Choco's List: A Retrospective

Choco's List. It's a classic, a staple even, in the mori community. But it also is undoubtedly dated. It's a bit of a relic of a specific time in Japanese cultural history. So although it still holds a lot of weight and significance in the mori community, it's also a product of its time.

So today, I want to look back on Choco's List. Let's examine how relevant it was, then and now, and what parts should we keep and what parts should be ignored. (I will be using my cleaned up version of the list from this post, if you want to read them first as they were intended by Choco.)

But first, before I pick the list apart, it is important to remember that this list has always been more guidelines than rules. It was never meant to be followed point by point, and is just a summary of what larger trends Choco saw in the already thriving community.

No Brainers

First are the easiest points to categorize. These are the points of the list that, I think, are clearly mori. They don't really require in depth explanations, and are still prevalent and relevant today, but I'll leave little notes where appropriate.

• Loves loose-fitting one-piece dresses. (If you wear dresses, this applies to you haha!)
• Likes leather or faux leather bags. (Check out my recent bag post. Still a popular choice.)
• Loves animal motifs. (I have yet to meet a mori person who doesn't like or own some sort of animal motif/pattern/etc.)
• Loves lace. (Have you ever seen an image of mori fashion? Then you know ;) )
• Wears flat soled shoes instead of high heels or dress shoes. (Not always true, but still by far the most popular kind of shoes.)
• Loves round-toed shoes, or shoes in a more natural style. (See above!)
  
• Loves to wear layers. (Do I really need to say anything?)
• Loves natural brands, such as Syrup and Fellisimo (Natural brands of various kinds are still popular.)
• Loves hand-made stuff. (Mori folk love to knit, sew, crochet, and more!)
• Loves winter and autumn as far as the seasons go. (Every mori person knows the struggle of wearing mori in the summer haha)
• Friends may have told you that you look like you belong in a forest. (The quintessential essence of mori!)

The Maybes

Okay, let's get a bit more interesting. These are points that can be true, but are not always necessary. So things that make sense to see in a mori checklist, but can also just as often be challenged.

• Wears one-piece dresses and skirts as everyday dresses.
• A lot of mori folk wear dresses and skirts daily, but many of us have jobs that don't allow it, or wear multiple styles, or don't dress up everyday. Or maybe we only wear pants! So having this as a main point for a large and varied community doesn't feel fitting.
• Prefers somewhat quirky clothing to simpler or mainstream styles (but doesn't really like flashy or bold styles).
• Mori can certainly be quirky! But some folks prefer a more toned down look, and may also like mainstream fashions too! And personally, I find mori to be a flashy and bold style sometimes. Just look at some of the streetsnaps during it's height of popularity in Japan! So this point feels somewhat inaccurate.
• Wears a seemingly natural type of fashion style with a little quirk to it.
• Similar to above. But this one in particular seems confusing to me. What does "natural fashion" look like? There are many kinds of natural fashion around the world, do all of them match mori? I personally don't think so. And what does "a little quirk" mean? It also seems hard to define.
• Is particular about materials.
• Some mori folk are, some aren't. It's more about the look of the materials than the materials themselves, I've found.
• Dresses in A-line clothes.
• Another thing that is very specific to the person. Some people love the A-line look! But other people feel it doesn't match their body type. So I don't find it strictly necessary.
• Loves smock-like one-piece dresses and blouses.
• Same as above. Some do, some don't!
• Loves deep earthy colors like burgundy, dark green, dark blue, and brown.
• Also same as above. There are a lot of varied colors in mori, and different people like different color palettes.
• Loves ear muffs.
  
