dark shadow. Mascara. Teardrop-shaped crystal stickers near the eyes. Nude lip. Brown brows. 

HAIR

Bleached hair in a sandy blonde. Short and layered. Parted to the side. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Resort casual floral maxi dress. Layered necklaces with tropical themes, including shells and plumerias. Chunky purple bangle (with green and yellow accents.) Silver rings. Cellphone on lanyard. White shoulder bag. Platform wood sandals with a woven strap. 

MAKE

Deep tan foundation. White/silver highlighting brown bone and namidabukuro. Mascara. Eyeliner. White lip. Dark brows with an arch. It also looks like she's got some pronounced highlighter on her upper cheek, right near her eyes. 

HAIR

Bleached hair in white-blonde. Styled in braided twin tails with pink hair bands. Side part. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Red casual dress. Woven bag styled with a red lei. Camel suede lace-up boots (I'm guessing they're from Question Mark or Idol). Sunglasses hung on the dress front. Layered necklaces in various materials (silver, wood, leather, etc). Silver bangles. Silver hoop earrings. 

MAKE

Matte foundation. Blue contacts. Light pink (frosted) lips. Silverish-white eyeshadow up to brow bone and namidabukuro. It's unseen, but I'm sure she's wearing a dark eyeshadow and liner on the lid. Mascara. Dark, arched brows. 

HAIR

Tea-brown hair. Layered, side part, worn straight. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Alba Rosa tank top. Terry cloth (that's my best guess) mini skirt in pink. Armbands in pink and white. Bangles. Hibiscus dangle earrings in the first hole and Native-inspired earrings in the second. Denim platform sandals with pink hibiscus designs. Layered necklaces. Straw cowboy hat decorated with fake flowers. Long, square-shaped nails. Some kind of (I'm not certain what it is) flower accessory attached to the front of her tank top. It also looks like she has her wallet or cell phone tucked in her bra. 

MAKE

Tan, matte foundation. White shadow up to brow bone. Dark shadow on lid. Mascara. Fake lashes (top and bottom). Gem stickers near eyes. Light lips. Dark brows. 

HAIR

Bleached blonde hair. Cut to the shoulders. Worn straight. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Yellow tank top. White shorts. Sandals with a tall wood platform. Silver dog tag necklaces. Wooden bangles. Yellow and pink beaded bracelets. Thick white hoops. 

MAKE

Subtle (extremely subtle by usual ganguro standards) white on brow bone and namidabukuro. Silver star stickers near one of her eyes. Brown brows. 

HAIR

Bleached blonde hair in a yellowish shade. Shoulder length. Middle part. Front pieces of hair pulled back with pink clips.

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Blue floral casual dress. Large shell (looks like white coral) necklace. Silver layered necklace with a variety of charms including a white scallop. Silver accessories including rings, bracelet, and watch. Mules with a wooden platform. 

MAKE

Subtle white highlight on brow bone and namidabukuro. Arched brown brows. Light pink (so light it's almost undetectable) frosted lips. 

HAIR

Bleached blonde hair. Side part. Layers. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Low-waisted, dark denim jeans with a slight flare at the bottom. Black tank top with yellow straps. Dangle earrings. Black cowboy hat. Cowrie shell armband. Red Alba Rosa knapsack with clear hibiscus clip. Dark wood platform sandals. Blue square-shaped nails. 

MAKE

Deep tan foundation. White shadow on brow bone and namidabukuro. Arched, brown brows. 

HAIR

Tea-brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Middle part. Long, face-framing bangs. 

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES

Low-waisted, dark denim flare jeans. Off-white belt. Light orange polo tank top. Sandals with a dark wood platform. Long-layered necklaces, one being kukui and the other being transparent beads. Wicker bag with tropical flower accents. Beaded bracelets

MAKE

Subtle white shadow on brow bone and namidabukuro. Tan, matte complexion.

HAIR

Honey blonde hair. Layered. Middle part. Worn straight. 

When doing these studies, I constantly look for recurrent fashion elements. This makes it easier to determine what is most "gyaru" about these coordinates. 

KEY NOTES

• Tan complexion 
• Foundation is typically dark and matte
• Bleached, layered hair (in various shades ranging from very white blonde to light tea brown) 
• Side parts were favored by many ganguro at the time
• Clothing in a bright color palette, including oranges, greens, reds, blues, etc. 
• Tropical themes in both garments and accessories
• Cowboy hats 
• Often styled with tropical fake flowers like hibiscuses and plumerias 
• White highlighting of the brow bone and namidabukuro 
• Brows with a notable arch 
• Wooden platforms 
• Wicker or woven bags 
• Silver Jewelry 
• Stickers and gems used near the eyes (as part of the makeup look)
• Lanyards holding their cellphones and styled with various keychains and fake flowers 
• Square-shaped nails