Mori Girl Lesson (2009-???) Archive List

Not much is available on the web about the details of the run of Mori Girl Lesson though it may be considered one of the best of the Mori Girl magazines. I've checked all the English info available and some websites in Japanese but was unable to find very much, like the exact lifespan of the magazine. However, it seems that there were only 6 issues released with 5 of them being available due to awesome people who scan stuff. Kathryn is probably the best person for all things Mori as of now and you can access her other collected scans via a link on her blog. So, here are the currently available magazines:

 

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Flipthrough: Mori Girl Lesson 1

For those not familiar, Mori Kei is a style that is tied closely to nature. It's the kind of fashion you would imagine on a forest dweller. While a list of Mori Kei/Girl behaviors and do and donts exist, I take a much more lax approach inspired by Kathryn of I don't know much, but I'm learning. There are many things that are essential to Mori Girls, such as the love of nature, a quieter lifestyle, earthier tones, layering, and more individualism, you can add and subtract certain elements to create your won perfect Mori Girl code.

I haven't looked at a magazine since Kilala in August. While I am still loving pink and the very bold and glittery looks there, I also to learn a bit more about a style that has intrigued me for years and years... Mori Kei. I don't think Mori Kei (or Mori Girl) is a style I could all the time but there are certain things I love both about the lifestyle and the fashion. 

What I personally love about Mori Girl styles is the patterns, layering, earthy or light tones, adorable hairstyles, minimal make up, tea-drinking, reading, slow-living, photography, and an appreciation for creativity. I also love Mori Girl magazines, so I want to go through one today. Sit down in a comfy armchair or sofa with your best quilt, grab a coffee or tea, and get ready to look-over Mori Girl Lesson 1 together! By the way, the folder with a bunch of Mori Girl content can be found here, also sourced from Kathryn's blog. 

Mori Girl Lesson 1, an autumn-winter issue from 2009-2010.

I love the dark blue top and the billowy shorts. Most of all I love the stockings and the mary-janes. I'm not crazy about the cardigan but it's only because I think cream is not really my colour.

Love this whole outfit! I'm also hoping to one day find a coat or jacket with a little fur trim. The dress is amazing and I love the subtle jewelry, the star necklace is so cute.

What I like most on this spread is the blue gingham dress with the yellow straps. I love gingham... Also the food toys? Accessories? I don't need them but I do want them.

My favourite outfit is the one on the left but the one on the right is not far behind. Did you see those boots?! Dream boots with the cutest bow.

Though I don't really wear food-based jewelry I love looking at it. The boots below are also amazing, they look roomy which is super nice because my fat legs almost never fit comfortably in regular boots. Annoying... The really dark ones on the left are what I'm really looking for.

Again, every outfit is five stars. But I seriously love the poncho-shawl and dress on the one at the top. Also obsessed with the blue dress on the bottom-left.

The highlight is for sure the back with the strange tassels. Recently I have been appreciating statement piece bags and purses. 

These are some of the cutest winter coats I have ever seen. If I had to rank them best to worst it would have to go like this: 2 (wine red one), 1 (light yellow with scarf), 4 (darker yellow), 5 (blue), 6 (cream), and 3 (floral).

This sort of blue lilac is one of my favourite colours. My picks would be the very interesting top (item 1), the cool bag again (item 6), the skirt with pockets (item 5), and the scarf (item 7).

I want those boots so bad! And I can never say no to a brown skirt. Seriously, it's a problem.

The pale blue coat is so cute and dreamy. I don't usually like polka dots but those boots are very pretty.

The model looks gorgeous. I actually like the more muted greys and browns. From the items, of course, it's the flannel dress. Also the arm warmers are adorable and the bag is in a green that I like.

Yet another cute flannel dress.

 I like the previous coat in dark blue even more! Also intrigued by the brown dress (item 2).

The purple-ish dress (item 1) and the brown top (item 4) are beautiful. If you look closer, you can see that the open book at the bottom is about Canadian locomotives. This is actually something I am a bit interested in ever since I saw a video tour of a train ride through the Canadian woods. Gorgeous! I see why it would be a Mori Girl niche interest.

Like every proper subculture, the Mori Girls have more than just clothes. Hobbies, movies, music, and more. There's some really intriguing Mori Girl tidbits behind this page!
 

Though not every Mori Girl engages in photography, it is a popular way to spend your time and engage in creativity and to appreciate your surroundings. I assume film would be more fitting, but digital seems to be just as good. I myself enjoy very casual photography that's good enough for the blog (not the gallery, and that's fine for me). 

Pretty much everything on this page is cute as heck. I think my favourite are the felt animal toys.