• This is one that isn't wrong per say. Ear muffs often do look really cute with mori! But also, I have never heard a person say "Do you know what would really pull this outfit together? Earmuffs." Not that it couldn't happen, mind you. But I've certainly never experienced it.
• Loves soft knit or fur caps.
• Another some do, some don't!
• Loves ponchos and boleros.
• Same here.
• Likes clutches or pochette.
• And here.
• Loves check and polka-dot patterns.
• And here!
• Loves retro flower prints.
• And here too!
• Loves tights and leggings.
• Also here. But also this depends on if you prefer pants with mori or not.
• Love wearing turtlenecks in the winter.
• Same here too.
• Loves puffed sleeves.
• And here.
• For hairstyles, they prefer things such as softly curled hair, a bob cut with short bangs, long curly hair, or other similar natural styles.
• Also here. Although I will say this one is almost always true. But I've also seen mori folk rock brightly colored neon looks! So anything can work with mori, in my opinion.
• Likes natural and minimal makeup, with rosy cheeks.
• This is also true most of the time, but not always. Depends on the person.
• If you are going to put any perfumes, you’d like faint flower scents.
• This one feels strange to me. It makes sense, on one level, to say that people who like a forest aesthetic would like floral scents. But also, scents are not something that most mori folk talk about.
• Finds old items charming.
• Usually true! But some mori folk prefer new things that give off a vintage feel. Again, down to the individual tastes.
• Loves fairy tales.
• Another one that is almost always true. But it feels more like a coincidence that the kind of aesthetic mori folk enjoy seems to overlap with fairytales, and less of a thing that actually impacts mori as a style or community.
• Loves to spend time in cafes.
• Also usually true, but some mori folk might not enjoy going out much, or don't have access to cafes where they live. So another thing that doesn't feel strictly necessary.
• Loves to take a walk with a camera in a hand.
• This as well. Some mori folk do love photography, and the hobby does lend itself well to the fashion, but this feels reminiscent of the time it was made, when Instagram and similar sites were having a boom and people were taking pictures of anything and everything with their new camera phones, and less of an always true statement.
• Enjoys visiting small, local shops and window shopping.
• Another thing that depends on the person and where they live.
• Have a habit of collecting things you love.
• I think I'm biased because I'm a minimalist, but I don't find collecting a requirement for mori in the slightest haha Although it certainly is a hobby with a lot of overlap with mori folk.
• Enjoys browsing through bookstores or furniture stores.
• Another thing that depends on the person's tastes and where they live.

The Head Scratchers

Now we're getting into the fun stuff. These are points that might be true, but seem really odd to point out. Things that make you ask "Is there some context I'm missing here?" And don't feel bad if you felt this way the first time you read the list, I think we all had at least one head-scratching moment!

• Loves to wear European ethnic clothing.
• This isn't not mori, but is it really mori? I don't think it is. There was a short lived trend in early mori magazines, and sometimes in street snaps, of wearing European folk inspired clothing and accessories, but that's really all it was. Short lived, and never wide spread. So I find this one to be a bit restrictive for a list that is, overall, meant to be a general overview.
• Loves one-piece dresses that little girls would like as well. 
• Okay, I think I get this one. I assume she is referring to an earlier point again, the preferring smock like dresses? Or perhaps indicating that mori doesn't fit the bodycon dress trend, or sexy club outfits, or similar things. But the phrasing is just a bit odd. And personally, I don't find mori a very cutesy/childish fashion. When I think of that kind of style, I think of Lolita or Fairy Kei, both which make use of childlike motifs. Not mori, that's only "childish" aspect is perhaps its love of lace.
• More comfortable with short nails. 
• This is a point that I do understand logically. A lot of mori folk are earthy and natural sort of people. They prefer being outside, practical crafts, gardening, and more. So short nails often comes along with that. But some mori folk might enjoy longer nails decorated in floral motifs, for example. I don't think that would make them less mori for enjoying those things. So I think the inclusion of this really excludes a lot of people, and unnecessarily restricts their creative freedom.
• Prefers gold accessories to silver ones.
• When I was a young, new, excited mori girl, I would preach this point religiously, and tell people if they don't like gold they'd better change their minds. Okay, maybe not that strong, but I certainly implied it. And if I told you that, I am so sorry. There is no reason you cannot wear silver jewelry with mori. Both look good, both are valid. This is a completely unnecessary point.
• Loves necklaces and accessories with large motifs like a magnifying glass, compass, or a pocket watch.
  
