Dear Tumblr,
I admit - I have been a bad tumblerette (tumbleler?). I have been on holidays for about two weeks, but have not updated this space with any new photos, new art or new thoughts. I’ve been stuck at home with laryngitis, with my camera, my drawing pad, and sewing machine within easy reach - but still nothing? I disappoint myself. Maybe I have become dull, and thus feel no need to update this space. Or maybe I’ve set myself too many rules when I started this blog that prevented me from saying anything. Maybe it’s also the strange comments I’ve been receiving. In any case, my fear and self consciousness stops here. I can’t make any promises to you, but I will make another effort to keep you posted with new photos and thoughts. I have so many great ideas, and knowing me, while they may only stay as ideas, I still want to share them with you. So don’t write me off yet.
x Sophiaton.
The mori girls (森ガール) belong to a subculture which began in Japan. ‘Mori’ means forest in Japanese, and if you’re looking for the simplest description of mori girls, they are girls who look like they live in the forest. Indeed, the unique appearance of the mori girls is what attracts most people to join in their adventures.
Mori girls are often seen in loose dresses or smocks, vintage blouses, puffed sleeves, A-line skirts tights and leggings and many-layered ensembles. They delight in beautiful fabrics and textures, preferring natural to synthetic materials, and are impartial to autumnal shades reminiscent of forest glades such as deep reds, greens, blues and browns. They keep warm with knits and furs in winter, and ponchos and leather boleros in the fall.
The childlike nature of mori girls sets them apart from the more aggressive and carnivorous women in the city. They shun stiletto heels for flat shoes and prefer to keep their fingernails short and skin fair. Mori girls are also drawn to animal, candy, checked, floral, vintage or polka-dotted prints. However, they avoid looking overly cute. They wear little makeup, but when they do use it some like to draw pick circles in the centre of their cheeks as a homage to the dolls they played with when they were younger. While every mori girl is a child at heart, they are endlessly fascinated by objects with a history. Vintage items such as pocket watches, small gold pendants and analogue cameras captivate mori girls.
Mori girls are also characterised by certain attitudes to life. While most mori girls really live in the city, they maintain a pace of life that may be considered slow by others, preferring to stop and savour the tiny delights that many deem insignificant. Mori girls like to explore old neighbourhoods, discover hole-in-the-wall shops and read in cafes. Many mori girls enjoy expressing their creativity, never mind if nobody will see or applaud their efforts, for instance through photography or journalling. Scandinavia is for many mori girls a dream destination, and Scandinavian design influences often appear in mori girls’ style.
In her own quiet way, the mori girl is an individualist. She does not care that the world may live differently from her. She lives consciously and chooses her own lifestyle. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky. When she shops, she buys something based on how it makes her feel, rather than on how fashionable or expensive it will appear to others. While she may enjoy the company of others, the mori girl loves her own company and indeed has embarked on many of her most memorable adventures alone.
Welcome to the world of the mori girls.
*****
Lovely words and images taken from morigirl blogspot and morigirl tumblr. Check out the site for more delightful pictures and inspiration.
I want to:
- make amazing Bento boxes
- fry an egg without breaking it
- learn how to needlefelt little characters, and caricatures of my friends
- reroot a Blythe in tickled pink saran
- draw more
- start using watercolours
- finally learn the secret trade of knitting and crocheting
- lose 5kgs (or more)
- learn how to line a bodice
- become better at using a sewing machine
- make lots of pretty dresses for my Blythe label
- learn how to make lino stamps
- take better photos on Spencer
- become better at processing photos
- take photos on a film camera, eventually
- declutter my life
- renovate my room, organise everything in it
- organise my books by the Dewey decimal system
- read all the 12 books I bought this week
- learn a new language, or master an old one
- understand Heidegger (or philosophy, in general)
- master the F chord on my acoustic guitar
- write another song
- become more productive, and procrastinate less
- finish all my assignments so I can have fun fun fun in the sun sun sun
Image credit goes to Laurence.
