Japanese Kogal Fashion
As discussed so many times before in this blog Western fashion is very heavily influenced by what goes on in urban Japan. The equivalent of ‘it” girls in Japan are the Kogal girls. The word Kogal translates to mean “small girl child”
Girls who adopt this look conspicuously display their disposable income through unique tastes in clothing. They are like Asian California Valley Girls.
The Kogal Uniform is quite simple. It is usually platform boots,a miniskirt, lots of haircoloring (usually blonde and suntans induced by sessions in tanning beds. The looks also usually includes lots of designer accessories, skirts pinned hight and baggy socks that go up to the knees.
The Kogal look is very materialistic and Kogals spend much their time shopping. They love to sport their designer cell phones, Burberry scarves and Louis Vuitton handbangs.
The short shorts plus high heels is also very much part of the Kogal look. However so are crazy shoes in colors like chocolate brown. Wooden shoes are also very much a part of the look. The most ultra hip of chick wears granny sweaters and purls. The idea is that they are real pearls and not costume jewellery ones.\
Part of this style is also called the “Elder Sister” Style or One-Lei. The variation is to dress like a very flashy Hollywood celebrity like Paris Hilton in camouflage cargo pants, glittery t-shirts adorned with sequins and large gemstone cocktail rings.
In Kogaluc the prom queen look is also fetish zed and you see these girls dressed in tiaras, tiny jewellery and fluffy chiffon get ups that make them look like they would be more at home dancing in a high school auditorium after a graduation ceremony.
The high end of this style is called Home Gal. Home means “princess” in Japanese. These women dress like princesses no matter what they wear and the tiara is an essential part of their daily wear.
There are also many different more sub genres of this look including dressing like Jackie Onassis, dressing like a muse for Andy Warhol or dressing like one of President Nixon’s daughter’s in the seventies. Dressing in playful polka dots or in fabrics that look like fifties tablecloths can also be a hall mark of this style which is widely imitated by designers in the West as well.
One thing is that the make up is a lot simpler than is the case with Goth Lolita looks. The makeup tends to be very natural looking and powdery and there is not a great deal of eye shadow. The lips are often pale pink (think Pamela Anderson) and the eyes are often fringed with big black lashes. In order to accomplish this look the brows must be impeccably thinned and arched as well.