Around 1998, the charismatic shop staff boom led to a focus on items with retro patterns from the 1970s ().
.Retro patterns: Popular retro patterns in the gal world include polka dots, floral patterns, and psychedelic patterns (similar to Pucci patterns).
Initially, the retro fashion boom mainly featured muted colors, which gave a strong impression of "retro fashion = big sister gals." However, around the year 2000, more vivid and pop-colored retro patterns emerged.
As a result, many gals started to try retro fashion.
What were the popular retro fashions?
Polka dot two-piece
The polka dot two-piece (set-up) sold by EGOIST around the summer of 1999 featured a tight mini T-shirt and a tight knee-length skirt.
The tight “knee-length skirt” was a shock to gal fashion at the time, which was dominated by the “mini skirt” boom!!
After that, “knee-length skirts” became more popular among gals, and by the 2000s, many gals were seen wearing more mature knee-length outfits.
Retro floral print dresses
Retro floral prints were also popular and were sold in many stores.
Among them, the retro pop floral prints sold at Cocolulu () around 1999 were very gal-like, with colorful and cute color schemes.
Wearing a scarf with the same pattern as the dress around the neck was a key point of retro fashion at the time.
.Cocolulu: A name of an apparel brand for gals (109-based).It gained popularity as a surf-style 109 brand and became famous for its "Ketsu Lulu," which featured "COCOLULU" printed on the hip part of boys' denim.
Retro pattern clothing × scarf bandana
Along with retro-patterned clothing, matching retro-patterned "scarf bandanas" were often purchased as a set.
Wearing a scarf bandana with the same design as the clothing around the head or neck was popular.
The scarf bandana alone greatly enhanced the fashion level, and many gals loved to wear them.
Camisole × psychedelic pattern skirt
Around 2000, vividly colored retro patterns began to appear, and "psychedelic patterns" () were particularly eye-catching.
.Psychedelic patterns: Vivid, colorful paisley patterns, marble patterns, etc.
Pairing a knee-length psychedelic-patterned skirt with a camisole completed the latest retro big sister fashion of 2000.
This style was more vibrant and flashy than 90s retro fashion, which suited the gals well!
2.Trendy items that retro patterns-loving ganguro gals owned!
Platform sandals and platform boots
This era, when gals were at their peak, saw an unprecedented platform shoe boom!!
Platform shoes were an indispensable fashion item for any genre of clothing.
Brands like "Esperanza" and "IDOL" were very popular, with the following items being particularly sought after:
Around the year 2000, designs with hollowed-out heel sections appeared, capturing the hearts of many gals.
.Wedge sole: A platform shoe with a sole that extends from the toe to the heel (not cut at the arch like a stiletto heel). It was very popular among gals because it was more stable and easier to walk in than stiletto heels.
Wigs
Since the late 1990s, "wigs" () have become popular among gals.
Popular types of wigs at that time
- "Rope wigs" that wrap around buns
- "Vance clip wig" that clip onto ponytails
- "Half wigs" that add length to hair like extensions and create gorgeous curls
Looking back, it's easy to tell when someone was wearing a wig, as the boundary between natural hair and the wig was quite unnatural. However, at that time, hairstyles with wigs were very popular.
.Wigs: Fashionable hairpieces.
Similar to conventional wigs, there are "full wigs" that cover the entire head and partial wigs used to change hair length.
They were popular as fashion items that allowed you to change your hairstyle freely depending on your mood. The "rope wig," " vance clip wig," and "half wig" introduced above are all examples of "partial wigs."
Scarf bandanas
Wearing a scarf bandana became fashionable to hide the boundary between natural hair and wigs or to add an accent.
Just by incorporating a scarf bandana as an accent, the retro feel increased, and it caught the attention of stylish gals.
Psychedelic pattern bags
Psychedelic patterns, one of the retro patterns, were also popular for bags as well as clothing.
In the gal fashion magazine "egg," there was even a special feature on psychedelic pattern bags!
These patterns were popular not only with retro fashion but also when paired with remade denim.
You may have heard the saying "fashion trends repeat every 20 years." Indeed, 70s retro fashion was re-highlighted in the 90s.
It's wonderful that you're wearing retro-patterned items flashy like a gal!
