Ume Kakeshita

I don't usually look at uchikake and kakeshita (since I really have no use for them), but I saw this lively ume kakeshita for $34 last night and thought, "This may just work for maiko henshin!" Since the hem is already padded, all I'll need to do is lengthen it and add tucks in the shoulder and sleeves. The design is bright, but since it's only ume and not a bunch of other clearly wedding designs, I think I can get away with it. ^_^

Recent Buys and Assembling Maiko Henshin

I decided recently that in addition to my geiko henshin (complete, but not debuted), I would also like to attempt a maiko henshin. So I began to assemble to pieces I will need. I have a red obiage, but it's pretty plain, so I decided to purchase an inexpensive one from Shinei and paint the designs myself. I got this type that they've had for a while. It was only $4, so I don't feel bad about adding to the design to make it more "maiko".

I also purchased a wide vintage obijime, which I may or may not use for the henshin.

These are from a few weeks ago, but I never posted them. The yellow shibori obiage is for my red furisode, but the orange and purple obiage is just because I liked it. =)

I have literally being watching this bag for YEARS. It was discounted steeply as it was the last one, so I snatched it!

Lastly, the coup de gras! A pre-tied darari style obi from Ichiroya. I've been eyeing it for weeks, but I went on ahead and got it tonight.

Sparrow and Susuki Obi

I guess I'm continuing the trend from the other night's purchase: more sparrows! Except this time, it's a nagoya obi. It's listed as an autumn/winter piece, so I really hope to get to wear it out sometime before the year is out!

Kimono Challenge #4 & #5

1. How did you discover and get into kimono?

2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s), not including dressing items or undergarments.
4. Your least used kimono item(s).
5. Your favorite coordinations?
6. What you like and don’t like about kimono.
7. Kimono confessions…Did you know that…
8. Your dream kitsuke items.
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.

#4
My least used kimono items... Well, that would be pretty much all of my formal kimono. I rarely have an occassion to use them, unless I break formality rules. I find I use the formal ones mostly for practicing kitsuke and occassionally at conventions when I feel I can bend the rules and no one will notice.

#5
The first ensemble I thought of when I saw this question was my cat komon and teal gingham obi with the pumpkin colored obiage as an accent. I mostly copied the model that I saw this kimono on, but I added my own touches with the rose obidome, green sakura haneri, and the black sakura juban. It's a fun, modern touch to see something as different as a black juban peeking from the back of the sleeves!

Another favorite ensemble is this winter hime piece from a couple of years ago. The dark colors are sophisticated, and the western accesories make it look oh so warm in the chilly weather.

Custom-made Kikyo Kanzashi

I am so excited about these kanzashi! I had a seller on Etsy custom-make some kikyo (bellflower) kanzashi for me. I haven't received them just yet, but she took some lovely pictures of them. I am really excited with how they turned out!

I cannot wait to receive them in the mail! I plan on wearing them to my kimono presentation in September.

Kimono Challenge #3

On to Kimono Challenge #3!

1. How did you discover and get into kimono?
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s), not including dressing items or undergarments.
4. Your least used kimono item(s).
5. Your favorite coordinations?
6. What you like and don’t like about kimono.
7. Kimono confessions…Did you know that…
8. Your dream kitsuke items.
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.

#3
I laughed when I was trying to answer this question. Without a doubt, some of my obiage and obijime get used more than any other kimono item, but doesn't obiage count as underwear? And obijime as a dressing item (since it is essential in many musubi to hold it together)? I'm going to just say that dressing items and undergarments includes juban, koshi himo, datejime, etc., and not obiage and obijime, for simplicity's sake. My most used obiage are likely my macha green one and pink one with sakura.

  

Though more recently I've come to favor other colors, those are my go-to pieces since they match well with several of my ensembles when nothing else will. My most used obijime is hands-down my white sanbuhimo. It matches nearly everything and allows me to use any obidome I have.

Kimono Challenge #1-2

The "Kimono Challenge" has been around for quite a while now, and honestly, I was trying to avoid doing it. It's hard for me to come up with cool sounding answers. But now in my boredom, I'll take a stab at it. So here's #1.

1. How did you discover and get into kimono?
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s), not including dressing items or undergarments.
4. Your least used kimono item(s).
5. Your favorite coordinations?
6. What you like and don’t like about kimono.
7. Kimono confessions…Did you know that…
8. Your dream kitsuke items.
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.

#1
I really hate to say it, but the honest truth of how I got into kimono was watching Memoirs of a Geisha. I already had an interest in Japanese culture, but very little understanding. After seeing that movie about 10,000 times, I wanted to buy a kimono. I remember looking at those cheap polyester kimono with the "what-the-hell-is-that" obi and thinking it was pretty because I had no idea. I suspended the idea for the time being, and starting doing research on geisha - which led me further into research on kimono. The Immortal Geisha forums were my undoing, because from then on, I was hooked.

#2
This was a hard question to answer. A lot of people answer that their dearest item was their first kimono. I no longer own mine (a shame, really), so that's not an option. I wanted to answer my pale blue hikizuri, but it's a new item (and my first hikizuri), and it's easy to really fall in love with new things. Once I really thought about it, my dearest kimono is my rose komon.



I have had it for almost 2 years, and it's rather on the small side for me. Even though I went through a "cleansing" of my kimono goods recently to weed out pieces that were too small, I couldn't bear to let this one go. The feel of the fabric, the color, and the design just captured me when I first held it. It was a steal eBay buy for only 1 cent, but it's priceless to me.

Vintage Buys

I'm gonna go bankrupt if I don't curtail the spending soon! But these were such amazing deals, I couldn't pass them up. And I've been meaning to add some vintage pieces into my collection anyway... so...

Taisho Roman hitoe. Couldn't resist the birdies!!

This CRAAAAAZY sha vintage piece. So wild, I have no earthly idea what to do with it!

Then the opposite end of the spectrum: A light purple tsukesage with village motif. And large sized =)

Tall Furisode

I kept saying, "Never again!" after I sold off my last furisode. They're beautiful, but so complex, and the closer I get to the "age limit" the more I think that it's not a smart investment. And yet, here I am, with another furisode! I debated buying this for about two minutes (literally), and with coersion from my boyfriend, I went ahead and purchased it.

I decided it was ok for several reasons: 1. It's my size (172cm tall, 140cm wingspan); 2. It's pretty; 3. I need it for a kimono lecture in September (as the only furisode I currently have is a plain pink tsumugi one); and 4. It was marked down from $1,500 to $125 (and it's brand-new with no flaws). So call me crazy, but I had to have it. I think also this obi may look nice with it, but I'll have a better idea in person.

Dance Hikizuri

And it only cost me $7! Win of the night, I should say!