Mori girl 30 day meme - Day 1

Day 1 – 10 things about your mori bubble.

(I'd like to start by asking what a bubble is?? ('～`；) )

1. I first learned about mori girl style through the LJ fruits community. There was a girl on there who always posted these really lovely, natural outfits and one day I followed her cross-post and found the LJ mori girl community. Shortly following that I went to Japan (end of 2009/ beginning of 2010) and saw lots of mentions to mori girls and magazines/mooks in the bookstores. I felt it was all rather serendipitous, and started to pay attention to the style much more towards the end of my stay and onward.

2. I don't know any other mori girls in real life. I have a few friends in the states who occassionally put together mori inspired coordinates, but I don't think any of them identify as a mori girl.

3. I'm a thrifter at heart. I love finding that perfect piece out of many, and the uniqueness of thrifted clothes. Even though I'm in Tokyo and could buy the brands I like directly, I still prefer to hunt second-hand shops like KINJI for what I'm looking for than to buy full price.

4. Some of my favorite mori girl motifs are: birds and rabbits, lace, polka dots, acorns, and cameras.

5. I first started my tumblr, littleforestgirls, because I was tired of dolly-kei popping up so often in other mori girl tumblrs. ( ^^;;) I understand that dolly-kei is a great inspiration for many mori girls, but it wasn't particularly interesting for me. So I decided to start my own and keep it more along an exclusively mori girl line. Not that I haven't deviated from that from time to time, of course... But I've been really happy to see it's success.♥

6. My favorite thing about nature is the wind. I also like the forest after rainstorms and the sound of the ocean.

7. I own a few "brand" mori pieces, but I think the items I wear the most aren't from any particular brand.

8. I love the look of really short cut blunt bangs and long, long hair like [this], [this] or [this].  ...But not on myself (>3<;;)

9. Mori girl was what first introduced me to the moomin series, and now I'm hooked! I think it also reinspired my love of Winnie the Pooh and The Little Prince, as well as other fairy tale stories.

10. I would love to live in one of those hobbit-like underground houses, with big, bright windows and a cute, rustic decor. I think to live like that would be so charming. ♥

森ガール Inspiration Monday

Hair styles that have really caught my eye lately have been ones with braids or buns. A short- and fine-haired girl like me can't really pull off the bun look without assistance from hairpieces, but I think braids are a lovely way to add interest to a hairstyle. Here are some hair ideas for mori girls of all hair lenghts! ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)

That being said, I also really love the short, toussled and androgenous hairstyles that sometimes pop up on mori girl models. As much as I love those styles though, I know I could never pull it off myself.  ┐('～`；)┌

It's coming time for me to get my hair-cut again. I wonder what I'll get?? Hmmm....

xoxo,
Brie

Mori girl 30 day meme

This floated around the mori girl blogsphere for a while, and since I'm trying to get active again I thought I'd do it. It will keep me going for a little while, at least! ;)

30 Day Mori Girl Meme

Day 1 – 10 things about your mori bubble.

Day 2 – 10 things you love in mori.

Day 3 – 10 things you hate in mori.

Day 4 – 10 different kinds of food you like.

Day 5 – 10 items from your wish list.

Day 6 – 10 things you can’t live without in mori.

Day 7 – 10 people who inspire your mori style.

Day 8 – 10 songs that inspire you for mori.

Day 9 – 10 things you will never do in mori.

Day 10 – What’s in your bag?

Day 11 – One day in your mori life in pictures.

Day 12 – A picture of yourself before mori came in to your life.

Day 13 – A picture of your favorite nature item.

Day 14 – A picture of your dream item.

Day 15 – A picture of your last mori purchase.

Day 16 – Your outfit for the day.

Day 17 – What do you want more then anything right now?

Day 18 – A picture of your favorite mori style.

Day 19 – What’s in your make-up bag?

Day 20 – A picture of a mori friend.

Day 21 – Your favorite fictional mori girl.

Day 22 – A picture of your room.

Day 23 – A picture of your handwriting.

Day 24 – A picture of you from a meet.

Day 25 – Your favorite mori themed artwork.

Day 26 – Your Facebook profile picture.

Day 27 – One song that fits your favorite mori style.

Day 28 – A picture of the perfect mori location.

Day 29 – A picture of a mori you would love to meet for real.

Day 30 – A photo of yourself taken today and 3 good things that’s happened over the last 30 days.

I'm going to (try to) post these regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays~ (^ ^)

森ガール Inspiration Monday

It has been soooo cold in Tokyo recently. So, for this week's inspiration, here are some winter coordinate ideas:

Winter-y outerwear that I've recently seen trending on naturally dressed girls are camel coats with toggle closures in wood or plastic, ugg boots or boots with lace or fur detailing, fur collars, scarves (usually heavy knit ones looped many times around the neck), ponchos, and shawls (both knit ones like in the first picture, and pashmina or otherwise large scarfs worn over the shoulders). (^ ^)

xoxo,
Bee

Pictures from tumblr, mostly magazines.

Outfits

I've been super happy with my outfits these past few days off, so I wanted to share them! :')

The majority of these clothes were gifted or thrifted. My personal favorite is the one in the middle. The vest is SM2, but I found it at KINJI for only ￥1260!! I also found a Cuccia dress there the same day I bought this. I love KINJI so much hahaha ('ω‘-)

I also bought a couple of Uniqlo's heat-tech shirts in lighter colors recently (striped white and tan, and grey-brown with polka dots)! They were just what I needed to pull my more natural outfits together! Before my undershirts had been too dark for natural coordinates (with a few exceptions). (^^ ;;)

If anyone gets cold easily or is looking for light-weight but warm shirts to layer with and have a Uniqlo in their area, I highly recommend them!

