I was afraid that this kimono could very easily end up making me look like an old lady, so I tried to make the outfit more youthful by adding the girly details and a few brighter pops of color.
Monday, March 30, 2015
2015 Hanami Coordination
Yesterday was the annual hanami at our local botanic garden. I performed tea ceremony in one of the outdoor pavilions, so sadly, I didn't get any pictures of the lovely cherry trees! My husband did snap a couple photos of my outfit before we left the house. This coordination consists of a striped tsumugi, cream geometric nagoya obi, pale blue lace haneri, raspberry obiage, pink sanbuhimo, rose obidome, and rhinestone flower kanzashi used as an obi kazari.
I was afraid that this kimono could very easily end up making me look like an old lady, so I tried to make the outfit more youthful by adding the girly details and a few brighter pops of color.
I was afraid that this kimono could very easily end up making me look like an old lady, so I tried to make the outfit more youthful by adding the girly details and a few brighter pops of color.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Blue and blue!
We had a casual tea ceremony practice last weekend, so I opted for a fairly casual ensemble. I usually am not a big fan of monochromatic ensembles, but I liked this combination of the light blue striped edo komon with the darker blue nagoya obi with karabana motif. It's not totally monochromatic due to the pale pink obijime, white chirimen obiage, and zori with brown hanao, but you get the idea.
My husband is getting better and better at doing these photos, and he decided that I should do a dance pose for one of them, so here's a "bonus":
It's from a dance I've been learning called "Nozaki Kouta". I'm still very much a beginner, so my apologies if my pose is not great!
Lastly, I've got several conventions coming up, so please be looking for some more kimono and geisha henshin photos soon!
My husband is getting better and better at doing these photos, and he decided that I should do a dance pose for one of them, so here's a "bonus":
It's from a dance I've been learning called "Nozaki Kouta". I'm still very much a beginner, so my apologies if my pose is not great!
Lastly, I've got several conventions coming up, so please be looking for some more kimono and geisha henshin photos soon!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Ichigo Kyoyaki Chawan
As many of you know, I have been practicing chado (tea ceremony) for several years now. Like my kimono collection, my collection of chadogu (tea implements) is ever-growing. I tend to favor more earthy designs for my chawan and rarely delve into the realm of Kyoyaki, since I feel many of the designs are outlandish and gaudy. That being said, I absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with this ichigo design chawan:
It's such a unique motif! And of course, very modern. It was made by potter Tozan of Kyoto.
Being a modern motif, I'm not 100% sure when it would be best to use it. My thinking is that because strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen in late spring and early summer, it would probably be best to use it slightly before that time.
It's such a unique motif! And of course, very modern. It was made by potter Tozan of Kyoto.
Being a modern motif, I'm not 100% sure when it would be best to use it. My thinking is that because strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen in late spring and early summer, it would probably be best to use it slightly before that time.
Versatile Obi
When it comes to more casual obi, most of the pieces in my collection are fairly seasonal due to their motifs. Even if the motif isn't seasonal, sometimes it's color of the obi that makes its use limited. That is why I am very excited about this new obi I purchased a few days ago.
Its base color of cream is quite neutral and with small, colorful squares, it lends itself to nearly any kimono color. The darker cream threads are not gold, but they do give the impression of gold. This obi would work well with casual outfits, and with the right accessories, it might even pass for semi-formal.
It's currently being tailored, but when it arrives, I have so many things to coordinate with it!
Its base color of cream is quite neutral and with small, colorful squares, it lends itself to nearly any kimono color. The darker cream threads are not gold, but they do give the impression of gold. This obi would work well with casual outfits, and with the right accessories, it might even pass for semi-formal.
It's currently being tailored, but when it arrives, I have so many things to coordinate with it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Kodo Taiko Performance Coordination
Last week was my birthday, and to celebrate, we got tickets to see a performance by Kodo Taiko. The show was absolutely amazing, and if they are ever in your area, I highly recommend you go see them! My exposure to taiko in the past has been all festival style, but they took it to a whole new level! I was honestly surprised by the comedic skits they included; even with language barriers, the whole audience understood exactly what was going on, and the whole room was full of laughter.
As per usual, I used this as an opportunity to wear kimono out. Since this was a nice performance in a concert hall, I wanted to dress semi-formal. After some help from the lovely IG Facebook page, I ended up choosing this coordination:
I hope you enjoyed my coordination! It was a wonderful birthday ^_^
As per usual, I used this as an opportunity to wear kimono out. Since this was a nice performance in a concert hall, I wanted to dress semi-formal. After some help from the lovely IG Facebook page, I ended up choosing this coordination:
A peachy-orange crested iromuji with a silver saga-tsuzdure fukuro obi, accessorized with a light green shibori obiage, a pink and silver sanbuhimo, and a rainbow-colored rhinestone obidome. The juban I wore underneath is a red one from the Taisho Roman era, which proved to be rather fidgety, hence the reason my haneri shows so little. I finished everything off with pale pink zori that have a little silver on the hanao to echo the sanbuhimo.
