.⭐︎* Substyle vs Title *⭐︎.

Hello Everyone!

This was a topic request so don't blame me for this one.

Y'all know I don't like substyles cause I don't shut up about it, but specifically today I'm gonna talk about three things:

Oneegyaru, Rokku, and Kogal. Did you know that they aren't substyles at all?

So, let's start off with "why do we think they are?". The simple answer is that the comm used to explain them that way for the sake of simplicity, but often only after one stayed in the comm for years would they learn that that wasn't the case, and most gals haven't been in it for that long. Well, things evolve, and most of the information and sources that are out there for English speaking gals is severely outdated.

Onee Gyaru

Let's start with Onee, "お姉さん"/"おねえさん” is an honorific used for your biological older sister, or an older female acquaintance. In this context, it literally means older gal. It's mostly used to denote a veteran gal. Onee Gyaru is a title that you earn from being in gyaru for many years, and usually after transitioning into a more mature style of dress and out of the immature flashy style, but not always. The clothes that you see referred to as "Onee style" are just more mature clothes meant for older women, but not all Onee gals wear those. There are many older gals who have been in the community for over a decade who still wear youthful colorful clothes.

↝⤳ Input from Sei: Trendy mature brands like GYDA and Emoda are often miscredited as "Onee style". They basically produce the same style clothes and concepts as western shops like ZARA or Aritzia.

OneeGyaru is a title you earn, not a style you do.

Kogal

On the reverse end, Kogal is the same thing. KoGal is a shortening of Kōkōsei Gyaru. "高校生"/"こうこうせい” is the term for senior highschoolers. KoGal literally just means high school aged gal. This is one of the original terms for gyaru as a whole, because it was (and is) mostly teenagers participating in it. 

This is also a title one is given based on their age, and calling yourself "teenager style" feels a little weird right? ww

Rokku

Rokku is the hardest of these to describe with simplicity. "Rokku" is just a Japanese pronunciation of "Rocker". In the context of gyaru, it means a gyaru who is a fan of heavy music, usually Visual Kei. So, liking the music, going to concerts, etc, is the defining feature. "Rokku style" clothing is basically identical to the way that Goth or Punk's defining feature is music fandom, but you can also visually identify "goth style" clothes. 

Therefore, Rokku is a title you earn and a thing you do.

All this is to say, if you like something, don't just say it, DO IT. If you are something, you won't have to tell everyone, everyone will know.

That's all I have to say. I hope this is what y'all wanted it to be.

Bye for Now. ♡