Comprehensive Mori Tutorial (From Basics to DIY) (INCOMPLETE)

.basics.

The most basic mori girl outfit consists of an underskirt, a dress, a cardigan or sweater, socks, shoes, and a bag. The most basic mori boy outfit consists of pants, a shirt, a cardigan or vest, shoes, and a scarf. Keep the materials all or mostly natural; most common in mori coords are linen and cotton, but hemp and wool work as well. Avoid clothes labeled rayon, polyester, or nylon. The following is a list of every category and possible layer to your mori outfit, followed by a brief explanation and more details about what to look for when buying that layer.

I've set both the categories and their contents in order of what I believe is most important to have and to buy first when beginning your mori kei wardrobe. * = for mori boys.

Your Base
1. Dress / The very first thing you should purchase, period. No mori girl is complete without her base dress layer.
2. Pants* / Okay, I lied, if you're a mori boy, this is the first thing you should purchase. However, pants make a great addition to mori girl outfits as well and are just as if not more versatile than skirts.
3. Shoes* / The most underrated mori piece. Not having the right style or color shoes can throw off your whole mori outfit, so yes, I consider shoes a base layer and an important layer at that.

Your Bottom Layer
1. Skirt / The easiest way to add the necessary 'layer' look, skirts also fill out the dress to make sure your figure isn't seen.
2. Chemise / Another option for adding layers and hiding your figure, a chemise is basically another, lighter dress under your base dress. If your base dress is sleeveless, the right chemise can conveniently add layers to your top as well as to the hemline.
3. Blouse or Shirt* / A blouse under your base dress provides a cute collar and/or sleeves (if your base dress is sleeveless). As a mori boy, a shirt is the second thing you'll want to purchase.
4. Pants / These make a great addition to mori girl outfits as well and are just as if not more versatile than skirts. You can wear them under dresses for a relaxed cute look, wear them with a blouse and cardigan for a practical mori day, or wear them as bloomers under your chemise. My personal favorite look is a base dress over solid colored pants with some kind of embellished hem.
5. Socks / Cute socks are great for adding a bit more personality to your outfit.
6. Bloomers / Not at all essential, but bloomers can make traditional mori coords more practical while still maintaining the 'traditional' aesthetic.

Your Top Layer
1. Long Blouse or Shirt / A long blouse over your base dress and underskirt and you already have the perfect amount of layers. You can also wear a long blouse with a skirt. Avoid short blouses as a top layer, longer blouses allow the layers to flow evenly together. (I'll talk more about this in the 'layers layers layers' post.)
2. Dress / Another possibility to put over your base dress is another dress!
3. Cardigan or Vest* / A cardigan or vest is almost necessary for a mori boy, to build up your layers and cover your figure. You can even layer two cardigans or a cardigan over a vest. A baggy cardigan is a great addition to a mori girl outfit as well.
4. Sweater* / Another possibility for mori boys, or for mori girls in colder weather.
5. Jacket* / Mori boys can add an additional layer with a jacket, but a jacket that matches the mori aesthetic is hard to find. Only add this layer if you're positive the jacket you like fits your coords.

Your Accessories
1. Bag / If nothing else for accessories, mori girls need a cute bag. Keep it to natural materials, of course, just like the rest of the outfit, and the quirkier the better.
2. Shawl or Scarf* / For mori girls and mori boys respectively, a shawl adds layers without making your coords too hot or bulky. It can be worn over your shoulders, hanging off your arms around your back, or tied loosely around your waist. Scarves are less versatile for mori boys, but of course your outfit is already by nature less figure-hiding than mori girl coords, so a bulky scarf gives to the illusion of having layers and hiding your body.
3. Hat* / Another way for mori boys to add more 'layers' to their outfit, and a cute addition to any mori girl coords.
4. Jewelry & Misc. / Cute headbands, hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, earrings all fit into this category. Have fun with it! Accessories are the most interchangeable part of a coord and can truly personalize your look.



