A Japanese brand I discovered only recently is Yab-Yum. I was struck by how very mori girl its aesthetic is. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Yab-Yum truly encapsulates the spirit of the mori girls. Its Spring/Summer 2010 collection consists of lovely pieces with unique draping in a neutral palette. The number of silhouettes found in such a small collection is amazing, and something mori girls can glean lots of ideas from.

The loose trousers worn under a tunic is great for active mori girls. The nautical dress is just adorable.

The simple colour palette never gets boring thanks to the loose but carefully crafted silhouettes.

These are simple looks that mori girls with a penchant for DIY might be able to recreate.

 I just love the sleeves on the first dress, and the second outfit is a great way to incorporate a narrow waistline into a loose silhouette.

I love the silhouette on the left, and the dress on the right is a great choice for summer days.

More eclectic looks for mori girls who who love fun layers.

Please visit Yab-Yum's website to view the entire collection.

Image source: Yab-Yum

Related posts:
Featured Brand: Unruly
Featured Brand: Furfur

Featured Brand: SM2

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/featured-brand-yab-yum.html

 It has been well documented that mori girls are avid photographers. The original Mixi community of mori girls notes their propensity for wandering around and exploring, camera in hand. Mori girls are partial to solitary adventures and introspective journeys. In addition, inside the heart of many a mori girl is the desire for self-expression, which manifests in small ways like their individualistic fashion and lifestyle choices. Combine these two factors and you'll see why photographer is dear to the heart of many mori girls who want to document their adventures in a creative and inspiring way.

The beauty of photography is that it's accessible to almost everyone. There's no need to get lost in technical details if you're not into that sort of thing. A simple point-and-shoot will suffice for many (and, indeed, a good photographer can make more amazing with the simplest of cameras than someone else with tons of gear). Other mori girls may prefer digital SLRs because they let them play around with their pictures even more. Still others favour toy cameras like the Holga, Diana or Lomo. But it is the vintage camera that secretly pulls at the heartstrings of many mori girls. Selecting their film with care, lovingly loading the camera, anticipating every shot and then feeling excited while waiting for the film to be developed adds to the experience. Analogue SLRs, rangefinders or medium format cameras, there's one for every mori girl.

Whichever camera you prefer, remember that it's not that camera that matters but who's behind it. In my experience, the most basic digital point-and-shoot cameras can take pictures you never knew were possible, and never will until you get to know your camera intimately. Take sincere pictures and people will be able to see something of you in them.

I myself have a Konica C35, and my dad has vintage SLRs like the Olympus OM1 which I get all excited over. I like using film because it makes me ponder my shots more carefully, and I enjoy selecting films and seeing the various effects each has. But seriously, some of my favourite pictures were taken with my trusty Canon Digital Ixus iZoom, a tiny point-and-shoot that I bought with my first ever real paycheck (from a temporary job) 3 years ago. It's breaking down now but I hope I can keep it alive for as long as possible! I've taken so many 'bad' pictures over the years, but I have enjoyed the process, learnt new things and preserved great memories.

By the way, check out Miki's photographs. I chanced upon this on the web sometime ago and have since fallen in love with the way she sees the world.

Image source: Rocamiki
https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/mori-girls-like-cameras.html

Marimekko is a textile company from Finland that designs lovely fabrics, as well as clothing and accessories made from their fabrics. It has been mentioned as a favourite of mori girls, who are inspired by Northern European design and style. Many mori girls are also fascinated by fabrics, since many enjoy making clothes or simply appreciating nice textures.

Marimekko clothing tends to be cut in relaxed styles to better showcase the brightly coloured prints and fabrics. I just love the bright pops of colour!

The striped leggings are so adorable with the loose top, and I love the way the yellow and pink go unexpectedly well together in the second picture.

Lovely silk dresses with the coloured tights that mori girls love so much. I especially love the cutting of the first dress. It's casual, comfortable and cute.

Bordeaux red, forest green--all rich fall shades that mori girls love.

The Mika Piirainen collection from Marimekko is really adorable and reminds me of Syrup, with its colourful turtlenecks, printed fabrics and simple, loose silhouettes.

It's no secret that mori girls love to wear turtlenecks in winter, and they go perfectly with these dresses!

Another one of those graphic print tshirts that many of mori girls' favourite brands have been making lately. The baggy silhouette of the second outfit is very typical of mori girls.

By the way, don't you think the model in these pictures is lovely? That hair!

I recall that Marimekko collaborated with H&M a few years back, but I didn't get to see it as there's no H&M where I've been living the past few years. Maybe I'll make it to Finland one day!

Image source: Marimekko

Related posts:

Yu Aoi as Hagumi Hanamoto in Honey and Clover live action movie

Featured Brand: A.P.C.

Syrup Autumn/Winter 2009 catalogue

Featured Brand: Syrup

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/featured-brand-marimekko.html

Furfur is a brand that has mentioned by the original mori girls Mixi community. Furfur doesn't have as organic or earthy a feel as, say, SM2 does. It is more girly and elaborate in its styling and copious use of lace and ruffles.

