forestsandtea

[forestsandtea]

I was recently alerted to this post, and it surprised me so much that I am logging back into my tumblr after years of inactivity to make a response.

If you are interested in mori fashion, please DO NOT use this post a reference on mori or its origins. I'll address the issues here point by point.

Mori DOES NOT come from Lolita. Such a claim is incredibly incorrect. Mori was created independently by a group of people who wore a similar style and wanted to put a name to it. They had a mixi group (like facebook in Japan) and one person in the group, Choco, named the style. (One could say that mori was influenced by Lolita, in the same way many modern j-fashions are somewhat influenced by Lolita, but it was absolutely not created from it.)

Mori Lolita does exist, but was created internationally and was not a term used in Japan at all. Instead, a term called Natural Lolita was used. So again, this is blatantly wrong.

Mori gyaru does also exist, but was a spinoff FROM mori fashion directly. The term is complex, and the style had many, many names. And it never actually took off in Japan, although it was mentioned in a few magazines. It was a short-lived microstyle based on mori's popularity, and gyaru's popularity, at the time. Mori DID NOT come from mori gyaru.

Additionally, gyaru is it's own style with separate roots from Lolita. To say the two are connected in the way this article implies is also wrong.

The subtypes mentioned here are not accurate at all. Although people have independently categorized their outfits as "white," "dark," "classic," and so on, these are not official terms. And they have never been used in Japan. I believe this author may be super-imposing Lolita terms onto mori? Or some other j-fashion's terms? I've been in the mori community for over 10 years now, and I have never heard those terms either in international or Japanese communities. Either way, mori is mori. You can wear whatever version you like and call it whatever you want for fun, but there are no "official" substyles.

If someone were to categorize mori "substyles" however, the most common related terms internationally are Yama Kei, Hama Kei, and Dark Mori. (Each of these has its own unique history I won't get into here.) None of these are mentioned.

Additionally, Mori Kei is a term that is mainly internationally. Mori in Japan is almost always referred to as 森ガール. By the time it took off internationally and more inclusive terms were being used, mori was basically dead in Japan. This is why if you search for 森ケイ・森系 in Japanese you will basically only find articles and information from recent years, as this was not a term originally widespread in the actual community.

The one thing this article does do correctly is it's description of mori, alongside the images. Those are accurate to the fashion. However, that description is incredibly brief.

If you are looking for some more accurate information on the history of Mori, here are a few places you can look.

For a straight from the source account in Japanese, check out Choco's Book! She describes where mori came from and about the mixi group as well.

I made a detailed post a while back on my blog that also goes over mori's history.

You can also check out the Mori Wiki for more information on mori's history in Japan and abroad.

I have no hate for this creator, so please do not go and harass them. I'm sure they're just someone trying to enjoy j-fashion. But I post this because it is so easy to spread mis-information. And I want as many people to know of and enjoy mori as possible.

『「森系」というのは？』 What is 'Mori-kei'?

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a style introduction post, but I thought now would be the perfect time to write one as I’m really getting into a new style this season. This time I’ll be taking you out of the high fashion world and deep down into the woods.

Keep reading

[forestsandtea]

I realized after logging onto this site after a long time away that I never made an official announcement, but! I wanted to let everyone here know that this blog is officially under (most likely permanent) hiatus. Although I don’t plan on posting, this blog will stay up as is to browse. I have zero plans to delete it ever.

I may still hop on from time to time to make sure I haven’t missed any messages, but I no longer post here or browse. I really don’t have the time to dedicate to lots of social media because of my busy real life.

However! I am not gone from the internet! You can still find me semi-active on my blog, idontknowmuchbutimlearning, and actively on instagram, forestsandtea! (I also very occasionally stream on twitch and post on my youtube.)

I live such a busy life now that I don’t have much time to post mori stuff anymore, although I still love it just as much as I always have. But I do post lots of nature pictures and things about my life here in Japan for anyone interested. And I am always available to chat there. You can also find me on the mori kei discord from time to time as well (https://discord.com/invite/GHx2zRGNPj). 

Hope all of you are doing well and hope to see you around on other corners of the internet. I have fond memories of this site, even though I don’t have time to dedicate to this blog anymore.

Best wishes,

Kathryn

[forestsandtea]

What do you find more obnoxious: "mori outfits have to be made entirely of ivory clothes with lace" or "any outfit that is slightly forest-inspired is mori"

I just happened to see this, but just so ya’ll know I don’t use tumblr anymore lol I’m still active on instagram though and my blog!

Definitely the second one. Because forest inspired does not equal mori, although there is an overlap. Mori outfits can be entirely ivory and lace although they don’t have to be, so that one bothers me less. But gatekeeping people in general bothers me, because there is a lot of flexibility to mori. But as I’ve often said, there are also some guidelines and a certain aesthetic that do need to be present to make it mori. 

[forestsandtea]

do you know if the mori discord still exists, and if it's accepting new members? the original post about it is under a readmore on a password protected blog, and i can't find any extant invites. i'm sorry if this is intrusive or rude, and if the community is closed to newbies i completely understand

Yikes I never use tumblr anymore so I just saw this, but yes! It is still open and active! Here is a new link that shouldn’t expire anytime soon! 

Hope to see you there, and please make sure to do an intro when you join so you don’t get kicked as spam haha 

https://discord.gg/GHx2zRGNPj

[forestsandtea]

Not really active on here atm, but since I shared the survey here, I thought I should share this as well. It’s taken a long time, but I’ve finally published the survey results to my “How Mori Is It?” survey I shared earlier this year. Hope you all enjoy!

[forestsandtea]

Not really active on here atm, but since I shared the survey here, I thought I should share this as well. It's taken a long time, but I've finally published the survey results to my "How Mori Is It?" survey I shared earlier this year. Hope you all enjoy!

[forestsandtea]

One of my first mori kei inspired outfits 🥺

Please excuse the mess in the background lol

[forestsandtea]

Hat and scarf: Vinted

Under dress: Vinted

Under skirt: Vinted

Dress: Oxfam UK

Sweater: Shein

Boots: Vinted

Fingerless Gloves: Vinted

[forestsandtea]

Five layers! The floral dress is MSBasic. The knit cardigan is Xhiliration. The rest is thrifted.

The temp was 46 Fahrenheit/8 Celsius.

[forestsandtea]

☕️🌸 // 20/01/2020

[forestsandtea]

Caramel Cake / Cassis Mousse

[forestsandtea]

wilddistortion (by yyellowbird)

[forestsandtea]

If you are wondering, yes, I still love moomin.

[forestsandtea]

n1ck_on

[forestsandtea]

“Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water” — Brian Jacques, Taggerung.

[forestsandtea]

Hello my deers! I recently shared a survey here that many of you completed. However, after reviewing the data, I realized there was a flaw in my survey so I’ve had to redo it ^^; I’m so sorry to everyone who already participated! But if you have time, please feel free to answer once more at this updated link. I will leave it open for a while so that everyone can answer. Thank you so much to anyone who lends their time.