Agejyo : アゲ嬢

the content of this post is really not my style... but just thought i would keep you up-to-date with the happenings in the country in which i consider to be my 2nd home.


for those out there who don't already know, i used to live in tokyo before coming to hong kong.
i'm not gonna start a post about my life there, i wouldn't know where to begin, but one thing i've noticed since moving to hong kong is that there isn't any "taken-to-the-extreme" fashion trends here.

japan, especially tokyo has tonnes of these, some still going strong, others long gone.
a few memorable ones back in the 90s were the yamanba (ヤマンバ) with their dark tans, white lipstick, pastel eye makeup, glittery eye adhesives, brightly-colored contact lenses, and plastic dayglo-colored clothing. the male equivalent being the gyaruo (ギャル男).

yamanba & gyaruo



the yamanba then evolved into the ganguro (ガングロ) again keeping their deep tan but dying their hair in shades of orange to blond, or a silver gray. white concealer was used as lipstick and eyeshadow along with false eyelashes and plastic facial gems. platform shoes and brightly-colored outfits with lots of bracelets, rings, and necklaces completed their look.
the gyaruo also evolved their look too.

ganguro & evolved (?) gyaruo



then on another extreme you have the lolita (ロリータ); influenced by victorian children's clothing. apart from the few remaining gyaruo, the lolita is the only one you can still see in certain parts of tokyo.
oh, and can't forget the himegyaru (姫ギャル) who dress as princesses...

lolita & himegyaru



these are only a few examples of the "extremes".
you still have many sub-groups of styles like the otaku (オタク); or geeks, the yankii (ヤンキー); or gang youth, and the hosts (ホスト); guys who work for japan's many host clubs.
these each in turn have their own fashion style and magazines to keep them up-to-date with the trends.

yankii & host guys



now in the year 2009 come the newest group on the block, the agejyo (アゲ嬢).
with their white skin, big eyes (helped along with makeup), and permed blond hair, they are japan's version of the living barbie doll.
many of the girls who sport this look are so called "butterflies of the night" or in other words work in one of japans many hostess clubs, however this is their day-look.




although such trends in japan come and go, and yes, are pretty superficial, i must admit i did enjoy living in a culture where such extremes are created.
riding one of tokyo's many rail lines and it often felt like i was in the audience of some carnival-type fashion show! a stop at harajuku station and in would come the often shy lolita's. next stop shibuya and the once quiet carrage would erupt in noise as the ganguro entered, always followed by some eager gyaruo guys.

hong kong is a lot more (way more) conservative when it comes to such trends and the subway to and from work is starting to bore me.
i feel like i need some crazy excitment around me.
maybe i need to plan a trip to japan...