Kimono Life 2012 - bargain shopping

Well I`ve decided to get back into wearing Kimono more often. I`ve been on a break with the lame excuse of most of my kimono are back in England but that is really not a good excuse because I live in Japan now and if I search there is an abundance of cheap and beautiful kimono to wear.

So for new year I decided to buy a new kimono and put together a new cord. I brought a new and obi online (I am very tall so recycle kimono sleeve length is a big problem), but then the only problem is I didn`t have the right ko-mono to go with it.

So I went to Tenshin bashi suji shopping street (天神橋筋　商店街）because I remember there being some cheap shops there.

And I found it, Amameya (天音屋） about half way up the street.

Too many nice cheap things!

So here are my buys.

Obijime! There was a big box for 100yen each so I snagged a bunch, can never have enough objime right! Most were new, and the objiage and chirimen was 200yen but I got the ojisan to give me a discount to 100yen each.

The bag was 1000yen and I loved the vintage classy look, new and real leather (made in Paris according to the inside). There was a black croccodily one for the same price and would have had it but some obachan picked it up before I got to it!

Close up of the obi. From right to left. It is Matsu and either sakura or momiji, only 500yen but there is some patina on the inside. But I have no problem with some damage as long as it`s not noticeable. The white/silver one was 1000yen, and the black one with ume and momiji was 2000yen. These two are brand new, and I love the flashyness. I have a plain purple kimono which I think would go well with either colour and I would wear them at my night job maybe where I can dress up a bit. I will possibly wear the black one on the first night back to my night job after the new years holidays.

Should be a good year! I am planning to go with my boyfriend to Kyoto for new years either tomorrow or the day after, he will wear kimono too. But he`s a bit flakey and not heard from him in a while! I expect he`s busy for new years family stuff but I will be a bit cross if he lets me down. Never mind I will go to Kyoto alone anyway, I quite enjoy going out by myself because I can do what I want!