Fashion in Japan
The Japanese are known the world over as a people that are not afraid to take fashion risks and make bold fashion statements. Especially the young crowd. They are becoming known as the people that keep things fresh and original and very, very colorful. There are some aspects of Japanese culture that are still foreign to some westerners — things that go well beyond sushi, anime and Godzilla: their fashion, for instance. While normal, everyday Japanese fashion isn’t strange or eye catching, there is an underground movement commonly and simply known as Japanese Street Fashion. It’s here that one can encounter a wide and varied range of lunacy and, most prominently, cries for help that have manifested themselves in to the form of dressing like a character straight out of a pedophile’s wet dream, or, perhaps, a member of a Norwegian black metal band that would probably be named something like Abortion Kick or Rape Sanctuary.
There are many types of dress-up-fashion in which the young folks take part. Let’s look at 4 of them. The first is called ‘Lolita’ because it makes anyone look like a young girl. Japanese Lolita fashion has nothing to do with the sexual perversion with which it is sometimes associated. It’s actually a style of clothing that’s a bit of an homage to Victorian era garb, specifically, the clothing style of porcelain dolls.
Visual Kei is another one especially for the boys. It’s a kind of punk rock spiky haired look. If grunge hadn’t killed glam rock in the late 80s, and glam rock continued to thrive and evolve, it would have turned in to Visual Kei. Directly Translated, Visual Kei means ‘visual style’. It easily blurs the lines between the guys and the gals. The style originated from Japanese rock bands that looked at 70s and 80s American and English glam rock and took it to its logical nightmarish extreme. Lots of leather and makeup, and big, spiky hair.
Ganguro is another type of dress-up that involves deep orange tans or make-up. Ganguro is a style that reached its peak in the early 2000s, but the occasional Ganguro Girl, as they’re called, can still be found from time to time wandering the streets of Tokyo. The basic Ganguro look can be achieved with a simple orange face with some light white makeup around the eyes.
Finally, Kogal is the school girl outfits worn by non school girls. They can be identified by their loose socks and skimpy skirts. Apparently, in Japan, dressing like a catholic school girl is considered a cool thing to do. They have been called frivolous and stuck up. But, this may be part of the act that goes along with the dress. Why would you want to get all dressed up like a unique character, then act normal? Clearly there’s a personality that goes along with each of these styles. Thought by many to be silly or sick, it sure beats violence and drug abuse. Like all types of fashion, it can bring spice and fun to life. Keep it up, kids.
