Always wanted to dansou but never known how or where to start? Well, then this may just be the guide for you. I’ve tried my best to give a ‘concise’ explanation for beginners on how to dansou and I’ve also tried to cater to cosplay dansou-ers too. That said, I can’t cover everything, so if there’s something you’re not sure about, then by all means, please leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you asap.
Step 1: Understand what ‘Dansou’ is
Firstly, here’s the ‘dictionary’ definition of ‘Dansou’:
- Dansou (男装) is the Japanese word for ‘cross-dressing as a man’ and is an activity participated in by josei (女性 - women) and chuusei (中性 - gender neutral persons.)
- 'Dan' (男) literally means 'man' and 'sou' (装) literally means 'disguise/pretend' so 'pretending to be a man.'
If you want it in a simpler sense, dansou is the equivalent to what we westerners call ‘drag;’ however the main difference is that dansou can be participated in regardless of gender-identity, it’s literally for people who love men’s fashion and want to dress in it. But let this be made clear now, dansou is NOT tomboy-ing, your aim as a dansou-er is to be able to pass as a normal man. Also, dansou is an action not a style.
Some people engage in dansou on an occasional basis for things like cosplay or even work, whereas some choose to dansou in their everyday lives. However, dansou is not for the half-hearted, whether for a one off occasion or everyday, it’s important to understand that people put a lot of effort (and sometimes money) into perfecting their male-look. So if you’re not willing, it may be better that you just admire or tomboy instead.
There is a slight argument between whether dansou is only for Japanese male fashion or all male fashion; personally I believe it’s all male fashion as long as your aim is to be seen as a man, but you’re entitled to your own opinion.
Now that you know what dansou is, you can move onto:
Step 2: Pick + research the style(s) your want to do
Looking at Japanese street fashions alone, there are literally tonnes of options for styles that you can engage in, whether you prefer flashy or more toned down styles. Here are some of the most popular male fashions:
- Gyaruo
- Oniisan (Big Brother)
- Shouta (Little Brother, lit: young boy)
- Visual-kei (VK)
- Host-kei
- Ouji-kei (Prince Style)
- Yankee/Delinquent
- Kirei-me
- Idol-kei
As well as the classics: punk, punk rock, rock, gothic, and of course, casual. There’s also unpopular/unknown styles like MODE-kei, my personal favourite. If you can’t seem to find one style that suits your taste, why limit yourself? You can do as many or as few styles as you want to; if you really wanted, you could even make your own style by mixing existing styles together.
If you’re cosplaying then really you only need to research the outfit of your character; is it made up of items you already have in your wardrobe or do you need to look around for some cheap Japanese kimonos? Or do you even have to get your sewing machine out?
One thing that may help you with perfecting your style is:
Step 3: Get a role model
Now, although this step is optional, it can sometimes be extremely useful. Personally I didn’t have a role model when I originally started dansou, but I do have other sources of inspiration.
There are a number of good places to get role models, but where you find them may depend on your style, for example, if you do a style like VK then you may want a j-rocker as your role model/inspiration, where as if you did something like Ouji-kei then you may want to look into some Japanese fashion magazines. One that most dansou-ers read is KERA! (and KERA BOKU,) and a common name you’ll hear is ‘Akira’ a model for KERA! magazine. There’s also a new magazine called ‘Garcon Girls’ going on sale on 15th Oct dedicated solely to dansou.
For cosplayers, you may just want to take a look at other cosplayers; for example the extremely popular cosplayer ‘Reika’ known for her otherworldly skills.
But if you really don’t think you can manage without someone telling you exactly what you’re doing wrong (or right) then you may want to join the dansou group on facebook to get feedback from other dansou-ers or even adopt one of the BOKUTACHI members who do the same style as your personal mentor; we’d be more than happy to help! Seriously I need more MODE-kei dansou-ers >_>
Now you’ve got a style you’re ready to do, it’s time for:
Step 4: Building your wardrobe
The most fun but sometimes painful (especially for your wallet) stage of dansou. Now, before you start buying anything, first have a look through your wardrobe and see if you do already have clothes you can work with or reinvent to match your style. I know a lot of dansou-ers who didn’t spend much (or at all) when they started out because there’s literally so many combinations you can put together with things you already have.
But if you do decide to buy things, and you have a fat wallet sitting in your back pocket, then you may be interested in the wonderful luxury that is *BRANDO* aka Japanese brand clothing. That said, brand is expensive and its not at all a necessity, and just having lots of brand is not enough if you don’t know how to put outfits together, so you may want to start off cheaper before splashing out the big bucks - especially as you may later decide to change your style for whatever reason.
For cosplayers, as mentioned before, depending on your character, check through your wardrobe before hitting up the cosplay websites and spending loads of money; if you’re good with a sewing machine, you may find that its cheaper to make your costume rather than buy one ready-made.
