V-Boy
Kana: V-BOY
First Street Appearance: 1996
First Published Appearance: Boys Rush July 1997
Last Published Appearance: Boys Rush 1998?
Other Sources: Interviews
If you're going to dive into the history of gyaruo, you should really begin here. The v-boy trend is known as the proto-gyaruo blueprint.
Most people know gyaruo as a gyaru inspired yankii subculture. That much is true. The false idea is that gyaruo doesn't just stem from gyaru, but directly mirrors it. It's a bit reductive and insulting to say that they were just male gyaru, so I'd like to clear some of it up here. Gyaruo has its own unique cultural origins and elements, and it partially started with this precursory look.
Part of the fashion that originally kickstarted the gyaruo movement was 'v-boys'- boys who habitually wore v-neck tees, henleys or loosely-buttoned shirts to attract gyaru (kogals) and show off their tanned skin. But why v-necks? A big influence is said to be the TV drama Beach Boys, where the two main protagonists have long hair, tan, and wear v-necks and tank tops often. The show exploded in popularity during its original run (June 1997) and likely explains the consistent presence of surf and amekaji styles in every era of gyaruo fashion. The term v-boy was coined by Boys Rush magazine in two special publications released starting July 1997, and was a main feature in the publication's first 'official' issue in June 1998 - exactly one year after Beach Boys began airing.
This archivist suggests that the tagline of Boys Rush July 1997 is reminiscent of Men's Knuckle, which later used such punchy lines: "The world is waiting for us! Who will seize the role of the next star?". He also suggests that v-boy is one of the origins of onii kei.
Allegedly, Street Fashion 1980-2020 contains the quote:
In 1998, "BOYS RUSH" (Shufunotomo Co., Ltd.), a magazine targeting them, was launched.
The magazine featured the "V-BOY" style, showcasing tanned skin, long hair with highlights, and providing plenty of skincare information, including how to groom eyebrows and beards. This helped pave the way for the subsequent rise of the "gyaru-o" (male gyaru) culture .
Another source contains a wealth of first hand information rather than those gathered retrospectively by archivists like myself.
Daisuke Saito: There really were so many trends from the 90s that have been forgotten. "Kireime" (clean-cut/smart-casual style) is a perfect example.
Seiji Imoto: Or "V-Boy," for instance.
Editorial Dept: I have absolutely no idea what a "V-Boy" is. (Laugh)
Imoto: It stands for "Valuable Boy." Originally, they were called "V-men" because of their wide "V-zone"—the open area at the chest.
Editorial Dept: So it’s not related to "Visual Kei"?
Imoto: No, it refers to the V-zone. They’d wear shirts unbuttoned low in a V-shape, looking a bit like the club hosts you see today. A dedicated magazine launched in '97 and retroactively defined the term as "Valuable Boy." The V-Boy trend actually started around '96. I remember a classmate who wore a black suit to a school trip during our senior year of high school—a slightly oversized, four-button pinstripe suit paired with an incredibly bright red shirt. You saw tons of guys dressing like that at university back then.
Later, Saito adds: "There was this Britpop band called Menswear—they were amazing, but ultimately a one-hit wonder. They were also known as "Neo-Mods," a style that connects to the "polished/Valuable Boy" look."
There's a brief mention of neo-mod fashion in Japan here but I didn't do a lot of digging.
If we go with this firsthand account, then the v-boy trend actually predates Beach Boys' TV appearance by at least a year. This means Beach Boys could be more reflective of a burgeoning trend, which was then amplified to the masses in the way that trends often become mainstream enough to feature in a magazine.
1996
The v-boy trend allegedy begins, partially influenced by neo-mods (ネオ・モッズ).
1997
June - Beach Boys begins airing.
July - Boys Rush release their first two specialized issues, featuring v-boys.
1998
Boys Rush release the first official issue with more on the v-boy trend.
1999
Men's Egg issue 1 is released documenting the new trend 'gyaruo', and modifies the term 'v-boy' to 'e-boy'. I can't currently confirm the first published usage of the term gyaruo, but the sister magazine of Boys Rush, Cawaii!, used it on the cover of their September 1999 issue. The defining point between gyaruo and v-boys at this time is that gyaruo love to wear brightly coloured pants instead of high end designer.
2000
The key signifier of gyaruo that separates it from v-boy is really visibile in the early 2000s styling. You can see the contrast well in the June 2000 issue of Men's Egg, which refers to these men as e-boys.