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Dress | Style: A-line | Color: Earthy or natural-pastel | Sleeves: Any length (I suggest sleeves over sleeveless for your first dress though) | Hemline: Just above or below the knee
If you don't have a set plan for the rest of your outfit, the best dress is an A-line with sleeves (3/4 sleeves are my favorite) with a hemline around knee-length and a round neckline without a collar. Square necklines sometimes work, but avoid v-necks. A lot of people say your base dress needs to be white, but I disagree. I think it can be any mori color (earthy or natural pastel) as long as the rest of your layers are white or cream. The base dress is often the most exposed layer, so having a colored base dress with white layers is the easiest way to lift your coords and give it a bit of life without having to coordinate colors. The dress above is a perfect base dress in both style, color, and cut. Here are some other options:
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Pants | Style: Harem Pants or Straight-Leg | Color: Earthy or natural-pastel | Hemline: Mid-calf to ankle
If you're starting your outfit with pants, the same color theory applies. As long as you keep the rest of your outfit white/cream, you can get colored pants (but not patterned!). For boys, your best options are baggy harem pants like those shown above, or straight-leg linen pants like shown below. Any length from mid-calf to ankle is ideal, just make sure the pant bottoms aren't pooling too heavily around your feet or dragging on the floor. (For girls- I talk about pants in mori girl outfits in the Bottom Layer category.)
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Shoes | Type: Flats, mid-calf to ankle boots, mary-janes | Style: Rounded toe | Color: Brown, Cream, or White
If you don't have any mori clothing, chances are you don't have shoes that fit a mori aesthetic, either, so you need to go looking for these with as much determination as your base dress (or pants). Try to keep the heel small, though I've seen kitten heels work well into mori outfits. A lighter brown, cream, or white color with a closed rounded toe is best. Cute sandals work with Hama Kei- not flipflops though. Depending on the color of your coords, some lighter natural colored shoes could work as well. Avoid zippers!, but buckles, buttons, and lace-ups are all fantastic. For men, brown/tan lace-up boots or sandals work well. If all else fails, some basic white sneakers won't detract from a mori girl or boy outfit, and can hold you over until you find that perfect pair.
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Skirt | Style: Poofy, flowing | Color: White or cream, with ruffles or lace | Hemline: Below knee, above ankle
To go under your dress, a white flowing skirt with lace or ruffles works best. Make sure it's a flowy skirt and not too rigid or tight. The length you get should be depending on the length of your base dress, but below the knees is your best option. As a beginner, keep the color close to white and pattern-less save for the lace or ruffles. If the pattern will be hidden by your dress you could consider it, especially if you want to wear the skirt with a plain blouse instead of with your base dress.
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Chemise | Style: A-line, flowy not rigid | Color: White, ruffles or lace | Sleeves: Short or Sleeveless | Hemline: 3 to 10cm below dress hemline
Another option for under your dress is a chemise. A chemise is generally agreed to be a light material dress. It can be worn under your base dress and over an underskirt for three layers, or worn alone with your base dress for two layers. Your chemises should only be made of cotton and only be white or, at most, a very light cream color. Keep the sleeves short to sleeveless, though short sleeves + a lacy collar hem can look adorable under a sleeveless base dress. The length can be just under your knee for shorter base dresses or all the way to your ankles for longer base dresses. Just make sure the chemise hemline doesn't drop more than ten centimeters below your base dress hemline.
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Blouse or Shirt | Style: Collared or decorated neckline | Color: White or Cream | Sleeves: Only if base dress is sleeveless | Hemline: Doesn't matter
This goes best if you are using an underskirt instead of a chemise. Keep it white, of course. For under your dress, if your base dress is sleeveless you'll want your blouse to have sleeves of any length, and while it is not mandatory, a lacy or round collar of some kind can add a great effect over your base dress's neckline (especially if your base dress does have sleeves, this is about the only thing an underblouse can add). Hem length doesn't matter because it will be under your dress. For boys, disregard all of the above. You'll want a hem length that lands somewhere on your thighs (below crotch level but above knee level.) You can stray from white, but keep the colors pale and natural and matching to your pants (light beige or green often works). If you'll mostly be wearing vests, make sure your shirt has sleeves, whereas if you'll be wearing cardigans, make sure it has no or short sleeves, or tight long sleeves.
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Pants| Style: Baggy, straight-leg | Color: One solid color | Pattern: In patches, or along hemline | Length: Mid-thigh to just above ankle
Wearing pants under your base is functional, practical, and cute while still being mori. Try to keep the overall pattern solid and one color, though patches or hemlines of lace, ruffles, or patterns can look cute. Any length from mid-thigh to just above ankle are generally good for a mori look. Don't go too short or you're moving into a more 'trendy' look. For a cute hama kei aesthetic in warmer temperatures, look for solid color pants with some light lace + a white or cream blouse with simple cute patterns.

