A few weeks ago, I discovered Mori.
Perhaps you are familiar with the fact of the many, many different street fashion styles that have been cropping up in Tokyo, Japan for a good while. Around the internet, I've seen super cute and fake Lolita, Gyaru, and Ganguro girls (with their many facets), the OTT-Lolita dolls, the Kigurumi who dress like adorable animals, and the different facets of the dark Kei fashion, to name a few.
Well. Here's my favorite.
Mori Style!
Born close to 2006, and mainstream by 2011*
This popular mori girl checklist will break it down for you in 60 steps, but here's a sum up:
In Japanese, mori (森) means forest. The idea of the mori girl is to look like she's just come from living in the woods. A mori girl starts her wardrobe with the colors of the earth like white, cream, brown, and gray. Other added colors tend to be dusty and gentle. Light layers and loose silhouettes are a must, and then come the accessories. Long necklaces, low heeled shoes, natural makeup and hair, and plenty of lace complete the look.
Here's what I thought when I first saw some examples of mori style. Okay, first I thought that it was really nice and pretty, but then I thought, "Oh hey! Isn't this what the hipsters are going for these days?" Not the spirit hood type of hipster now, I mean the indie thrifty hipsters. I'll show you what I mean.
(There are so many different ways to express this style! I would flood this post with pictures if I could.)
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Don't you think that this is a more condensed (and I suppose more Japanese) version of what we see in some of the American boutiques? The vintage, the ethereal colors and layers, the hints of a hidden passport...
As for being different from what I've seen in the indie shops, I will say that I appreciate how mori is so distinct and (I'll say it) strict. The slim figures aren't usually elongated and accentuated in the States, that's for sure. Another thing I appreciate here is how there's so much room for growth and individuality within the style. For example, should I go all out into this trend, I would choose to have more figure-flattering silhouettes, and I'm pretty sure I could still get away with being mori if I kept to the colors, layers, and vibe. And by all means, we could add a bright red cape, antlers and acorns in our accessories, gingham, and all the patchwork we want and still be within the style. I think the customization that's available here would be so much fun. In fact, if you were to check out some of my Pinterest boards now (one and two), you'd see a lot of notes I've been taking during my research.
So? What do you think!?
Do you like it, too? Could you ever see it in your town? What would you change? Do you think I could pull it off? Any ideas of how to incorporate these ideas into a workplace wardrobe?
When I fall in love with something, I fall hard. I tend to become a full fledged fan within hours of researching. During my source hunting for this post, I came across a few more ideas for subtopics. I just want to give you a head up that there will be a few more pictures heading your way in the next couple weeks. (Yay!)
More Resources
Fully stocked mori girl blog.
Japanese Streets is similar to Lookbook.nu, but it's all about street fashion in Japan. It's a great inspiration resource, and lots of fun for looking at all the different styles out there.
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