Japanese Fashion Wikia
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Substyles

A substyle can be created when a style is unique or of a different nature than what is considered "normal" for the style it originated from. Substyles are also formed when a style is split into two or more minor styles based on color, theme or other aspects. These styles still follow the general rules or themes of a larger style, thus making them not quite different enough to be considered their own distinct style.

Some styles may have a large number of substyles, whereas other styles may not have any.

Ametora[]

Ametora, or American Traditional is not a style in its own right, but rather describes any Japanese fashion that emulates American, and occasionally British or other western countries, fashions. It originally applied only to Japanese Preppy, but is used in a much broader context today. [1]

Cult Party Kei[]

Cult Party Kei only has one official substyle, and it is closely related to the original style.

Decora[]

Decora substyles are very closely tied to the original style, and feature small variations.

Futuristic[]

Various fashion styles that incorporate futuristic elements.

Girly[]

Girly has a growing amount of substyles that are tied together by their frilly casual appearance.[2]

Gothic/Punk[]

Just as there are many variations of gothic fashion within the western world, there are many Japanese fashions that also have a darker color scheme, or a darker twist.

Gyaru[]

Gyaru substyles all fall closely under the Gyaru title, and are more different trends within the style than actual distinct styles in their own right.

There's few substyles that fall specifically under Ganguro as well.

Kawaii[]

Kawaii (可愛い/かわいい), or "cute," fashions are various styles focused around a childish, cute aesthetic. These styles will feature brighter or pastel color palettes, as well as cute characters and motifs.

Lolita[]

Core styles are substyles with an own distinct silhouette within Lolita fashion and are recognisable even without a print.

Lesser styles are defined by their strong focus on a theme that gets integrated into Lolita fashion with the help of prints and accessories rather than the style of the garment on its own.

There's also various micro-substyles based on occasions and colors.

While not directly Lolita, there's also few styles that share a strong relation with the fashion.

Natural[]

The natural genre generally consists out of styles that also have a focus on natural fashion. Some are considered their own style outright as well as a substyle, while others are directly tied to mori kei or other fashions.

Visual Kei[]

Visual kei has various substyles, many of which are their own established styles as well as substyles.

References[]

  1. You can find more about Ametora here and here.
  2. "What is Girly Fashion? (translated title)" MyNavi. October 15, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021 from https://woman.mynavi.jp/article/190826-20/
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