Now we've reached the media corner. On the top left, The Mitten (1967) is a Soviet stop-motion short film. Soviet films really excelled in a simple but very cute character designs. Below it is Alice (1988), a dark fantasy version of Carroll's Alice in Wonderland from the Czech Republic. Top right, is a film I've been meaning to watch for a while, Michel Gondry's Science of Sleep (2006). Last but not least is another French film, Donkey Skin (1970). It has amazing costuming. 

A mix of different books, some of them looks like coffee table designer books. I do miss a good art or design book. It feels like they lost their cool factor in recent years. 

Ah, a cute little shop! If I did run a little boutique, I would really take some decor tips from this one. The indoor tree, the light wooden texture, and white walls. It makes big box stores even more lifeless than before.

Shoes~! I'm in love with the first row, my most to least favourite: brown flats (item 3), yellow with bows (item 4), white with a strap (item 2), red flats with bows (item 1), and the blue ones with pompomps (item 5). In the second row: yellow boots (item 5), brown shoes (item 3), orange with some fluffy bits (item 4), creamy shoes (item 1), and red toe-less shoes (item 2). My favourite of them all are the red ones on the bottom though.

Nothing beats the combo of leg-warmers, cute shoes, and tights. What a dream! I love the first photo (red tights), the third (butterfly tights), and fourth (polka dot tights and yellow). 

More lovely spaces. I love when fashion mags showcase rooms, cafes, bookstores, and more!

The messy clustering reminds me of the chain store of house goods called Sostrene Grene. It's very cute but so pricey. Still, puts me in a good mood to browse it.

Hobby shops are my special paradise. I'm really craving to make doll clothes and bags or purses but I need to go looking for a sewing machine.

And that's the first issue of the very lovely Mori Girl Lesson magazine. I'm pretty excited to have a look at the next one soon. Hope you had fun too! By the way, I just discovered that I can change fonts, well duh. So I'm going to go and do that now.

I've put together my picks into a little collage. Looks like fun paper doll clothes!

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Looking for pinkspiration

Pink! The infrequent colour of my closet, but something about it still draws me in. I mean, look at the theme of this blog! It's so pink and for no good reason too. I do actually have a few pink pieces but never had any ideas about styling them because I'm usually someone who prefers monochromatic outfits.

In my pursuit of inspiration I decided to consult a magazine that I never heard of before but discovered on the web archive. According to Zippy's blog, Kilala is a hime gyaru magazine that had an incredibly short run of just 2 issues in 2008. It's pink diamond-encrusted cover called out to me. You can read the entire second issue here.

The cover of Kilala Issue 2, 2008.

I would love almost every item on this page, but I am especially drawn to the black skirt, the beige and red one above it, and the orange-cream polka dress.

I am big fan of peasant skirts that are long! I used to have one in red that I miss a lot. Right now I have a very gentle blue one. The green one on this page is an absolute dream. The flannel dress is also so cute and up my alley.

Though this is not a make up blog, I cannot resist any themed entries that used to be regulars in 2000s magazines. Here we have make up styles inspired by Disney princesses.

Cinderella's make up is probably my favorite because I love a droopy, doe-eyed look.

Snow White is more girly and fun.

Ariel's look has even more vibrant colours and very dynamic eyelashes. A mermaid can't be plain or minimalist so I think this look works great.

Beauty from Beauty and The Beast is looking more sophisticated and regal. 

I think Jasmine has the darkest eye shadow colours from the bunch which makes the look edgy, I like that.

I love the pinstripe dress on the girl in right upper corner. The shoes with the purple band beside her are also amazing. I would love a dainty little bag or purse like the one in the bottom left corner.

Kilala also shows us some pics of cool gyaru girls and their bedrooms. Argh! I could look at a thousand issues of people's rooms. I feel like your space is both a private and performative art piece that shows your interests, passions, and comforts. It's always a great glimpse into other people's styles.

Simple but plentiful with romantic pieces such as the vanity, the curtains, and the lamp table.

 A little messier is more my style. I love the combo of the pink and white with the light wooden floor. Even her suitcase is full of frills and lovely colour!

The warmest room we have seen so far. The chandelier and her computer nook is too cute.

A few more rooms at a quick glance. The more realistic kind it seems haha.

A more lolita-esque gyaru look. I do love gingham but a recent purchase of a red gingham dress totally didn't fit me and now I'm sad.

Just a cute layout. I wish I could read Japanese so that I could hear from these girls!

The 'privet' look with the bob is phenomenal.

The first column is my favourite, though the 'faery' look in the second column is gorgeous.

Some cute street looks. I especially like the top-most right and top-most left. I usually dislike hot pink but their outfits are making me reconsider...

And that's the end of Kilala's second issue. In conclusion, I find that I am actually willing to experiment with richer pinks, though pastels and creams are still my top picks when it comes to pink. I also really like the intensity of black with pink, kind of like in ballet. Tomorrow I will be visiting my local thrift store to see some items I may have missed on my last trip. Hopefully, I will be able to put together some pink numbers before the end of the week.

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