reconnecting to creativity - Mori + Dolly Kei

Reconnecting with my sewing/knitting blog a bit since I've been feeling a new surge of creativity and inspiration. It's been a while.  I'm actually making clothes for myself again, after a long hiatus & it seems natural to write about the process. I thought about making a new blog dedicated more to Mori Kei + Dolly Kei inspiration/aesthetics, but I decided to keep this one and just give it a little facelift.

So yes, I've gotten really inspired in my own clothes by Mori Kei and Dolly Kei lately.  I've loved Mori as a style for a long time, but only recently considered actually wearing the fashion.  On of my first ever pins on Pinterest back in 2011 was this 2010 "Japanese Dolly / Mori Girls in Harajuku" article from Tokyo Fashion.

I particularly loved this photo because it reminded me of the style of my "grail girl" Blythe Doll, Gentle River.

From Flickr

At the time, I didn't realize the nuances between Mori and Dolly Kei and I think they have evolved a lot in the last decade. In researching and learning more about the styles recently, I've also learned about Dark Mori vs. Dolly Kei, Practical Mori or Natural Kei, Hama Kei and more...  I love the way that these trends in Japanese street style put together they types of vintage & whimsical pieces I'm naturally attracted to in different ways. Pretty much anything from Grimoire makes my heart sing. This new inspiration is naturally giving way to a style change and I have a new sewing space that is re-inspiring me to make my own clothes again.

Changing styles is a gradual process for me - first of all, I have to make or thrift most the pieces + I feel like it's something you have ease into to have an organic style change that also has continuity of your personal je ne sais quoi or essence.

I've been taking some #ootd photos to see what I look like - as switching to going around in actual full Mori coords feels like it could come off like a costume or an artificial change.  Can you imagine if I just went to work one day all in frothy layers of cream colored lace from head to toe? 

With spring on the way, I feel like now is a good time to transition to more Mori./Dolly elements gradually and also it will give me some sewing time to prepare for summer, which is the perfect time to bring more of those pale neutral and pastel Mori fashions to light in my day-to-day wardrobe.

Here are a few mirror snaps + pics that include me-made, thrifted, and refashioned items... along the Mori/Dolly Kei inspiration. This is all still very under development... but I'm having a lot of fun.

My first Mori refashion - a men's pullover, a shrunken wool sweater, some pockets from kid's pants, and vintage lace & buttons from my collection to create a Mori Cardigan.

Mori Dress I made from adaptation of my favorite New Look 6305 -made with the rest of the rose colored kid's hemp pants, some ice blue/brown vintage napkins, some brown linen from women's pants, and some burgundy cotton/linen from my stash, with bits of vintage lace.

Mostly thrifted, but the petticoat with the cotton eyelet lace at the hem is 'me-made' - refashioned from a vintage twin bedsheet.

Refashioned dress made from a linen top and a linen skirt, re-cut and reassembled.  Sweater is thrifted recently.  Scarf is from my closet, repurposed.