I’ve been wanting to wear my Taisho-era (1912-1926) ro irotomesode kimono with the ro rose obi, and today just so happened to be perfect weather for it! I decided to dress in KimonoHime style of wearing kimono today.
Unfortunately, today also was the day I got my first tooth cavity filled…which resulted in half my face going numb! It looked like I’d had a stroke, so I couldn’t smile in the pictures because only half my face worked! O.o
Spectacular interpretation of KimonoHime style, right down to the lace gloves and striped tabi! You’re inspiring me to try it if I can find someone to go watch fireworks with me this summer in Tokyo…
Thank you! (It is my favorite style, although Mamechiyo and Modern Antenna are a close second and third….can you count brands as a style?)
Oh, please do, and take pictures!
If I was in Tokyo, I would go with you haha. I’m sure you can find someone in Tokyo to go with you!
Oh wow!
I think this is my favourite coordination EVER! Love the retro feel! Is the red and white bow made from a hanhaba or is it a clip on bow? I LOVE it!
Wow, thanks so much! And yes, you guessed it….the big bow is actually an easy yukata obi!
I inserted the metal hook on the back into the front of the rose obi, then tied the obi age on top to hide the hook!
OH MY GOT. This is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
I really like your blog as well, cute styles!
The accessories you have added in the outfit take it from merely cute to extraordinary! The red & white striped bow and striped tabi are brilliant as well as the flowers in your hair. Over the top!
Haha, thanks! I think “over the top” is perfect to describe the KimonoHime style, actually!
I really love the first picture : you look like an Ojôsama ! Kimono hime style is really cute on you. I discovered your blog on twitter, and before your kimono blog, I didn’t know so much gaijins were interested in kitsuke. I’m a japanese and french girl. My mother is teaching me kitsuke. It’s really difficult to wear it by yourself and I find you’re doing fantastic efforts to learn everything by yourself.
I will bookmark your blog to show my mother.
If you wanna see with my furisode, it’s here >
http://flying-squirrel-attacks.com/2011/12/kimono-furisode/
Hope I can become a kitsuke master one day, haha ! ^^
Thank you very much, you are very kind! Oh, you found me on Twitter? I don’t have one, so I have no idea how I got on there haha! Oh yes, there are a lot of us “foreigners” who love wearing kimono
(Whole websites, in fact!)
Yes, kitsuke is very hard at first, but the key is to practice a lot! I try to wear kimono at least once every month, so that I can keep on learning new things and improving my time and skill in dressing. You are very lucky to have someone to teach you! (I have learned everything from the internet, especially from the forums of immortalgeisha.com, where a lot of kitsuke enthusiasts are located.)
I looked at your website and I love it. (Flying squirrels, yeah! I just love the illustration.) I found though, that a lot of the posts were only in French, so I couldn’t understand it.
But I could still enjoy the lovely pictures! I love the way you tied the obijime for your furisode. The whole outfit is very cute and well-dressed! (Are your kimono your mother’s? Does she wear kimono? I would love to see you both wearing kimono together!)
I will bookmark your site and add it to my list of links, so I can follow your blog. I also hope to become a master of kitsuke!
Hello again!
I’m very happy to have discovered you blog and My mother saw your kimono hime style photos. She loved it.
Yes, the furisode you saw on me is my mother’s. She has a lot of kimono because it’s our family treasure.
they’re all vintage kimono from the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s too. My grand mother wore the same Kimono. So Kimono is for me a way to respect the past and a real gift. I feel grateful of my traditionnal family. My mother want to teach me how to do kitsuke but not only : she tell me that I have to learn how to sew kimono tool.
And it’s difficult : if I’m doing all of this, it’s because…if my mother disappear one day, all these kimono will be lost if I can’t take care of these…
I’m happy to talk with you, and my motivation can grow because it’s beautiful to see and share with other passionate people.
I’d like to wear kimono and find my own style too. Cause even if all the kimono I have is my mother’s or my grand mother’s, I can wear with other combination, with different obi, accessories…
So If I can share with you or other girl, It’ll be very nice. I want to see other people’s inspiration too.
PS: My blog is in french but you can use “google translate” : you have a button on the right top of the blog. My english is so bad, I cannot blog properly I thing, if I write in english…really sorry!!
Oh, I’m glad that your mother liked it!
I always love it when daughters wear their mother’s and grandmother’s kimono. It seems so much more special because they have history and are a part of the family tradition. (I hope to pass on a love of kimono to a daughter of my own, if I ever have one someday.) And I feel that if you wear your mother’s kimono, a part of her will always be with you no matter what, especially since she is the one who is teaching you how to wear them! I admire that you are able to have such a special connection with kimono and your mother.
Ah, you are also learning how to sew kimono! I have no sewing ability, so I wish I knew how. It would be so nice to be able to sew kimono from any cute fabric that I see!
Lol, I did not notice the “translate” button on your blog until you pointed it out! Haha, I am so oblivious sometimes.
Oh, and your English is not bad at all! I can understand you perfectly. (In fact, I did not realize that you were not a native English speaker until I saw your blog was in French!)
A black chidori on the front panel is cute!
I think so too!
By the way, I can no longer find your blog, and the link no longer works. Does it still exist? I’ve been trying to look at it for several weeks, but I can’t connect to the webpage.
Yes!
I’m continuing my blog.
http://ameblo.jp/kimono-meow/
You are such an inspiration!!
I have a question for you,
I have such a passion for kimono and kitsuke. Seeing you look so amazing in kimono just encourages me so much!
I believe i currently own two nagoya ro obi, but i never really have understood what ro is:P
Aww, thank you very much, you are very kind!
If you want, you can take close up pictures and post them, and I can take a look and see if they’re Ro!
Sure thing! Ro is a type of summer fabric which is woven so it has hundreds of extremely tiny holes, which are woven in a row. If you look very closely at your obi, you should see what looks like lines in the fabric, which upon closer inspection are actually very small holes. Ro is usually woven so the rows of holes are horizontal to the floor. However, if it’s woven vertically, then it’s called Tate-Ro.
Hello, I’m Vika.
Wah!!!
I really love your ensemble! The juban matched with the kantan obi that you tied in the front ^_^. You can pull out Himestyle perfectly.
Thumb up.
Ah, thanks for much for the compliment, Vika! (=*_*=)
I did not notice until now, but you’re right, the juban does match the obi!