I hope you enjoyed my coordination! It was a wonderful birthday ^_^
Monday, February 23, 2015
Title Change
You may have noticed the title of this blog has changed to Asagiri Kimono. The focus will still be primarily on kimono, but I will continue to include costuming/cosplay and craft work from time to time. I will also keep the jadexcore.blogspot.com URL for the time being. Thank you for keeping up with my blog, and I hope you will continue to follow my adventures in kimono!
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The Traveling Kimono Stops in Memphis!
After two long years of waiting, I finally got my turn to wear the Traveling Kimono! The Traveling Kimono is a project where, "One kimono will be selected and sent all around the world to fellow kitsuke enthusiast[s], who will then create an ensemble representing their personal tastes and style, take photos to share and then send the kimono off to the next person" (from the Traveling Kimono Facebook page). We are also encouraged to take photos with landmarks in our area.
When I received the kimono, I had no idea what to pair with it at first. Other people had their outfits long planned out, but I opted to wait until I saw the colors in person. The kimono is quite busy looking, so deciding on an ensemble that would complement but not fight the pattern was a challenge. I also wanted to do something that hadn't been done yet. Just looking at the kimono, the obvious choices for colors could be red, yellow, or any neutrals. As these colors had been done already, I didn't want to repeat them. I also couldn't decide if I wanted to go modern or traditional. In the end, I opted for a combination of both: traditional kitsuke but with a modern pattern on the obi and modern colors.
I ended up choosing my neko hanhaba obi. I had seen a hanhaba variation of a tsunodashi musubi a while back and was dying to use it. Even better, the musubi calls for an obiage (not typical of hanhaba obi musubi), so I was able to add an additional and possibly unexpected color: bright green. For me, this color choice was risky. I tend to go for more subdued tones. But I thought the lime green would be a focal point with this busy of a kimono as well as a hint at the coming Spring. I also went with a green and white ichimatsu sanbuhimo and a purple rose obidome, also a hint of the flowers that we hope will be blooming in the coming weeks. It's difficult to see in the photos, but the haneri is actually a pale blue color with a lace overlay. The juban is black with a white hail and sakura pattern.
I took photos at several landmarks in the Memphis area, but you may wonder why Graceland (the home of Elvis Presley) is not present. If you know anyone from Memphis, you'll know that no one who lives here goes to Graceland. The other areas were quite touristy, but Graceland is by far the worst. ;P
When I received the kimono, I had no idea what to pair with it at first. Other people had their outfits long planned out, but I opted to wait until I saw the colors in person. The kimono is quite busy looking, so deciding on an ensemble that would complement but not fight the pattern was a challenge. I also wanted to do something that hadn't been done yet. Just looking at the kimono, the obvious choices for colors could be red, yellow, or any neutrals. As these colors had been done already, I didn't want to repeat them. I also couldn't decide if I wanted to go modern or traditional. In the end, I opted for a combination of both: traditional kitsuke but with a modern pattern on the obi and modern colors.
I ended up choosing my neko hanhaba obi. I had seen a hanhaba variation of a tsunodashi musubi a while back and was dying to use it. Even better, the musubi calls for an obiage (not typical of hanhaba obi musubi), so I was able to add an additional and possibly unexpected color: bright green. For me, this color choice was risky. I tend to go for more subdued tones. But I thought the lime green would be a focal point with this busy of a kimono as well as a hint at the coming Spring. I also went with a green and white ichimatsu sanbuhimo and a purple rose obidome, also a hint of the flowers that we hope will be blooming in the coming weeks. It's difficult to see in the photos, but the haneri is actually a pale blue color with a lace overlay. The juban is black with a white hail and sakura pattern.
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| A close-up of the komono |
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| Hanhaba variation of tsunodashi musubi |
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| On Main Street, a prime spot for trolleys and horse-drawn carriage rides |
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| At Tom Lee Park, along the Mississippi River |
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| Walking along the trolley lines on Main Street |
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| Beale Street |
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| In front of B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street |
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| The stars at the Orpheum Theatre |
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| On the banks of the Mississippi River, Hernando-Desoto bridge and the Pyramid on the horizon |
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| At LovePop Soda Shop on South Main, Arts District |
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| At LovePop Soda Shop on South Main, Arts District |
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