Kimono Challenge Tag Round 3

This time for the kimono challenge tag, I’ll be covering numbers 5 and 8.

今日、着物チャレンジの五番と八番だ！

1. How did you discover and get into kimono?
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s) (not counting jubans, datejimes etc.).
4. Your least used kimono item(s).
5. Your favourite coordination(s) so far.
6. What you like and don’t like about kimono.
7. Kimono confessions. Did you know that…
8. Your dream kitsuke items (or at least items you really really want but can’t get for whatever reason).
9. Your biggest kimono fears.
10. Your biggest kimono inspiration.
11. Your kimono collection.
12. The evolution of your kitsuke.
13. Your special kimono memory.

5. Your favourite coordination(s) so far.
私の一番のアンサンブル。

First up is my bamboo and yabane komon with mahjong chuuya obi. I love how summer-y this outfit is. Definitely one of my ensembles for Otakon.
初めは竹と矢羽の小紋とマージャン昼夜帯だ。　夏みたいなアンサンブルが好きだ。　こらは Otakon でぜったい着る。

Full set here.
セット

Next up is my Meiji style yabane komon and hakama. The kimono and hakama are from Kim, as well as the fan I was carrying that day. I absolutely love the Meiji era, and this outfit takes me back in time.
次は明治スタイル矢飛白小紋と袴だ。着物と袴はきみこからだ，扇子も。　明治時代が大好きで、これを着ろ時に懐古趣味があるのだ。

And last, my second ensemble (and kimono) ever, which I put together for Halloween 2010. I haven’t worn this ensemble since, but I’ve worn the kimono one other time. Everything just came together so well and it really got that spooky vibe I wanted.
最後は私の二番のアンサンブルだ。ハロウｲーン２０１０年に着たのだ。　あの時からまだ着なかったけど、着物は一度着た。　すべてよく似合って、薄気味の悪いのが欲しかった。

8. Your dream kitsuke items (or at least items you really really want but can’t get for whatever reason).
私の夢の着付けの物。

This dance kimono. It and it’s twins have escaped me 3 times now. One day it will. be. mine.
この踊り着物だ。　これとダブルは三度逃げた。一日ぜったい私のになるよ！

This entire ensemble. It has plaid and fleur-de-lis! What more could I ask for!?!?
すべてのアンサンブルが欲しい。　プラードとフーローデリースがあるのだよ！ほかに何かあるだろう？

This yukata. It’s on noppin now for like $300 dollars. It’s in a bunch of summer kimono magazines, and I’ve just fallen in love with it.
この浴衣も欲しい。　今noppinにあるけど、＄３００なんだ。。。たくさんの夏の着物の雑誌にあって、これが好きになった。

Tanabata is my favorite Japanese holiday, and this kimono is just awesome. The color and starry pattern are just perfect.
七夕は一番日本の祭りで、この着物はすごい。　色と星空は完璧だ。

And finally, my dream kimono, which escaped me about 2 years ago. I still mourn for it.
末に、　私の夢の着物で、　二年前逃げた。　まだ悔やむ。

Yabane and Bamboo Komon Taisho Ensemble

I decided to redo this outfit after restoring the sleeves of my kimono, and this is definitely one of my favorite outfits! It’s so summery, I can’t wait to wear it out! ^^ These are my only Taisho pieces, so I’m really lucky they look good together! I was really proud of my tsunodashi (the musubi –tsunodashidaiko) too. I think the musubi and criss-crossing the obi help the outfit look even more retro. I’m really excited about the sleeves, they’re super long and I just want to see them blow in the wind XD This is also the first time I’ve worn a kimono tsuitake (no ohashori) style. So here’s the pictures!

Full set here.

Otakon Outfit #1: Crane Yukata

I’ve had this yukata for about a year now and just recently found an obi that I think does it justice. After losing one of my first auctions (another crane yukata), Moonblossom, a mod on the IG Forums, was very kind and showed me this yukata on eBay, and I instantly fell in love with it. So now I finally get to give back the favor by showing it off.  This is still one of my favorite kimono and still my only yukata. I got the odori hanhaba from Shinei (and had to pay EMS to get it here in time, or else I would have gotten it for nice and cheap). This is outfit 1 of 3 for Otakon. I didn’t think about it, but when I wear this to the con, I’m going to use my silver obi-jime with the crane obi-dome I traded Tzippurah-san for.

IG thread here.

Otakon Outfit #3: Shamisen Kimono

If you know me from the IG Forums, chances are you know of my obsession with dance kimono (odori kimono). They are kimono meant to be worn for traditional Japanese dance and they can usually be defined by a few common features: unlined, synthetic, half-width collar, bold or contrasting colors or designs, and sometimes liberal use of metallics. Dance kimono are most commonly houmongi in pattern but they can be any type of kimono, including yukata (generally used for matsuri). I currently own 4 dance kimono and plan on wearing two of them to Otakon. I called this outfit #3 because it will probably be the last kimono I wear at Otakon, and I’ll soon update the blog with the other two outfits before I leave. I knew when I saw this kimono on eBay, I had to have it. So anyways, this is the picture of the kimono in question:

I finally got an obi to pair with it. It’s a Taisho era chuuya obi (double-sided, fukuro style, nagoya length obi) that was pointed out to be by BikaBika of the IG Forums after I noted that I wanted a kimono item with mahjong tiles or hanafuda cards on it. One side is the awesome side with the mahjong tiles, name cards, various crests, and a scale pattern called iroko. The other side however, is a very pink, very floral, Taisho-style design which is just, um… not my thing… BUT you don’t see it so who cares?

I was feeling inspired by this picture of a jikata geiko early that morning.

So I criss-crossed my obi and used a white obi-age since a) it was the best match I had and b) this geiko didn’t seem to mind mixing white and beige. So finally, here are the pictures!

Clicking them will bring you to the set on my Flickr. I’ve been having trouble with my collar lately; do you think that I brought it down too low? Comments and critiques are welcome! =)