୨♡୧ Agejo vs Hime Gyaru: Beginner's Guide

07.16.25

This is an extended version of a twitter thread i made a while ago replying to someone who asked about the difference between Agejo and Hime. You can find it here >>> https://x.com/p1aygyal/status/1835811137037722003 if you are interested, but it is essentially just a shorter version of this blog post. Hope you enjoy!

Himegyaru means “princess gal” which essentially describes it perfectly! This style is hyperfeminine and very pink. It presents itself in a soft, cute, sweet sort of way. But don’t get it twisted, because being decked out in extravagant accessories and frills is a major aspect of the look.

Himekaji translates to “princess casual”. In essence, it is a toned down, more everyday version of the look.

Clothing and accessories often feature: 

♡ floral prints

♡ fur trim

♡ lace & frills

♡ pearls

♡ bedazzling

♡ and lots of bows!

Nails are usually long, done to a T, decorated with lots of charms & gems. 

Makeup is glam with big lashes. Lip and blush shades are usually a pale pink. Blush is often applied heavily, something that is not all that common amongst other gyaru substyles. 

Hair is mostly seen blonde or in other natural colors with lots of volume and big curls. It may be worn down, done in ponytails, or a beehive style. Most often in himegyaru, wigs are worn to achieve more intricate styling and as much volume as possible. Hair bows & accessories are also a defining characteristic of hime fashion.

Sometimes this style is grouped in or confused with egl/lolita fashion, possibly because they both display a variation of princess-y aesthetics. But while they hold a few similarities (and the fact that hime-lolita is also a thing), himegyaru is quite different. For one example: miniskirts and sleeveless dresses are not uncommon in hime, meanwhile egl tends to be more conservative in terms of skirt length and showing of the shoulders. 

Some of the main hime brands are La Pafait, Princess Melody, Jesus Diamante, and Liz Lisa (which is a brand lolitas wear quite often as well. So who knows, that overlap may be a small part of it). The point still remains that if you look at a variety of examples it is clear to see that the styles are distinctly their own and present very different silhouettes

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Agejo is meant to be more of a “mature/sexy” style. Because of this, along with its roots in nightlife, it is typically meant to be worn by older gals as it can be considered somewhat revealing. Form fitting clothing, fishnet stockings, and very short skirts are common.

Some staples of the style are 

✽ stockings 

✽ garters

✽ gold jewelry+prints

✽ corset lacing

✽ heels & black knee high boots

✽ fancy bras 

as well as lace, bows, & pearls (like hime). 

This style also has a much darker color palette, mainly 

❁ black

❁ hot pink

❁ purple

❁ deep brown

❁ & sometimes white.

Hair is worn down, clearly styled but not (usually) as detailed and voluminous as hime.

Intricately decorated Nails are seen on ocassion, but more commonly natural/painted/french tip nails. 

Makeup is casual glam with heavy dark eyeliner and thick lashes.

Agejo was inspired by Ageha Magazine, and in its origins was mostly worn by hostesses, sex workers, & other women working in bars/lounges/clubs. Although all of this clearly influences the tone of the style to this day, Agejo is obviously not limited to people in these professions and  plenty of people still can (and do) enjoy/engage in this style whether they are employed in nightlife or not.

I don’t have very many Hime type items in my wardrobe, but I can say from my personal experience that certain pieces from Victoria’s Secret work very well for Agejo. 

In addition to that; as always i recommend DIY alterations to your clothing, and of course thrifting! Some of my favorite most authentic looking agejo pieces are bras, slips, and miniskirts that were purchased at various thrift stores. Don’t be afraid of the lingerie section at your local thrift.

If you want to start wearing Hime or Agejo in the modern day and cannot afford exorbitant resell prices to get your hands on some brand, there are plenty of alternatives. I have been gyaru for five years and don't own a single piece of brand (although I would love to some day of course). Don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t be gal because you don’t own a four hundred dollar D.I.A belt! 

So long as you have thoroughly done your research and understand how to properly present yourself as a gyaru, it is debatably one of the easiest j-fashion styles to emulate on a budget! So with the best of luck from me to you, go out there and get creative with your look.

Wow what a long post!  Thank you for reading & much love

~ Adobe