Ganguro

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Ganguro, (??) literally "black face", is a fashion trend among Japanese girls which peaked in popularity from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, an outgrowth of chapatsu hair dyeing.

Related Topics:
Fashion - Japanese - Chapatsu

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The basic look consists of bleached hair, a deep tan, both black and white eyeliners, false eyelashes, platform shoes (usually sandals or boots), and brightly colored outfits. Also typical of the "Ganguro Gal" look are cell phones covered with purikura stickers, tie-dyed sarongs, mini-skirts, hibiscus flower hairpins, and lots of bracelets, rings and necklaces.

Related Topics:
Purikura - Tie-dyed - Sarongs - Hibiscus

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Extreme trend followers further bleach their hair up to a platinum blond shade, get even deeper tans, wear white lipstick, multicolored pastel eyeshadows and tiny metallic or glittery adhesives around the bottom rim of the eye sockets (See Yamanba). Popular Ganguro magazines include: Egg, Popteen, and Ego System.

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The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo are the center of ganguro fashion. Ganguro go against the grain of the usual Japanese standard of female beauty, which calls for skin as light as possible, so-called bihaku, (??, literally 'beautiful whiteness'). The roots of the trend are said to be in the mid-1960s, starting with commercials/advertisements in which actresses emulated the California "beach bunny" look.

Related Topics:
Shibuya - Ikebukuro - Tokyo - 1960s

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However, Ganguro have also been linked to an emulation of African American celebrities and were described as such by the Editor of FRUiTS magazine. The term itself, "Black face", seems to allude to that.

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