kimono lovers

( Under the cut, a sewing project to make a tiny juban into something wearable for a not-so-tiny me! )

Yesterday I decided to wear my first full ro ensemble of the year (or more accurately, my first full ro ensemble, evah!) to a small Japanese festival my taiko group was performing at:

Ro Taisho era purple lily komon.
Ro Taisho era mandarin duck juban.
Ro hakata obi.
Ro embroidered haneri.

Unfortunately none of the ro obiage and summer weave obijime I had matched with the ensemble - so I wore regular ones instead. Rather than bright bold colours like I normally choose - I decided to go for softer pinks that were in the lilies and my collar.

I really enjoyed wearing full ro - it was so soft, airy and comfortable! The kimono was too short for a proper ohashori however, I had no trouble wearing it as is.


Larger view in my Flickr account

( Back view and close up of embroidered ro haneri under the cut )

I made a few haori himo today. ^^ They're glass and metal beaded, so they're very classy and modern. One of a kind! Very cheap, too- only $6 apiece, plus $1.50 shipping & handling. I combine shipping on multiple orders. Many are made of vintage beads or discontinued beads. I accept Paypal and MO- also, you don't need a Paypal account to use your credit card through it. I'll have more photos of finished products in a few days as soon as the rain lets up during the day.

Most sets hook on one side and attach on the other for an uninterrupted strand. There is one strand so far that joins in the middle.

One set is deep blue, purplish-black AB finish, and silver. Another is plum and olive. There's also purple/yellow/orange, red/black, pink/silver/clear, and moegi(lime green)/sand/silver- perfect July colours! See here for a pic of the upcoming works: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nigatsu_bebe/3572591086/

Leave a comment or message me on LJ if anyone's interested. I also do custom work, so if there's a colour combo you're thinking of, ask!

x-posted to kimono_fashion

I've been wondering lately if I should get back into making kimono accessories. I used to make friendship bracelets and other woven pieces fairly well, and was wondering if I should get into make obijime and other accessories again. I was also making himo, makura, and things like that at one point as well. But would they sell? For the time I would invest in weaving pieces again, it might cost just as much to buy from Ebay or Ichiroya. What would you guys do?

x-posted to here and kimono fashion

Looking for a black and white hakata obi in wearable condition plz. I'm willing to pay around $40 for it. Anyone selling one? I can also trade other stuff for it, just let me know if there's anything you're looking for and I'll see if I've got it.

Just got this awesome purple and white irotomesode from the Taisho era (I think- it has 5 mon on it and the longer sleeves...) that I wanted to match it with. It's a little short, but maybe I can still pull it off without the ohashori. It's a gorgeous piece! It's just... really, really small. And I'm pretty small myself, 5'3", 103 lbs. x.x Still it's so pretty, I'm going to try to make it work...

Over the years I've amassed a rather large obijime collection - with a large number of them being antique obijime.

Unfortunately, more often than not with antique obijime - the tassels at the end are an absolute knotted, matted, torn mess when I receive them. Having the tassels like this can make what used to be a lovely obijime look tacky and exceptionally sloppy and unattractive when worn.

So - I decided to start Project Obijime. Due to how many obijime I have - I need to create proper storage for them, but most importantly - I want to take the time to restore all my antique obijime to their former glory and to protect the tassels on all my obijime.

I decided to take step-by-step photographs on how I tackled this task for all those out there who may need to do the same thing. If you have any questions - please don't hesitate to ask!

Please visit my Flickr account to view the full photos and instructions:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimonoasobi/sets/72157616967547643/



Please visit my Flickr account to view the full photos and instructions:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimonoasobi/sets/72157616967547643/

My husband and I went to San Francisco's Cherry Blossom Festival this past weekend and had tons of fun! It gave me the oportunity to wear my two "new" kimono: my Taisho komon furisode hikizuri, and my crazy Taisho shishi inside yabane komon!

This was the first time I've ever worn furisode...or done furisode kitsuke on myself. Thankfully it wasn't too shabby. While this furisode is hikizuri - there was no way I was going to wear it trailing outside! So I just dressed with an ohashori.




