Human Beef Jerky

Every time I read somewhere that a Deerling gives up Mori Kei in the summer because of the heat or the winter because of the cold, I cry! Because you can totally do Mori Kei in both seasons. You just need some adjustments.

Summer 

Some of us just give up entirely because the layers are too much. And if you live in a climate that’s hot all the time any way? Ugh. 

I totally understand! 

And I have some strategies to help you stay Mori Kei:

1. Go Hama. Here’s a great blog post on Hama style! 2. Stick to no more than three layers. Examples: Two skirts and a blouse. A blouse and knee length shirt with a thin lace cardigan. A shift dress with a petticoat or a lace cardigan.  3. Fake the layers. Several Mori brands have single layer skirts and tops that appear to have two or more layers going on. I have a few shorter skirts that I added lace to on the underside of the skirt to make it look like I’m wearing a petticoat layer. 4. Carry a hand fan. I’ve got three and man do they make hot days feel so much better.

Winter

When a Mori Girl gives up Mori Kei in winter, I weep. Why? Because many of us have it ingrained in us that wearing skirts in winter equals being cold. Having spent a few winters (including the horror of last one’s ice fest) in skirts, I can assure you, it is the ONLY way to go. And I am super cold intolerant.

Why? What’s the first thing that you are told to do when you go out in the cold? Wear Layers. What is Mori Kei? Wearing layers! It totally works. Especially since single skirts are often two layers to start (the under skirt and the top skirt).

Remember to think about your personal cold tolerance when layering so you don’t over or under layer and become uncomfortable. The temperatures listed are in Fahrenheit and are links to examples of what I wore in those temps. Please note that these pics do not count my coat. I have a nice one for 40-60 degrees and a wool one for colder temps.

1. In 40-50 degrees, I go with three layers of skirt and a light sweater over my shirt/blouse with boots and boot cuffs or boot socks. In the pic, I have two skirts on with the shift dress right on top for a total of three layers on the bottom and two on top.

2. In 30-40 degrees, I go with four or five layers of skirt and a heavy sweater over my shirt/blouse with boots, and boot cuffs or boot socks. In the pic, you only see two skirts, but there is a hidden layer of skirt underneath the dark brown. This makes for a total of four layers over my legs and two up top.

3. In 20-30 degrees, I am worried about my legs getting a draft so I am wear leggings or tights under four layers of skirt with a heavy sweater over my shirt/blouse. You can’t see my leggings in the pic, which is okay since they are a plain brown. I’ve got four layers of skirt on and a nice heavy zip up cardigan.

4. 20 degrees and below, I go with leggings, five or more layers of skirt, a blouse with a heavy sweater, and boot cuffs in my boots. In the pic, I am wearing four skirts, but it comes out to seven layers when you count all the skirt linings, which create a lot of warmth! And that doesn’t even count the leggings and boot socks. 

All of these looks are super warm for me and I wore variations of them all through winter without feeling the least bit cold. The reason I don’t layer so much up top, is that I find my coat and a sweater to be enough over my blouse. I also wear a heavy foundation garment (the kind that involves two pounds of Spanish steel) so I don’t like to layer too much over it. 

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