The fashion subculture was considered to be nonconformist and rebelling against Japanese social and aesthetic standards [ 8 ] during a time when women were expected to be housewives and fit Asian beauty standards of pale skin and dark hair. Early in its rise, gyaru subculture was considered racy, and associated with juvenile delinquency and frivolousness among teenage girls. Its popularity peaked in the s and early s.
The word gyaru is a Japanese loanword which comes from the English slang word "gal". When it first started to be used in Japan in the s, it referred to energetic, youthful women. Although it has not been fully confirmed, some people say that the term gal also became popular when Wrangler released women's jeans called "Gals" in This magazine introduced the culture of women in the West Coast of the United States, and included punk rock music, along with other genres like new wave and indie.
However, the magazine had nothing to do with Japan's gyaru culture. Later, this magazine gained controversy due to its extreme expression of sexuality. Gal '' became a hit. At the height of the bubble economy of Japan in the late s, women began to appear wearing bodycon dresses and women's suits that were extremely tight and emphasized their body lines. Although this style originated from Europe in the early s, it began to gain popularity as Japan was at a time where the economy was strong.
During this time period, this style was mostly worn by female college students and office ladies, and the word "gal" was used to referred to women of the younger generation. The words "pichi pichi gyaru'' lively attractive gal and "ike ike gyaru" cool gal also appeared in the early s.
In Shibuya, there were constructions for several fashion and department stores, and the city became more youth-friendly. On the other hand, in Harajuku, there was a huge boom in street dance culture called Takenokozoku in the early s, and even in the late s when Takenokozoku was on the decline, various youth cultures such as street live performances and performers were emerging mainly in Harajuku.
