2月26日の着物

I promised myself I wouldn`t do kitsuke practice until after I had finished writing my student reports, a task I loath. It was 8pm by the time I finished so I was in half a mind to skip this week but meh I`m a night owl.

I had found this hanhaba obi with ume motif so I decided to wear that because the ume are just about coming into season. Ume are my favourite blooms, but I have no plans to go see them this year so I thought I should wear the obi while I can.

My friend: lol the derp face fits, look like some sleazy yet classy bordello runner

obi detail

I chose shocking pink because it`s the pink I love ume for. The glittery ribbon is actually a hair elastic, but hey it matches.

han-eri

 Another quick han eri from Tokyu Hands` wonderful wonderful off cuts tables. All the colours of the rainbow with as many designs as you can imagine, big enough that when you cut in half and stitch back together again in a strip, you get funky han eri!

I need to sew a popper onto that collar, and the black obi doesn`t picture well in that lighting does it. My hanhaba tsunodashi needs work.

But quite happy with this ensemble, that kimono with it`s neutral colours and abstract non seasonal flowers make it very versitile. When I first recieved it I thought the flowers made it too girly for me but it`s really grown on me. Funny how your opinion of a kimono can change once you try it out.




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Valentines Kimono

Well of course I had to do a valentines cord for work. I kinda had to do it based around red as the main colour.

Although the actual day was a bit of a disaster because it was raining and I was debating whether to dress at home and go by train or go by bicycle and get dressed at work. In the end I packed it all up and lugged it in. NEVER AGAIN it`s such a pain and guess what, I forgot one tabi and my zori so I had to wear my gaga heels.

On to the outfit!

I found a dark reddish iromuji, and the silk is so soft I was surprised when I first touched it.

愛は赤

Just as I finished getting dressed, like literally tucking in my obiage customers arrived so I couldn`t get before pictures. And then after I saw my camera had no battery anyway so just keitai shots. :/

Valentines!

detail

Heart han-eri, and black lace date eri.

My back shot sucks but there was a reason why I wore that obi. I actually had ordered a hanhaba obi with hearts on but it didn`t arrive on time, but when I saw this obi i had an idea.

<3 <3 <3

It`s peacock feathers but they look like hearts I thought XD I guess quite a classy outfit in an iromuji and fukuro obi.

I guess next outfit to think about will be plum blossom viewing, I always look forward to them.

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2月13日の着物

I done some kitsuke practice, I was trying to do it neatly rather than slap dash like usual and I was impressed with my results!

Add caption

My hashori is kinda good proportion yaaay

obi detail

Black Nagoya obi with painted flowers. I get the feeling i`m going to like that obi alot, it will go with anything really.

Because the kimono was desaturated I used vivid pink obiage and obijime to try and liven it up a bi.t, same goes with the han eri.

obi back

 Uh looks like it`s slipped a bit there. As you can see the paint for the flower design has cracked a bit but I don`t mind at all, just makes it more antique to me.

Now for some posing shots lol.

I am happy with that collar!

Well I didn`t go anywhere, but it was fun to take my time and see that I can actually wear kimono neatish when I try!

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Trends in Modern Furisode

Been a bit of a sucky week so lets write about some happy kimono news! With the closing of the oshare kimono fair Modayo-sensei blogged the photo shoot for their new furisode designs. Furisode aren`t really my thing but I thought the mamechiyo furisode for the puzzle series and candy stripe were cool, and now modern antenna totally steals my heart with these lovely cords. So this wouldn`t just be a picture spam I`ve made myself chose just one of the outfits (ToT)

Roses in check variation (purple x yellow)

 The colour combo kills me!! And their stylist is totally awesome, I love that hair styling and accessories, very stylish and elegant.


But then a close up of the obi.

 

 Purple my favourite! With gold wow. All those different textures, it looks like some magical spun gold. The simpleist pattern but still so interesting to look at.

The good news is that these are the first lot, and they no longer make these obis so they are offering them as a 3 item set for under 10,000yen (they are throwing the juban in free). Bargain!.... (TOT)

Check out the rest of the designs here!

What I love about these furisode (and the iromuji style puzzle series by mamechiyo) is the design not being your typical gold and big classical patterns along the hem and sleeves brings the furisode down in formality, but the obi still gives it that gorgeous edge so it`s not just a komon with long sleeves.  I could imagine wearing this as a houmongi level of formality, to a nice party (it is polyester, spills no problem! XD) etc, so you`d get a lot more wear out of it. That`s my problem with furisode, spending alot of money on something you only get occasion to wear a few times in your life. The maturity of the pattern also makes it more wearable for the over 21s.

Since the kimono design already breaks all the rules, you can break the rules on wearing it!

What do you think of the trend with modern designers making these less formal furisode?

