What I Wore: to a Birthday Batman BBQ

It's been so long since I did a What I Wore (let alone anything, really!), in fact the last one was in December 2010. However, I wore an outfit that I liked so much on the weekend, that I was inspired to draw it. I've increasingly interested in Japanese fashion styles in the last few years, and I've been experimenting with adding an accessory here and there. Last weekend though, I finally got up the courage to try a whole ensemble.

My favourite style is Mori Kei ("Forest Look"), and this is what my outfit is based on. In a nutshell, it's what a girl wears when she's wandering around in the forest, taking pictures with a Holga camera and communing with nature. Or, if she lives in the city, she can be seen in a coffee shop writing in her journal, staring dreamily at the clouds from a street corner, or just watching the world go by.

There are many interpretations of the style, from "I'm a prairie girl about to build a barn", to "I'm an ethereal deer spirit who decided to wear every lace item I own today". Unlike many Japanese fashion styles (I'm mainly talking Lolita and Gyaru, here), there are really no rules, and you can pretty much interpret the aesthetic however you like. And guess what! Handmade items feature very heavily in the style, which sings to my need to crochet and sew little treasures to my heart's content.

Here's a description of Mori Girl attributes (both fashion and lifestyle), and the Mori tag on the rabbit hole that is Pinterest for visual reference.

I call this outfit 'Semi-Mori' because it would really need more layers and accessories for me to be entirely happy with it. In the end I had to rush out the door, so I didn't put as much effort into the finishing touches as I would have liked. But I think it isn't too bad for a first go!

I'm pretty happy with my drawing - considering I haven't drawn at all in over a year! I even had a go at drawing proper hands. I found quite a few half-finished sketches in my art journal (mainly other What I Wore pictures), which made me a little sad. But I felt so good after I finished my drawing, that I'm determined to take it up again regularly. Since I started my new job in January, I've been too tired to put any energy into creative pursuits, but it's time for that to change!

I'm excited to announce that I've almost finished Top Secret Project #2! It just needs the finishing touches and then I'm handing it in to its owner tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm going to go through all my projects, evaluate them and hopefully finish a few off. I want to clear the board in readyness for ... baby season! No, no NO ... I'm not the one having a baby, no fear there! But, to paraphrase the song, "All my friends are having babies".

Stay tuned for more crafty things!