I think we're being a bit harsh on "Neo-Mori" (Kind Of)
Recently, I've been deep in the archives of the internet archiving for the Mori Kei Image Archive (over 6000 posts now!) and in that time, I've noticed a troubling trend that I feel like I should address here. Specifically, I've noticed an uptick in people absolutely bashing on "neo-mori".
Now, you might be confused, based on my last post about neo-mori where I was pretty critical of it as a whole. So let me explain.
First, I still have very mixed feelings about the term, due to its attachment to fast fashion, it's artificial inflation by SPINNS, and these days due to its cluttering up of mori hashtags with SPINNS brand photos instead of grassroots mori community content. So that part hasn't changed.
However, what I am noticing across social media, mainly tumblr, is criticism about the style of neo-mori. Not the brand pushing it, it's capitalistic tendencies, or the unnecessary rename. These individuals are criticizing the style specifically. And this criticism is intense. It goes beyond "not my personal style of mori" and into "this isn't really mori fashion" or it "lacks the original mori feel entirely" or "it's too heavily influenced by y2k/gen-z fashions", etc. I have seen almost those exact words multiple times now across many different accounts.
I am so sorry to burst your bubble if you are one of these individuals, but I have to break the news to you. As I mentioned in my previous post on the subject, neo-mori isn't new. The aesthetic has pre-dated SPINSS, and now that I've been archiving images so much, I can confidently state it has pre-dated SPINNS by decades. One could even probably say it has existed since the creation of mori.
But you don't have to take my word for it! Here are some examples!
To refresh your memory, here are some Neo-Mori photoshoots straight from SPINNS.
And these are all "regular" mori from street snaps and magazines. Every single one of these images pre-dates neo-mori by almost 7-10 years or more, at least.
As you can see, any one of these photos could have easily been included in a recent SPINNS photoshoot, and hardly stood out at all (save a few dated accessories, hairstyles, and shoes here or there).
(Also there are so many more examples to choose from if I include things from late 2010s and early 2020s, but I think it's more impactful to include these earlier photos instead.)
So if this version of mori has always existed, why are people so against it now that it is seeing a resurgence both through neo-mori and on social media through users like 0.25_h (whom I mentioned in my last post)?
Well, the reasons are complex. For one, I think the biggest initial turn-off is that it isn't an organic push. Although the style existed already, it's currently tied up with SPINNS in a way that many, including myself, are put off by due to its artificial feeling. However, I think it's more than that.
The biggest problem I think people are having is an old one. And that is that mori is a very broad style. Your expression of mori may look completely different from another person's, but the style is still the same. And that variety can naturally lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications about what mori is, and what falls under that umbrella. That problem has long existed in our community, and it certainly hasn't been helped with the recent neo-mori trend.
Additionally, I think people forget that mori kei, like anything else in life, doesn't exist in a vacuum. It never has. Mori has always been impacted by the trends going on around it. Like I mentioned in my last post, mori has embraced a number of larger J-fashion trends, from rocking horse shoes, to grimiore tights, to teddy bear bags, to tassel decorations. The style has always followed trends!
And even broader, the style has been influenced by mainstream fashion trends as well. Throughout the years, we have seen things like ugg boots and "boho" hairstyles pop up in mori in the early 2000s. Or mint green colorways in the 2010s. All of these things are dated now, but at one point represented a core part of the style.
The mori community has also been greatly influenced by brands. Even in its early days, brands like Wonder Rocket had convinced many that mori was only beige and lace with minimal layers, and nothing more. Or DearLi had people convinced mori was always bright colors and minimal layers. And while these both are expressions of mori, it is only one part of the broader mori fashion umbrella.
The point of all of this is, mori has always grown and changed with the times to an extent. Many things have to do that to stay relevant. Mori has kept its core aesthetic and vibe, but it has changed many times already even during its peak, and it will keep doing so for as long as people exist who wear the style. But for some people, they latch on to the style during a certain time, or latch on to a certain expression of the style, and can't move past that. And that's fine! That version you love is still mori and still relevant! It's just not the only version of mori that will ever exist. And in that same vein, neo-mori is also still mori for the same reasons.
So all of this to say: I think we should be kinder to the aesthetic of "neo-mori". If it's not your favorite, that's fine! But it's still mori just like all other variations of mori are. And believe it or not, there was a time in the mori community where your "version" of mori might have been scolded by someone on tumblr for not fitting what they deemed the "real" mori aesthetic. So it's all a bit subjective anyways!
TLDR let's stop gatekeeping mori fashion. Purists are a pain in every J-fashion / Alt Fashion community, so let's keep that kind of attitude out of mori circles, no matter how you feel about SPINNS or the neo-mori label. And I hope everyone keeps enjoying whatever flavor of mori they like best!
Until next time, my deers!
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