• These things can be very mori! But they are also a little dated. It feels very 2010s to wear a pocket watch necklace, if I'm being honest. It can still be cute! But it isn't really as relevant anymore.
• Loves candy and sweets motifs. / Loves candy or sweets shaped accessories, such as Q-Pot accessories.
• Another thing that was really popular at the time. But these days? Food themed jewelry is much less of a trend. Including in Japan. It can still fit, but the trend has died down a lot, and this no longer feels relevant either.
• If wearing sneakers, they must be slip-ons that are loose fitting and cute.
  
• This also can be true, but doesn't have to be. It's down to interpretation. And most mori folk aren't wearing sneakers anyways, so it feels unnecessary.
• Loves to wrap the scarves and stoles all the way around their neck.
• Another thing that is completely down to personal preference. And also something that comes and goes with fashion and trends. For example, when I first started wearing mori, infinity scarves were all the rage! And now they're somewhat out of fashion again. It all depends on what you prefer.
• A girlie-girlie type.
• Definitely a relic of days past, and of the gender stereotypes in Japan. Mori folk come in all identities and enjoy all kinds of styles. Masculine and feminine can both be mori!
• Wants to travel to northern Europe someday.
• Could a mori person want to travel to Europe? Absolutely! Do they need to have it as a top travel destination to be mori? Not at all. Another thing that feels odd to put in a list like this.
• A girl with soft, pure, and clear air about her (or longs to be one).
• I'm going to be honest here. I have no idea what this means practically. And I really don't care to figure it out. Anyone of any personality can be mori, in my opinion. So this is a moot point.
• You are often told you have a laid-back aura at all times.
• You might be laid back, you might not be. Neither of those things makes someone mori or not. So another moot point, I think.

Let's Leave it Behind

There are very few points in this list that I actively would discourage, but there are a few. These points are outdated, completely unrelated, and so on.

• Doesn't like super sweet fashion (like lolita or fairy kei).
• This is such a strange one to me, since people who enjoy alternative fashions often engage in multiple communities. And from the beginning, Lolita and mori had a ton of overlap! So this point seems so restrictive and unnecessary. You could wear mori on the weekends and full goth on the weekdays, and you wouldn't be any less mori than someone who wears it daily. And neither would it make you less mori to wear and enjoy Lolita and Fairy Kei. So this one can go.
• Looks good in warm colors.
• Warm colors definitely fit mori, but if you personally do not look good in them, or just don't like them, that's perfectly fine! An outfit doesn't have to be warm colors to be mori. 
• Loves ponchos and boleros.
• I already listed this one earlier, but I just want to pull it back to say we don't really need this one either. It's restrictive, and also boleros give me flashbacks to being a kid on Easter Sunday in the 90s and 2000s. So this feels dated and unnecessary. We can let it go. Wear whatever outerwear you like!
• Prefers cloth buttons to ordinary buttons.
• This one really makes no sense. Mori fashion has always had unique and cute buttons! Cloth, wood, novelty shapes, and more! They've always been a big part of mori fashion. So this is just untrue.
• Loves natural brands, such as Syrup and Fellisimo
• This point was also listed already, and I only bring it back here because a lot of mori brands are no longer around, or have pivoted to new fashion styles, so putting a qualifier like this feels, again, unnecessary. And some mori folk prefer thrifting to buying from brands. Both are totally okay and valid options to build your wardrobe!
• Has a light complexion.
• This should be self-explanatory, but this point is toeing the line of racism. Yes, light skin is a big beauty thing in Japan. But it's always been problematic, even for Japanese people, to put whiteness as a beauty standard. This one can definitely go, and it will not be missed.
• You consider characters like Hagu from “Honey and Clover” and Shizuru Satonaka from "Tada, kimi wo aishiteru (I simply love you)" as mori girls. 
• These items were pop culture at the time. Every mori person knew them. But these days, they're no longer well known like they were. So while they aren't wrong per say, I think including them feels no longer important.

Putting this all together, I am surprised by how few points in this list I could put in the no brainer section! I always knew there were a lot of conditional points on Choco's list, but I surprised even myself here!

So, how about you? What points on Choco's list do you love? Which points do you hope we leave behind? I'm curious to know your thoughts!