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Socks| Style: Cute | Color: White with colored accents or cute patterns for longer socks | Length: Any
You have soo many options for socks. Short with some cute design or lace poking above your shoe, or a bit longer so they're more visible, or longer still and folded over for a quintessential mori look. You can also wear loose socks that crumple around your ankles. Keep the color white with some colored accents. However, cute patterned stockings, tights, leggings, or legwarmers can all work!
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Bloomers| Style: Poofy | Color: White | Length: Just below last layer (below knee to mid-calf)
Hard to find and certainly the least necessary part of a mori wardrobe. Most mori girls I know don't have any. However, they can add some cute extra ruffles hanging out below your layers while also giving you security in your day-to-day schedule to not worry about what your skirts are doing or exposing. Like a chemise, bloomers need to be white and simple, with maybe some lace or ruffles. Avoid patterns or obvious colors.

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Long Blouse or Shirt | Style: Flowing, baggy | Color: White or cream, patterns/other colors for experienced | Sleeves: Any length, depends on base dress | Hemline: Hip to mid-thigh, asymmetric works well
This isn't necessary for beginners, but if you really want a long blouse over your base dress, keep the colors white or cream and the pattern non-existent or very simple. Once you have an established coord you can experiment with more patterns and cute over-blouses. Make sure the shirt isn't too tight to restrict your under layers, like all other layers it should be baggy enough to hide your figure but not drown you in folds. If your base dress has sleeves keep the blouse sleeveless. Long blouses with asymmetric hemlines keep a nice flow to your layers and adds a measured easy-going style that fits mori kei perfectly. As a 'long' blouse it should of course go below your hips but don't let it get too long or else it's just a top dress.
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Dress | Style: A-line, flowing| Color: Any | Sleeves: Any length, depends on base dress | Hemline: Shorter than base dress, asymmetric works well
Another possibility to put over your base dress is another dress! There are endless opportunities for this layer- it can be more patterned, it can be translucent to expose your whole base dress, it can be asymmetric for more fun layers- just make sure it's not too short for your base dress (leaving a large amount of it exposed and making the layers seem choppy) or so long that it gets rid of the layers. If your hemline is asymmetric, a good rule is that the longest part of the hemline doesn't go beyond your lowest layer.

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Cardigan or Vest | Style: Baggy or slightly too big | Color: Shades of cream/brown | Sleeves: Long (sleeveless for vests of course) | Hemline: Below hips for cardigan
A baggy cardigan is a great top-most layer for mori girls. The cardigan can be almost any length, and is usually kept open but cardigans that close with thread or buttons are cute. To get a nice bell-shape, button just the top button of a shorter (above mid-thigh) cardigan and leave the rest open. They should be kept to creamy colors or lighter browns. Of course in one solid color, though cardigans with some sparse patterning can still go with most coords. Cardigans also work fantastically with mori boy coords, as do vests. Make sure the vest isn't too tight or else it's more trendy and modern in appearance. Slightly big and baggy, of a solid simple color, works best.