節分の着物 (Setsubun Kimono)

Oni >:D

So last Friday was setsubun, the Japanese festival where everyone throws beans to drive out oni and bring in good luck. Everyone knows about the geisha and kabuki events during this day, but what about the hostesses?

Well Osaka Kitashinchi hostesses are not to be out done on setsubun,They have water dipping festival to drive out bad luck for business, with a big parade where the hostesses dress in maiko/geisha/orian/cosplay henshin, lead by the Kitashinchi queens.

Kitashinchi Queens

Unfortunately I had to work that evening and was late getting to kitashinchi, and just as I gout out the station I was being passed by the chinese dragon and I had missed the girls.

But I found a video of last years parade.


Also some hostesses will dress for the occasion as well in henshin, with their hair and kimono set at salons like this! For 25000yen for one nights rental/set, plus 25000yen deposit o_o

Offering body paint service for female yakuza outfit!

Even tissues advertising costume rental

I was in a rush and my pictures of the hostesses going to work sucked, how annoying. Please excuse the blurryness/hostess death glares.

This is all I saw of the parade D:

Anyway some much better professional photos of the parade from this years parade here.

I tried to do an oni inspired kimono cord, but I didn`t really have enough time to put into it so I wasn`t too happy with it.

Hair accessory close up

You don`t know how hard I had to look to find little oni/lucky old lady masks! But I also found one with a little hand drum too so I had fun playing with it lol.

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Kimono GETS

So I`m back on the ebay crack and today I got a huge box from Shinei >_> They are in the same city so they posted it yesterday and it arrived today. I feel kinda bad about using Shinei because I`ve read about the problems foreign customers have had. Hell I even had a heart attack moment when I got an email from them asking for shipping for 3 bundles (one I had already received??) that amounted to over $200! I was like domestic post office shipping is never going to be that much! But then I noticed they`d invoiced me directly via ebay for shipping totaling $22....so I just paid it and here it is. The email must have been an automated one for shipping to the US because for domestic addresses they say just put any country and they`ll calculate it after. That was a minor organizational problem compared to what some people have. Anyway lets celebrate with the GETS!!

Red and White Meisen

Blue striped meisen

Green and yellow asanoha meisen

Modern Antenna @ Hanshin Umeda

I saw from a Japanese blog I follow that modern antenna was holding a fair in the Hanshin department store in Umeda this week. And Modayo-sensei seemed to be there.....and I had a dentist appointment in Umeda today, so I was like, I should check it out :D But I had to go in Kimono right!!

Hat day me thinks....

Oh wow did I mention my dentist appointment was at 10am? Slightly hot mess kitsuke, I had like half an hour to get ready, mid way I realize that this kimono is too small to dress easily but it was already at a point of no return.

Bleh haori hides alot of sins.

 mirror lets take full body shot (in the subway station...)

Yeah so I went and had fillings in kimono, I am absolutely nuts I admit it. But on the way back I stopped at the modern antenna fair!

着物で犬と散歩　：D

Modern Antenna right

This is as far as I got taking pictures cos further in was the fair and Modayo-sensei was there and I like turned into gibbering school girl all like omg I love your stuff (TOT) He is like so sweet and a little shy, so gently spoken and polite (TOT)

He asked if I have any of his kimono.............urrrrrrmmmmmm no but one day!!! He gave me one of his cards and told me to come and visit his studio one day. I was all `when I have money I`ll come and buy a kimono!!` and he softly laughs and tells me I don`t need to do that, just come and visit. So sweeeeeeet!!!

I looked around at the beautiful embroidered obis and kimonos and they are so gorgeous, the sales lady was saying I could try them on but I was like no no no cos well it`s not like I can buy any (TOT)

Then I fangirled up and asked for a picture with Modayo-sensei :D

SOOOOO HAPPY!!!!

I felt I had stayed long enough without seeming too stalkerish lol

I just checked his blog and OMG I got a mention lol.

The first half a cute [aww shucks] foriegn girl came in kimono and said "I always look at your blog!" what the- ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

"I can`t yet buy a kimono or obi but I came to meet you!" oooh happy  

"I aim to buy a modern antenna kimono and obi!" etc I`m gonna cry

I`m really gonna cry!

And then she looked at the kimono and obi and lastly asked `can we take a picture together?` Me?? I was really so happy.

Then an art student came and again said she couldn`t buy a kimono but she wants to one day! He was very happy people come to just meet him. Why of course he`s a very talented designer!

He finishes off with a cute story about someone having trouble deciding at shop closing time, and he said no need to decide now you can make your decision slowly and send a mail. But she came back the next day and brought an obi and he was very touched.

"... is it ok to cry??

Gambare! obi! Be loved until you`re worn out!"

Awww bless, what a sweetie, me too I want to cry (TOT)

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