( Lots more photos under the cut! )

I wore kimono out on Friday night.

( Would you like to see? There's a cute ferret involved, too! )

I hadn't had a chance to brag about all the wonderful kimono stuff I bought or was given while I was visiting with harunoame, arian1, mojuko, and her boyfriend Robb (Special guest star: ltdead!) in CA this past February.

I decided that I really wanted to show off my things as outfits, rather than just hanging it all up and showing it off that way. Instead of putting it on myself, I decided to let my mannequin Andrea have the spotlight!
( Behind the cut is a ton of kimono pictures! )
Hope you enjoyed! Comments / Compliments / Critiques welcome.

cross-posted to the Immortal Geisha Forums, kimonoworld, kimono_fashion, and my own journal.

The internet has failed me.

I'm going to Japan in May and would like to be able to wear a kimono for a day. There are dozens of "Experience Kimono!" studios that offer dressing + make up + pictures, but that's not waht I'm after, as those tend be 60 minutes or less.

I'd like to be able to wear it for a whole day, or at least a half day, while sightseeing.

Does anyone have any leads on where I could rent? While I certainly will go nuts buying kimonos, for simplicity's sake, I'd really like to find a rental place that will also assist with dressing (very improtant, as I've never actually worn a kimono *properly*).

I'd like to do this in Kyoto, I am also open to Tokyo.

If anyone is looking for a good kimono dealer, this guy on Etsy is not only really cheap to buy from, but is also really, really awesome.

I bought this tiger motif haori from him, listed as mint. When he was packing it, he noticed some tiny pinholes and immediately informed me- with photos. I was able to work out a deal with him regarding the condition and got the package quickly. He also sent a little bancha with the kimono. ^_^ Ooh I like bancha.

Oh, and he also sells ceramics and antiques, like this cool lacquer stacked box-thing used for picnic outings a hundred years ago. Not nearly as expensive as it should have been, but still too much for me right now! So if anyone is looking, check up with him.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6047194

x-posted (sorry)

More kimono for sale.

I have a vintage off-white kimono with red rose pattern, a few blemishes from age on the fabric. Not sure if it's silk or synthetic, but the interior I think is synthetic. It's light pink lining. I also have an uchikake that is absolutely beautiful, but I never got the chance to wear it. It's white with purple clouds and ume designs in metallics and bright red silk, with tassels and a design I don't recognise. That one is definitely synthetic, but so, so soft! Still selling the ones from before, back in December as well. Oh, and one other- a white kimono with silver pine needles and orange camellias. It's an interesting combo, since pine needles are supposed to represent lovers- when they fall, they fall together. Camellias are never seen in a samurai's garden because as soon as they bloom beautifully, their heads fall off. Yet they are together... Oh, and a mikos' (priestess') hakama! A rare find I picked up in Nara.

E-mail or comment if interesting in measurements and photos!

Hello, I just recently got very interested in Kimono. Basically I'm a kimono virgin, I own one Tomosode and that's it. I've started to read voraciously about kimonos and have been searching online for places to buy a set. Does anybody have a favorite website to buy from? If the site has reasonably priced kimonos that would be a very big bonus. Or if you have any books you think I should read. Please recommend any information or links that you can think of. Thank you so much!

Hello there everyone. I'm here asking for a little bit of help.

I'm in my 6th semester of Japanese at my University, and this semester is a writing intensive coarse. One of our projects is to write a 5 page (Genkoyoshi) paper on a topic on some type of Japanese culture. Well of course I would write about Kimono!

The issue is, my sensei turned down my outline of the paper that had more to do with different types of kimono, and how to wear them than the actual history. So my question is: Could anyone direct me to a good website that has plenty of good information on the history of kimono? I don't have to have any official bibliography, as long as she knows it's accurate. (She said Wikipedia is fine, but the actual historical information available on Wikipedia on the subject is minimal.)

I'd really appreciate it!