Also wanted to share a recent favorite song! "Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie.

It's a gooooorgeous song, and the music video is very creative too!

It might just be me, but I also get a bit of a mori girl vibe from the lyrics!

Please check it out~

xoxo,
Bee

森ガール Provisions

One of the things that I always find very interesting is when people come into the various mori girl communities that I follow and start asking about "rules".


One of the things that I love about this fashion is that there aren't really any "rules." There is a lot of flexibility and personal fashion cross over and I think this appeals to people (especially those coming from more stringent fashions like lolita!). (ﾟヮﾟ)

However, I think it's interesting that at the onset of mori girl fashion, provisions were laid out by those who had been at the forefront of the style, like the mixi community. Something I find particularly interesting about these provisions is that it's as much (if not more!) about how you live as it is what you wear. 

So, while it says things like  "Dresses in A line clothes," "Loves smock-like one piece dresses and blouses," "Loves ponchos and boleros," and "Wears flat soled shoes as default foot-wear," it also says things about how to be! Some of these are things like: "Finds old/vintage items charming," "Girlie-girlie,"  "Loves to hang loose/chill at cafes," "Feel happy when the find cute books at bookstores," and "You were told you permeate a laid-back aura at all time." How interesting it is to me that this is a fashion as much about who you are as it is about what you're wearing! 

I think that this is some of the appeal of mori girl, though. It isn't just about putting on clothes and suddenly being part of a fashion culture- it's becoming (or nurturing the already existent) person who takes time to see things and appreciate them in a world that is too busy and over-sexualized. It encourages people to take time and live slowly. Of course, some people might not like the lifestyle aspect of it, or find the whole idea too contrived (see numa girl!). But I think for those who are looking for a fashion that reflects some part of themselves, mori girl is a breath of fresh air.

For me personally, I had already felt drawn to many of the more quirky parts of mori girl. However, I was am also a girl who doesn't match the "provisions" entirely. I think I'm perhaps more like a "numa girl" hahahaha. BUT, I haven't let that stop me- I like that this style has encouraged me to go more slowly, and on my own path. ☆ It relaxes me to wear it.

I read a really interesting article on almost the same thread on the FASHION JAPAN website, called 62 Rules for Living in the Forest. I highly recommend the read.

What are you own opinions about mori girl? Did it fit into what you wanted/needed from a fashion, or did it appeal in some other way? I'm interesting in hearing what people have to say~ ☆

森ガール Inspiration Monday

As much as I love mori girl fashion, sometimes trying to coordinate all of the layers can be tough! Especially when you're running late for school or work and just don't have the time to put together an outfit. ----(>‘o’)>
What I love about these outfits is that they're both a little more daily-wear friendly, but still have a mori girl atmosphere. I especially like the one on the left!

(Photo Credit from 森ガールLesson 4; scanned by ninchu)

Last spring when I was in Japan, those Doc Martin style boots were really popular! I'm glad to see them in magazines this spring too, since they're so comfortable to wear~ (●⌒∇⌒●) I also like how the long shirt in the outfit on the right is being worn like a dress. So creative! I hope these inspired you as much as they do me~~ ☆

森ガール Inspiration Monday

Mondays are tough! Sometimes it can be hard to get out of bed and get dressed for the day. (◕︵◕) So, to inspire myself to keep posting, I intend to post a picture every Monday to inspire myself (and others) to take the week on head first and walk out the door in a fabulous coordinate! Or so I hope... (ﾟヮﾟ)

 (Photo Credit from 森ガールLesson 4; scanned by ninchu)

I saw this image in the new 森ガールLesson and thought it was very cute!! So many spring colors~ I also like how these outfits have aspects that might not seem to coordinate with the initial idea of the fashion (like belting the dress and the heels of the girl on the right), but that add to the atmosphere in a lovely way.

Spring Coordinates

Spring is here! I love spring~ It's so wonderful and warm....well, in almost every other place in the northern hemisphere. Here it's muddy! But I can still dream of spring flowers (❀‿❀)

 I think spring coordinates offer a special kind of challenge. Since the weather is becoming warmer there isn't as much need for outer layers. However, it is still cool enough to layer with the outfit itself. I think spring is also a nice time to use motifs and colors in a similar pallet to the season- pinks, sky blue, greens, flowers, small animals, etc. (｡◕‿◕｡) I don't have a lot of these colors myself, but here are some outfits with a spring atmosphere that inspire me!

(Image credits to 森ガール Lesson 2,　森ガール Papier 3, &　森ガールNOTE)

Recently I've been trying out some new things with my waredrobe! I want to capture an atmosphere that is relaxed and girly. I think I also like to dress in "boyish" styles, but I love wearing skits too much.♪ Here are two outfits I put together, using this shirt from the brand blue bird:

The first one is a mori girl coordinate that was inspired by a (very similar) one I saw on Cath's blog, Cats In Straw Hats. She is one of my inspirations, her coordinates are always so cute!!! (〃^∇^)ﾉ ♥ The second was one I tried after browsing through volume 13 of ナチュリラ (Natural Relax). The style in that magazine is very casual, but I think it is similar to mori girl in many ways. Like a less layered cousin!

That's all for now. I hope to start taking more outfit photos soon...it's so much fun!
Until next time,
xoxoxo
Bee

森ガール Inspiration 1

I love this coordinate!! This is an add for the COCUE brand from the SPOON December 2009 森ガール insert. I think it's nice because often mori girls complain about there being a lack of color in the style, but this shows really nicely how rich shades can be coordinated, and still feel a little whimsical. For those who are more fond of the lighter creams and browns, this could also be coordinated very easily. I personally would add another skirt or stole, but it's still cute like this! ♥