Mori girl fashion developed online on 2009, at their social networking site called Mixi.
and before you can enter that community and call yourself a Mori girl, you need to check the following rules. Most of you would probably agree, but I'm sure some of you would raise a brow or even frown. The red inks serves as marker to those that would make you go, whut? the greens are just me agreeing

So here are the Mori-Girl Rules as of August 1, 2009

1. You like loose fitting dresses 
2. You always wear dresses and skirts 
3. You prefer slightly quirky clothes over simple ones
   (but you don’t like loud and flashy clothes) 
4. You look natural, but with your own style this one I don't understand. lost in translation maybe? 
5. You are particular about fabrics
6. You like ethnic clothes, too
7. You wear A-line clothes
8. You like wearing dresses that little girls would wear, too. 
9. You like smock-like dresses and blouses
10. You don’t like super sweet fashion
11. You like deep colors like Burgundy, Fukamidori (dark green, #00552e), Koniro (navy blue, #223a70) and Chairo(dark brown, #965042)
12. Warm colors look good on you
13. Short nails feel more comfortable
14. You like fluffy hats made of knitwear or fur
15. You like ear muffs
16. You like ponchos and boleros
17. You want to have leather bags
18. You use pochettes for everything
    
    
19. You prefer gold accessories over silver a lot of people would probably disagree, but I agree to this. Golds are classier, and looks more earthy while gold reminds me of cityscapes. I was told by my sister that the western people prefer silver over gold... I suppose this is based on culture.
20. You feel attracted to old things
21. You like pocket watches
22. You like necklaces with magnifying glasses or large designs
23. You like designs featuring animals
24. You like designs featuring sweets
25. You like plaid and polka dots
26. You like old-fashioned flower patterns
27. You like lace
28. You like tights and leggings and stockings
29. Your shoes are basic and flat soled
30. You like round toe shoes
31. If you wear sneakers you wear them like loosely fitting cute slip-ons
32. Instead of regular buttons you like hand-made buttons
33. You want to wrap your stole or muffler around yourself
34. In winter, a turtleneck design is your basis
35. You like layering garments
36. Puff sleeves make you feel emotional emotional?
37. You love fairy tales
38. Fair-skinned Cultural perhaps
39. Your hair is loosely permed
40. Bob cut x straight bangs
41. Straight bangs x long loose perm
42. Girly
43. You like FELISSIMO <---- WHUT? 
44. Of FELISSIMO, you especially like the brands Syrup and &sloe <---gibberish nihon stuff
45. You like the feel of Q-pot “sweets” <--- a sweet store??
46. You enjoy chilling out at cafés
47. You like walking with a camera in your hand
48. You unconsciously end up at variety stores
49. You can’t help starting collections of things you like, you are a collector
50. Finding cute books at the book store makes you happy
51. You get excited when you visit a furniture store
52. You like making things by hand
53. Autumn and winter are your favorite seasons
54. You’d like to visit Scandinavia one day <--whuuuut?
55. You like to have round cheeks
56. If you use perfume, you prefer faint flower scents best
57. (You long to be) a girl that exudes a soft mood <---like that japanese onomatopoeia fuwa fuwa
58. (You long to be) an uncomplicated girl
59. You have been told you come across as laid-back



Hagumi.... Well, she's weird

60. You consider Hagumi Hanamoto of Honey and Clover to be a Mori Girl
61. Shizuru Satonaka from Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru is also a Mori Girl
62. You have been told by a friend that it looks like you are in a forest

I suppose this should be taken with a grain of salt. Remember these rules are from a Japanese person, so don't take them to heart. ^^, I'm sure it's not very mori-girl-like to scream and tell others off "U NO MORI ENOUGH" or something. Like it says, Mori girls are laid back... in other words, one should not care about others' preferences but simply accept them for who they are. 

Rule #4 probably meant an earthy neutral look, along the lines of bohemian... only it's called mori :P

Rule #19 is somewhat controversial in my opinion. For others, gold is too fancy-ish, but I think it suits the earth tone more. After all, gold gets dirty but it will never tarnish. It has an elegance to it. Silver, they say, are more home-y... But I think it's not. It seems so artificial. Mori girls are classy in their own way. If you're western, perhaps the rules should be the other way around as silver is more homey to them. :) this is just my opinion of course. I'm Asian and I think gold is preferable, because when gold gets tarnished, it looks even more vintage-y, more homey'. Perhaps it meant the old gold color is more preferable.  

#36 is a silly one. Emotional over puff sleeves? 

Puffsleeves...

I'm thinking of Anne of Green Gables when she wanted a puff sleeved dress. So many emotions were stirred. I've loved puff sleeves before, until I accepted the fact that it doesn't look good on me. It broadens up my shoulder even more >< so unflattering

#38 is also quite weird. for the Americans out there or everyone else from the western world, I think you would say it's very racist 

 you no mori, you die 

Well, culture shock, but fair skinned is deemed prettier than a tanned one in Asia. that's why the best whitening products comes from Asia. It's very confusing since Mori girls loves to explore, and with exploring it means you'll get sunshine. In the Philippines, when you say "fair-skinned", it means that you are neither too dark nor too light, just the right color. While my countrymen would consider me fair skinned, the other races would say I'm brown or tanned. ^^ I bet it simply means a healthy glow to your skin and a natural skin tone.

Felissimo and the Q-pot is also a wonder. I've never heard of it, but I did hear about Cawaii and Wonder rocket. :) I think those came out later. Some would say Muji, but I think their clothes are pretty.. dull. too simple in my opinion. As rule number 2 said, quirky clothes over simple ones. I'll pick Forever 21 over Felissimo. as for Q-pot. well no global brand has appeared with sweets. I suppose the polymer clay candy jewelries would do.

then there's that Scandinavia thing. Of all countries, why Scandinavia? 

Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland to name a few

Why not UK? It's the land of fairytales after all... America, land of the prairies? Canada, land of the forests? Europe? Netherlands and its field of tulips, even Belgium with its sweets seems Mori enough. 

A girl that exudes a soft mood, an uncomplicated girl and a laid back girl, seems to be more on personalty. I think a lot of people would be able to relate to those above, but I would like to emphasize on being a laid back girl. ^^ I remember, whenever Justine tells me about some of the Lolita Girls going all bitchy in their group whenever they make stupid questions... It makes me wonder, are Lolita girls supposed to be like that? like YOU POSER, YOU NO LOLI! I hope mori girls aren't like that,^^, My impression is that Mori girls like to have a chill personality, the let's not be an annoyance with each other. 

The rest of the rules are no question. Hagu and Shizu really looks like a girl who have wandered off from a forest. 

In conclusion, becoming a Mori girl is not about fashion taste. It's about a lifestyle. The mori girl actually lives in a city but prefers to appreciate the small things in life. If you read through the 62 rules, you would realize that it can easily be applied to everyone. :)