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Sweater | Style: Baggy or slightly too big | Color: White, shades of cream or brown, small patterns | Sleeves: Any length | Hemline: Below hips
If you're not in too hot weather, a sweater is a great addition to both mori girl and boy coords. Like with cardigans, it should be kept baggy but not so big as to look frumpy. And again like cardigans, keeping it to one mori color is ideal, though some light patterning often looks cute and works well with many pieces. Don't be afraid of short sleeve sweaters, they can often look good even over longer sleeved dresses.
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Jacket | Style: Quirky or simplistic | Color: Any | Sleeves: Long | Hemline: Mid-thigh to mid-calf
While mori girls are of course able to add jackets, in my opinion finding a true mori-girl-aesthetic jacket is close to impossible. The few styles you can find tend to fit a mori boy style better. They can be quirky styles with patterns, or simple with one solid color. Like with everything, keep the materials natural. A heavier material like hemp or wool works best for coats. Avoid zippers or buckles, buttons tend to be the only viable option, and of course make sure it hides your frame and doesn't fit too snugly or cinch around the middle even when closed.

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Bag | Style: Cute, quirky | Color: Almost any | Materials: Cloth, hemp, leather, straw- pretty much anything
A good bag is a must for every mori girl. Natural materials, of course, but you can get much more crazy with materials than in your clothing. Quirky or at least cute is a must. It can be any color save for black or grey, and any pattern, any size. With how easy it is to find a good mori bag, you have no excuse to not have one if you have the rest of your coords!

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Shawl or Scarf | Style: Lacy, fringed, tassled | Color: White, shades of cream | Length: Any
For mori girls and mori boys respectively, a shawl adds layers without making your coords too hot or bulky. It can be worn over your shoulders, hanging off your arms around your back, or tied loosely around your waist. Scarves are less versatile for mori boys, but of course your outfit is already by nature less figure-hiding than mori girl coords, so a bulky scarf gives to the illusion of having layers and hiding your body.

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Hat | Style: See below | Color: Natural | Material: Cloth, lace, straw, paper-braid, leather
Another way for mori boys to add more 'layers' to their outfit. Apple or Newsboy caps work well, as do flat caps. But feel free to experiment with styles and materials- mori boys have more freedom in this area than girls. For girls, cute sunhats, cloche hats, or boater hats all work- just make sure they are natural material that work with your coords. Paper-braid, straw, or lace hats work best with most coords.

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Jewelry & Misc.
Cute headbands, hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, earrings all fit into this category. Avoid plastic or silver metal, but other than that you can go crazy. Ceramic, glass, bronze/copper/gold metal, wood, string, and felt are all great materials for your accessories.

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Common Pitfalls
1. Trying to buy a whole outfit in one go, at one store / You are focused on having a complete outfit instead of a well-coordinated one. Unless you're in a store dedicated to mori kei, you won't find matching pieces all in one store. Focus on one layer at a time, starting with your base dress/pants.
2. Not layering properly, “clumping” layers / For your base layers (a dress + skirt), you need to make sure the skirt hem isn't too far from the dress hem. You also don't want the dress hem covering up the skirt hem. When you add more layers on top of it, it gets even more complicated, because uneven layering (when the distance between some hems are short and others are long) can affect the flow of your coords. You also don't want two top layers such as a blouse and cardigan overlapping at the hem. This will be addressed more in the 'layers layers layers' post, but just remain conscious of hem lengths while shopping.
3. Mismatched colors or too many colors or too many pieces of the same color / Excluding white as a color, as a beginner you should stick to one colored clothing piece and keep your other layers white or cream colors. If all of your layers are blue, even if they match, you have lost the appearance of layers even if they're technically there. This will be addressed more in the 'color coordination' post.
4. Not accessorizing properly or at all / Accessories make or break a mori girl's outfit. Without any, your coords are lacking a personal touch that simultaneously can bring the whole outfit together. With the wrong accessories (wrong materials or pairing non-mori-aesthetic accessories with your outfit) your look will be disoriented and thrown off (think of historical actors shown in full costume while using their smart phones- it is one small item, but it detracts from the whole.)

Other Tutorials
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.color coordination.

