AF's Kimono Calendar: October 2013

Maroon Muji Hitoe

With the start of classes, various events, typhoons, and rain, I have only been able to get myself in kimono twice this month. For the first weekend of the month I had a museum opening ceremony to go to and was much perplexed as to what to wear. I wanted to wear a Hitoe (unlined kimono) due to the season and temperature, but most of my Hitoe kimono are tsumugi, and hence too informal for such an event. I decided on this synthetic muji (design only in the weave) kimono and paired it with the best obi I had at hand, this machine-embroidered abstract floral pattern of-white Nagoya obi.


I accessorized it with a white shibori (with charming purple dots) obiage sash, and semi-formal plum-color obijime cord. I do believe I wore my lavender synthetic-blend ro-weave nagajuban underneath, and formal silver zōri sandals.





Ama-coat cum Michiyuki

Here I am standing in front of the museum for the opening. To protect my kimono and obi on the long train and bus ride, I wore this maroon michiyuki over it. This michiyuki is actually a ama-coat, the name for a kimono raincoat, but since it is very short (I bought it used just because I loved the color and it was cheap), I wear it as a michiyuki jacket.




Raincoat

Since the museum was in Hakone, the heart of onsen hot-spring territory, my friend and I couldn’t resist not spontaneously deciding to stay overnight. The next day it was pouring, but luckily I had brought along a full-length kimono raincoat. We taxied to the station and didn’t have to get out again until reaching the station near my home. I raced home in what had become light rain, changed into rain geta clogs, grabbed my usb memory stick that contains all my class powerpoint presentations, and raced on to class. The picture at the top was taken in the onsen hotel room.



The next Saturday I had a recorder concert to go to, and had planned to change into a kimono after class (the same kimono, but different yet similar obi), but the students asked lots of questions (OMG they were actually listening?!), so I didn’t have time to change in the end. Anyway, because I had planned to change I just threw any old thing on that would be appropriate for teaching, but everyone complimented me on my outfit much to my surprise. Unfortunately I neglected to take a picture, but best as I remember, I wore a dark reddish-purple liner, white short-sleeved blouse, dark purple summer lace sweater, black skirt, purple flats, and a gold and purple necklace. Sunday I went to pick up the obi I had really wanted to wear with this kimono but was currently residing elsewhere, pictured in the calendar on the 12th, but I actually picked it up on the 13th. The next weekend I wore a kimono, and everyone commented on how it was like a kimono version of the coordination in Western clothes I had worn the week before.



Dark Purple Yuuki Hitoe

This is the first time I have worn this kimono, even though I bought it about two years ago. It is way too short for me, and I knew it when I bought it, but just loved it so much I couldn’t help myself. I don’t think there is enough material in it for it to be lengthened, but I had been thinking about taking it out and bringing it to the kimono shop and have them assess the situation.

Anyway, after a painfully long enduring heat wave well into the fall season, it suddenly turned cold and rainy, and I had nothing to wear, and Yuuki tsumugi is for me the kimono equivalent of comfort food. The fabric is just so soft and comfy and warm. So, fantasizing about this kimono, I managed o drag myself out of bed and go hunt it up. Oddly enough it was at the bottom of the tsumugi drawer. Since it was a “OMG I got up too late and still have to shower” morning, coupled with the time spent finding the thing, I had to get myself dressed as rapidly as possible.

Hence I wore a hanhaba (half-width) Hakata obi in white and purple, tied in what I think is called a ya-no-ji bow (矢の字結び), but they lady at the kimono shop I stopped at on the way home called it a kōken-musubi (後見結び), tied with a two-tone periwinkle-grey and dark blue (what’s dark periwinkle?) obijime cord. The black velvet thing draped on my arm is a kimono shawl and the mauve bow is a hair clip I use to clip the shawl together when wearing the shawl so it doesn’t keep sliding off my shoulder when I am carrying something in both hands. Underneath I wore my blue cotton lace nagajuban, and likely my rain geta clogs because it looked like rain. After to class, I went to Ginza to kill some time, and bought the wool-silk kimono shawl that I wore with Western clothes on the 25th, and the day before that, and…





Halloween

So I haven’t decided yet what to wear tomorrow, if it decides to stop raining, maybe this same purple Yuuki but with my blue Kururi Nagoya obi, hmm? However, Thursday is Halloween so I do need to think up a Halloween theme ensemble. I am thinking of this cream plaid Hitoe with the same cat obi, but accessorized with a sherbet-orange obijime cord, and maybe a dark blue obiage? Or, maybe red obijime and sherbet-range obiage? Or maybe green obiage and sherbet-orange obijime? Worn with my Nagajuban with the purple shibori collar…




Purple Yuuki Hitoe in Asakusa
2013-10-27 (Sun)

Last Sunday was a “Kimono Project” event at the Amuse Museum in Asakusa. I dragged a friend along and she bought a kimono there, had herself dressed in it, and then we walked around Asakusa in kimono together.




Coffee-ya in Asakusa

We went together through my regular Asakusa course, more-or-less. Starting at this coffee shop for lunch, then going to the Kimono Project at Amuse Museum, then returning to the station to put her Western clothes in a locker after she was dressed in kimono, stopping at the kimono shop in Matsuya where we made more purchases and I bought my chrysanthemum obidome clasp. Then we walked back to Sensoji temple and I pointed out my favorite shops in the way, we visited the chrysanthemum display at the temple, paid our respects at the temple, and then hurried off to the robataya-san for food and drinks in the evening. Anyhow, my friend looked absolutely lovely in her kimono, and below is a photo of us together at the kimono shop in the department store.