Now, there’s a question here that may arise: Do I need circle lenses???? The short answer is: maybe. If you’re cosplaying then you may need them to get some of those wonderful anime coloured/sized eyes, but for other styles you may not need them as much, unless you’re doing a style like VK (as j-rockers seem to love having contacts in all sorts of colours.) That said, you may just want them to change things up a bit.
Another frequently discussed topic is: binders. (Chest) binders are made to do just that, bind your chest to give it a natural male look. Binding can be different from person to person because we all come in different shapes and sizes and there are so many different styles available. You may want to ask around before investing in a binder to see what works best for people with a similar body structure to your own. There’s no rush in getting a binder, so don’t feel like you can’t start perfecting other parts of your look before you get one.
Lastly, don’t be afraid of venturing into the men’s section in stores, but don’t hate the women’s section either! Think of the entire store as your ‘dansou-section’ and look around for anything you might find useful.
Step 5: Likewise, fix your hair and make-up
Now these are the hurdles that most dansou-ers find hardest to overcome and are constantly working at.
For hair, you have the option of using your natural hair or investing in a wig. Most tend to go for wigs, as they allow you to change your look (whether style, length or colour) on a regular basis, and you can even buy some ready-styled. Also, if you know how to use eBay well, you can find them quite cheap but at quite a high-quality.The wig I use at the moment cost about £3 (~$5), is synthetic, I wear it everyday, wash it with regular shampoo and conditioner, use my flat-iron and curlers on it and its still as good as new despite the fact I’ve had it for a few months now. Sometimes price does not equal quality.
That said, if you do go down the natural route, then you may consider dyeing your hair or getting a hair cut; sometimes you may want to invest in a wig or two before making any real commitment as you might find the style/colour you want may not give you the look you had in mind.
For make-up, the amount of make-up you use (if any) depends on your natural features and style. If you already have a relatively androgynous face, chizzled jaw or manly features then you may even be able to get away with dansou, make-up free. However for the rest of us, there are some basics you should learn before trying anything more elaborate, and these are: face contouring and guyliner. Contouring is almost like the basis of dansou make-up as it makes you appear more masculine, and guy liner can also help add to that sharp eye-d manly look. You may not always use guyliner, but its a good skill to have.
If you do a more elaborate style like VK, then you may need to learn other make-up skills like masculine eye make-up and even creative eye-lining. Also, even when you think you’ve perfected one look, you may want to try experimenting to give you a bit of variety with your style.
Step 6: Make a male persona
This is another optional step, but it can always make dansou-ing more fun, you can make another side to yourself, or completely reinvent yourself altogether.
For cosplayers, this may simply be a matter of getting into character (whether existing or original) but for everyone else, you have completely free rein over how you reinvent yourself. Do you want to be a charming, yet mysterious, young gentlemen, or a cute, but mischievous shouta? Or an obnoxious, kamidere prince? *coughs* You can literally be anything you want.
Pick a name, pick a character, even pick a life story, and go have fun with it!
Step 7: Take pictures + practice your mannerisms
The quickest way to get feedback and the best way to monitor your progress is to take pictures. An important thing to remember is dansou is more than just your style, it’s also your mannerisms and attitude; how do you pose in your photos, how do you carry yourself when you walk? And so on.
For posing, your options are seemingly endless, so try to go for something that matches your style/persona. A shouta may have more cute faces and V signs in their photos, whereas a host may have more seductive poses in theirs. You can also imitate the posts of your role model and even add your own little twist. Some people even have a ‘signature’ pose.
Also when you’re walking, try to imitate the men you see around you, don’t walk with your feet perfectly in a straight line (that’d squish your male parts if you had any) and walk with your feet turned slightly outward. Also, imagine you’re being pulled by a rope tied around you hips, so they stick forward ever so slightly when you walk. Some things may take practice and some will come more naturally.
If its feedback you’re looking for, then the dansou group and BOKUTACHI members may be a starting point, but when you think you’re dansou-ing more naturally, why not be daring and post your pictures in an online community for your style, and don’t even tell them you’re not a guy! See what others have to say, as you’re bound to come across someone whose been doing the style a lot longer than you and can give you great tips and pointers, and see if you pass seamlessly as a male. Try making friends who have an interest in the same style and share your experiences with each other.
And eventually this will all bring you to our last step:
Step 8: Keep Going!
The fact is, even the oldest and most experienced of dansou-ers are still trying to perfect their looks, whether it’s hair, make-up, wardrobe or mannerisms, we’re all still very far from perfect.
Magazines and other dansou-ers are always good examples, but never stop building your wardrobe and perfecting yourself. Maybe, if you really feel you can’t progress any more in a style, why not challenge yourself and attempt another style that’s completely different, making you more adaptable.
And of course, never ever stop building your confidence, not just as a dansou-er but as yourself.
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Well, that’s the end of my ‘concise’ *cough* guide on how to dansou, I’m sorry if there’s something you wanted to know that I didn’t cover in as much detail as you would have liked, but if you do have questions then please, as I said, message me and I will do my best to find an answer for you. Happy dansou-ing and all the best.
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