This dress and top remind me more of Lolita fashion than mori girl per se. However, if you look at pictures of girls in Japan who may be classified as mori girls, you'll see that many of them do incorporate ultra-feminine items into their outfits, dressing them down with baggy layers.

The hooded parka on the left is really quite forest-like with its trimmings. The top on the right is rather childlike and quite typically mori girl in style.

Love the dress on the left. The prints on the fabric look really cute from here and it's got that tent-like silhouette that's so comfortable and very typical of mori girls. The tshirt on the right reminds me of something from Syrup, another Japanese brand associated with mori girls. Light drawings on graphic print tshirts seem to be quite popular.

I apologise for the small size of the pictures--the website didn't have anything larger.

Image source: Furfur

Related posts:

Featured Brand: Unruly

Featured Brand: SM2

Syrup Autumn/Winter 2009 catalogue 

Featured Brand: Syrup

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/featured-brand-furfur.html

Even before the term 'mori girl' was coined, Yu Aoi (a mori girl icon herself) played Hagumi Hanamoto, whose creation by manga artist Chica Umino seems to have foreshadowed the explosion of the mori girl aesthetic.

I read the manga before watching the movie, and I have to say that the casting was fantastic. I thought Hagu would be a difficult character to portray, but Yu Aoi made the role her own. She was every bit as elusive and quietly ethereal as I would imagine Hagu to be in the flesh.

Hagu's wardrobe in the film was delightful as well. Comprised mainly of long dresses worn over brightly coloured tshirts and jeans, the clothing was brightly quirky, yet managed to retain a girlishly bashful feel.

 

This has got to be my favourite dress from the movie. Love the colour combinations and how they styled the same dress a little differently at different parts of the movie.

I wouldn't have thought of pairing a floral sundress with a sporty tshirt like that, but somehow it looks right on Hagu.

Another sporty tshirt-floral dress combo worn over jeans.

This time, Hagu layers a dress over a green tshirt which is in turn layered over a purple long sleeved tshirt. This is something only Yu Aoi could pull off.

One of the floral dresses we saw earlier, this time worn with a red tshirt and pink cardigan.

You can't see it in this picture, but Hagu is actually wearing a below-the-knee dress with black maryjanes. This dress is very Marimekko, don't you think?

Hagu painting cherry blossom trees outside. Notice how even her dress has cherry blossoms all over it!

Few other actresses could have pulled off these clothes. Yu Aoi's natural and thoroughly unpretentious air makes her look at ease in the quirkiest of outfits.

If you want to watch the Honey and Clover live action movie, getting it from my affiliate link would make me really happy!

Related posts:
Yu Aoi collaborates with Journal Standard
Yu Aoi in Jille
Yu Aoi in Anan
Yu Aoi in Pretty Style May 2010
Top 20 mori girls

Featured mori girl: Hagumi Hanamoto from Honey and Clover manga
Yu Aoi in Spoon

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/yu-aoi-as-hagumi-hanamoto-in-honey-and.html

I have started a new blog called Lessons in Cute where I will post about other types of fashion that I like. You guys might like to check it out. Of course, I will continue to update Mori Girl!
https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-blog-lessons-in-cute.html

 

I found these utterly adorable Peter Pan blouses online! The company selling them, French Toast, is actually a school uniform retailer. The mori girls Mixi community has mentioned Peter Pan collars as a favourite of mori girls, and I can completely see why.

Image source: French Toast

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/peter-pan-blouses.html

Yet another brand that the original Mixi community of mori girls has brought to our attention as a favourite is Japanese designer label Tsumori Chisato. Her creations are often simple in cutting and feature crazily intricate details. She has been known to make necklaces out of pasta and sew beads and interesting fabrics in insane patterns onto her clothing. Doesn't that sound exactly like something a mori girl would do? The following pictures are from her Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 Ready-to-Wear collection. Click to enlarge and examine the detail.

Colourful dresses in the loose silhouettes favoured by mori girls. The styling here is pretty bold, but I think with more subdued accessories they are quite wearable.

The dress would look cute with plain cream tights or grey knee-high socks. It's got stars everywhere--how dreamy! And I love the Peter Pan collared shirt!

There are blue cats on the first dress! The striped bloomers make the outfit look clownish, but the dress itself is adorable and very childlike. The top in the second picture is cute too but I'm not sure if it's attached to the pants.

While looking through other collections, I just felt I couldn't not share with you last year's Autumn/Winter Ready-to-Wear. With its more subdued tones and cute cocoon silhouettes, it's so representative of mori girl style.

The pink dress is just so sweet and delicate! And the purple dress looks just like a flower in bloom.

These cocoon-shaped outfits are adorable and extremely wearable.

Somehow, I can't help but suspect I've seen pictures of Yu Aoi wearing something from Tsumori Chisato.

Image source: Flip-Zone

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2009/10/featured-brand-tsumori-chisato.html