I had already been ‘into’ fashion for quite a few years before I started mori kei, so as a beginner I felt more confident with color schemes. If you are an artist/designer/something else that deals with colors you may be as well. But I feel that for beginners into fashions of any kind, color coordination is simultaneously the hardest thing for them while also being thrown to the wayside for style. But even in the simple colors of mori kei, some color management could make outfits look better and appeal more strongly to you.

.discovering your palette preference.

I lay out some basic color palettes for mori kei further in this post, which will hopefully help beginners, but I want to offer some advice first that may help even seasoned morifolk discover their personal color preferences.

1. The first step of any color coordination is to step back and examine coords that you admire. Study the color theme of the coord, and pinpoint what about the colors you enjoy. The choice of colors themselves? The combination of colors together (the palette)? The specific choice of one color overlapping another? Using small hints of color to accentuate the color theme (accents)? Write your observations down somewhere, and try to include both specific and broad observations.
   
   
2. Now look at your wardrobe, either by physically taking them all out or looking at pictures you have taken of your coords. What do you like about your own outfits’ color themes? What don’t you like? Write down ways you could improve the colors of your least favorite outfits, either by eliminating some colors, softening colors, adding colors, or adding accents to bring two colors together (a more advanced notion, but trying never hurt anybody!).
   
   
3. Take things back to the basics. Don't look at your clothes as full outfits, but as individual pieces. Humans tend to categorize colors, labeling a color "blue" even if it's really teal, or argue that one color is "pink" when another person says it is "purple." So don't see the colors as their labels, but as the true color. Ignoring style, fit pieces together in ways that appeal to your color sense. It doesn't matter if the clothing styles couldn't work together in a coord, just seeing the colors matched together will help you establish whether your idea of that specific color combination works in reality or just in your mind. If it does work, you'll have a better understanding of what color to look for when buying new pieces.
   
   
4. If you find yourself drawn to darker, bolder colors (blacks, reds, darker greens and blues) you should research more into 'dark mori kei' also known as 'strega'. If you find yourself drawn to natural pastel colors (light blues and greens and yellows) look into 'hama kei'. If you like more colorful colors, well, you may want to consider if mori kei is truly your ideal style, but you're not alone! 'Cult mori' is a rare subset, but it exists, and offers brighter mori coords for consideration while maintaining the style. And if you like creamier colors, well, that's mori! You can look into 'street mori' for more color ideas, but the general mori kei category should fit your research just fine!
   
   
5. Adjusting the palette of your wardrobe should really be done from physical stores. I know I listed a bunch of online clothing in the basics post, but I am actually quite opposed to online purchasing for clothing. Partly for this very reason- you can never know the true color of the piece until you see it in person. Because of companies photoshopping their photographs, or different screen hues, or any number of factors, buying clothing online and expecting it to be the exact color you saw on your screen is an exercise in disappointment. That said, whites and creams are usually safe to purchase online, since if a white or cream isn't the exact color you pictured, it will likely still pair with other whites, creams, or soft colors.
   

.palettes for beginners.

From the very basics: stick to whites, creams, and browns, and you're bound to have a well color coordinated outfit.
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Okay, okay, I get it! You want some color! If you're a beginner, my best advice is to keep only one piece of clothing a different color, and the rest of your layers white or cream. Not only is it difficult to mess up color coordination if you really only have one "color", but with your basic layers kept to white or cream, it is sooo much easier to build multiple coords off of them instead of having to buy a whole new outfit for every different coord you want. I consider myself a seasoned color coordinator, and even I fell pray to this mess up. Have some examples:

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.advanced palettes.

Common Pitfalls
1.

.layers layers layers.

Common Pitfalls
1. Shirts over dresses

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!!! I forgot about this forum I'm so sorry but I just came back on and saw this-- I was so excited! please please finish it I would love to see the rest! if posting isn't allowed on this topic I'm very sorry, feel free to delete this post. I just wanted to encourage you to keep going with this tutorial it is so helpful!

Thank you, dear! It is okay to post here, in fact I encourage it. And I plan to continue the tutorial, I just became very busy so I can't promise when I will add more and I more so can't promise when it'll be finished.