ganguro

i have never ever worn this style before. it's called ganguro, a look that's past its time already. according to the all-knowing wikipedia, it peaked around 2004. it makes me think of a character that would get killed in a horror flick, so i visited the carnival of doom. while i was wandering around i met a few carnies dancing in a barn, all blood soaked, and i laughed at the utter contrast of it all. they were nice though, and i promptly changed into something more gruesome looking.

i think it's an interesting style even if it's already dead and in its grave, because this is what japanese schoolgirl rebellion looks like apparently. it consists of a deep tan, with white lipstick and eyeliner, bleached blonde hair, and loud bright colors.

i have to admit it took me a moment to adjust, because it looks weirdly like a kind of racist blackface at first. i did love the face gems, and this was the first time i have worn false eyelashes in SL. it's funny, just like RL i had to shorten them and adjust them to fit my tiny eyes.

the loud clashy colors took some getting used to. i hardly ever wear this kind of thing in SL. i searched all the images i could find and i was unable to really implement it on my SL body farther than this. but the skin is very lovely, and the eye jewels too, both from Gauze, which is one of the holy trinity of my favorite visual kei-ish stores--those being Gauze, The Black Canary, and Blue Blood.

the rebelliously attired juana-ko sports:

ganguro ginger skin, Corvinus hair, and heart face gems by Gauze
eyelashes by DrL
Frog tee by Meriken
Skull mini skirt by amplify
Flour corsage from 64 set by KS
tropicana hair flower by artilleri
purple legwarmers by BP
blackstripe leg socks by LaynieWear
jeweled satin cuffs from murder ballet set by snatch
absynthe oshun collar by dark eden
ving boots by shiny things

at the carnival of doom, and the china sim

meiji schoolgirl

LONG HAIRED AND PREGNANT --
Mixing Elements of Seasonal Fashion
in Japan
Originally uploaded by Okinawa Soba

i have been making myself crazy looking for images of meiji-era schoolgirls. and i have only succeeded in finding this one image, and she is pregnant lol. so tomorrow i will try to find another.

it makes me laugh because apparently the meiji-era schoolgirl was considered pretty wild and naughty in their little hakama. from what i understand too, this type of uniform is sometimes worn for graduation in japan. (blogged from flickr:LONG HAIRED AND PREGNANT --Mixing Elements of Seasonal Fashion in Japan Originally uploaded by Okinawa Soba)

i like the mixture of western and japanese elements too.

i am very fond of nonko romankan kimono. they seem to have a sort of antique vibe going. i am still pretty shaky as to what differentiates meiji from taisho, but these antique style elements seem to be pretty influential in today's fashion.

the brash schoolgirl juana-ko wears:

skin: willow pale smokey by eat rice!
hair: yuuki by zero style
hakama set: Nonko Hakama set 01 by Nonko Romankan
hair ribbon: TAISYOU_HAKAMA A Ribbon by tesuya volmar
april hair ornament: april kanzashi by mameha's
shoes: miriel granny boots by illusions (siyu suen)

at any rate, i own several outfits from nonko, but the one i wanted to wear today was the hakama set. i have an affinity for hakama anyway, since i like heian era clothing, and hakama (i guess more properly nagabakama) started out as heian era women's underclothing.

and the lure of the cherry blossoms is to strong to be ignored.