Ah yes, the Ganguro ladies. I've "studied" them in pictures and stuff. To many people, they may look all out there and strange. But, they are there for a common reason to some people- scare the crap out of people. The most notable element I've seen with Ganguro and Yamanba ladies is the very tall shoes they worn. I believe in Japan, they are known as atsuzuko shoes. These are usually platform boots and shoes worn by these ladies. These thick-soled shoes were quite dangerous as many of Japan's cuties fell and hurt themselves. Some even died, I believe. Also, you couldn't wear these while driving. This may sound funny, but you really don't need to have a sense of style to be accepted by the Japanese especially in trendy areas like Shibuya (famous for Shibuya 109 building, like a mega fashion mall in a tower) or Harajuku.
Outside of the long-running Ganguro and Yamanba subculture, I think Japanese fashion (especially Japanese women) is about bright, vibrant colors. Some of their fashion is even risqué a little bit. A number of the different looks in the first post could make for nice fashion looks even though the Japanese look best in them. * For example, take the top picture in the first post. The top on the left lady is sort of rave chic while the skirt would probably be liked better in another denim wash, it's still fashionable. The other lady in the top picture has sort of a nice summer look with dark denim jeans, a zippered sleeveless top (though not much is actually ZIPPED), and the cropped top underneath. * The second picture has a lot that would look good on ladies here in America. I will start clockwise from the big picture. I Think that button-down tunic and pink jeans (or pants?) on the right lady is nice. The lady on the left looks very colorful with variations of pink and white and other pastel-type colors. * The other pictures below as well as the top-left are just different views of the big picture with addition of a sweater shrug on the lady with the blue, pink, and white cap. The one in the pants has some cute platformed wedge thong sandals. The bottom left has the lady up front has a look that would be TOTALLY acceptable in America- a white and pink tank top with a denim miniskirt. And on the left is a lady who's colorful for beachwear.
So from a style standpoint, they do look pretty nice. Ganguro-type ladies aren't all about this sort of look. I'll explain in a future post.