We had a great time in London for the Tokyo City promotion day! It was fun having so many dressed in kimono. We got quite a lot of attention and many photos were taken of us. There weren't quite as many booths as I'd hoped, but we stil had fun. The kanzashi maker was very popular. After the event we went to JapanCentre in Piccadilly for a lovely Japanese meal. This is the first time I've eaten in a Japanese restaurant in kimono! Yay! I'm glad this event took place on Saturday because now London is under a very heavy blanket of snow. 12 inches in some parts which is a rare occurance indeed. Only 5 inches at my house at it's peak. Enjoy!


This isn't all of us, there were two more dressed in kimono. The lady on the end in Furisode was a nihon buyo dancer.

( More Tokyo fun here: )

I have been (mostly) wearing a "standard" white juban collar (han eri).  I have several other juban that I would like to put into use with different color and patterned collars for variety - I am dressing ok (I think - I am sure a kimono master would disagree) now and want to experiment.  If you have worn different han eri - how do you decide what will work with the kimono/obi.  Do you go for contrast?  Do you try to match - but in a different shade?  How about patterns?

And what would be age appropriate - I do not want to dress like a 20 year old or a geisha.  What can I get away with - and be playful, more or less correct, and a bit funky....

Thoughts would be very helpful... I am working on my juban now.

I took my girls to eat sushi and of course we had to all be in kimono.

 

I am wearing a Hakata obi - my favorite type, subdued colors for winter.  In their hair the girls have kanzashi that I made.  My elder daughter grew so much recently - I will need to get her a longer kimono.

Website: http://www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
You can call 1-805-893-3535 for tickets and information.

Date/Time: The lecture will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, at 7:30pm in the UCSB's Campbell Hall. It's FREE!

For those like me not in the know, UCSB = University of California, Santa Barbara.

From the flyer: "UCSB Arts & Lectures and the UCSB Department of East Asian languages and Cultural Studies present Regents' Lecturer Liza Dalby, the premier expert on geisha culture, who will give the FREE public lecture titled 'Kimono and the Cultural Meanings of Clothing' on Tuesday, January 20 at 7:30pm in UCSB Campbell Hall. An anthropologist and author, Dalby's visual presentation will review the evolution of the kimono, its aesthetics, and its place in modern Japan. She will combine fashion history and social anthropology to demonstrate how clothing can illuminate our understanding of culture. [...] Courtesy of Borders, books by Liza Dalby will be available for purchase and signing at the event."



Stolen from the IG website; posted there by a member and thought people in this community might be interested.

Have you always wanted to visit Japan but haven't found anyone to go with you? Join our group! I have two slots open for our May 2009 trip to Kyoto and want to fill them asap. Every year I take a group of kimono lovers (mostly woman, but not always) for eleven days (ten nights) in Kyoto from May 19-29th. We spend two days at two different temple markets (where you can buy all the kimonos your little suitcase can hold!), we take three workshops on textiles (dying, weaving, etc.), and we do some sight-seeing too. I lived in Kyoto for three years and love sharing some my favorite off-the-beaten-path places.

It's not a high end trip and it's not for everyone - there's a lot of walking, some floor-sitting, a fair amount of tofu(!), but never a dull moment! You'd have three free days to wander on your own and we'll help with arrangements for those days as well as reservations and information if you decide to stay a few days longer. There are a lot of photos and details on my website from previous trips to give you a better idea of the fun, but here are a few photos from last year to start you off:

At one of our delicious meals!


Last year we had a special treat - an evening with two maiko!


At our wax resist (roketsuzome)workshops:


And of course....the markets!


Yes, I have two slots left (there will be a total of six of us) and I'd like to get them filled asap. Payment terms are flexible. $2900 covers just about everything except airfare and what you decide to do on your three free days.

Hey everyone~!

Thank you again for all of the advice you gave me last summer for the furisode. I've finally put together a more casual ensemble, and today tried it on with a bit of help from my housemates.

( Pics beneath cut, of course! )

As always, sempai, any other comments, constructive criticism, or anything else is much appreciated.

I was also lucky enough to get a few other pieces this past weekend - if you're interested, I have an entry about it here at my LJ.