BebeTaian - Kimono + Japan

Culture + kimono blog. 和服 おたく, as in, "I love wafuku (kimono) so much that I'm a monofocal loser with few to no outside life skills."

[bebetaian]

For sale: More Obiage + Obijime Lots

I listed a few obiage/obijime lots today. Each obijime set is coordinated with the obiage so you can choose the feeling of your outfit more easily.

Lions.And.Exiles on Mercari

(shop link above)

[bebetaian]

I put a lot of stuff on sale! If it's been more than 30 days, I've lowered the prices a bit, and I offer discounts on more than one item.

[bebetaian]

Private Collection: Taisho Preview

A gorgeous summer kimono. I don't have any antique summer juban, though. You can see here how real silk kimono then would stand away from the body, but modern poly juban don't.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Japanese vintage postcard

[bebetaian]

Private Collection: 1940s-50s ish Floral Komon

I think maybe if I'd changed the collar, this outfit would work out better. I like the wide obijime from the same era as this kimono, and the centre is the same colour as the 'net pattern' on the komon.

I've had some days where... it's like I can't think, going through motions, everything is just a Little Bit off. The more I try to correct it, the worse it gets.

The komon is the same one I think I posted about previously. The smell still hasn't entirely come out, despite multiple alcohol and vinegar soaks and airing out for days. I may attempt washing it without taking it apart. Or probably, the collar needs to come off anyways, so I'll take off the collar and wash THAT and see what happens. Then I can decide whether to keep this as a kimono or turn it into a Western garment.

The style of weave suggests the 30s kimono I own, but the loud colours make me think of the 60s trends in the US. What should I make if I take this one apart?

It may be 40s, since the sleeves are much shorter than the lining is white cotton. I'll have to look into it. The obi is also very old and thin. The pale yellow makes the colour of the body intensify, but it may also not be able to make itself... stand out? Maybe a higher value of yellow would work. A summery golden.

I did change to a grey-blue obiage after a suggestion on reddit r/kimono, noting the yellow looked too pale. The obiage is actually red/grey-blue variegated, with a bright metallic gold arabesque pattern painted onto it. The obijime is thinner but matches the obiage well.

I had thought about a grey-purple to go with the nearly charcoal-grey in the kimono but I lack anything in those colours. Blue is abundant, though. What do you think? Does it work better? "Well enough?"

(Normal office lighting vs. direct lighting)

[bebetaian]

For sale: More Obiage + Obijime Lots

I listed a few obiage/obijime lots today. Each obijime set is coordinated with the obiage so you can choose the feeling of your outfit more easily.

Lions.And.Exiles on Mercari

(shop link above)

[bebetaian]

Private Collection: Vintage Burgundy Silk Komon + Brocade Obi

So many ways to wear this one!

I realised I've had this kimono for awhile and have never worn it, not once. Burgundy isn't usually a colour I like but I really didn't want to pass this one up for some reason. The sleeves are also short, where I feel so... utilitarian, somehow, in short sleeves. Everything has short sleeves. They feel almost inelegant. Can I wait for that until I'm 50? Is it already too late?

Anyways. I was upset with myself for buying something I've put in a closet and never taken out since. I wanted to Do Something.

I already had the red juban + yellow kimono on the mannequin. I was tempted to do as many outfits as I could with it on there so I don't have to fold it multiple times (eventually) but now it's been a few weeks and I haven't moved it. Meanwhile, Eris the Destroyer is walking around and sleeping on it. She's known for randomly attacking things and getting Zoomies. I do NOT want antiques just Out and in her reach.

This presented somewhat of an opportunity.

The paler yellow in the komon is brightened by the intense yellow of the iromuji. Somehow the red collar works, although I might have preferred something white with a woven pattern.

The red juban has phoenixes on it. The iromuji has flowers matching the komon, even though they are hidden. Maybe I also just like the look of date-eri, although they aren't really worn with komon. I like the visible texture of the iromuji with the woven texture of the komon. The sleeves of the komon are about 6" shorter than the under-layers, though, so they look heavy and awkward.

One thing that had put me off before was trying to figure out what to wear with it, which would be more appropriate. I can't serve both modern kimono rules and time-appropriate garments, even though I try to bridge them. I have no grey, warm brown, or teal obi in awase-weight. Most of the ones I really like are in usumono or hanhaba only. A shame most kimono are only in awase!

So brocade, it is. But then, something between brocade-level and komon informality and the silk and layers... hnnn...

The white obiage is silk, with deep pink and pale yellow kanoko shibori that matches the komon. It can't be seen in the photos, but there is also a deep orange shibori there, which is very close to the orange-brown in the obi. The woven base is a swirling wave pattern, which is akin to the wave pattern in the komon as well. Shibori is slightly* more elevated because of the production value, so I thought it would be nice with the appearance of layers, the grade of smooth silk used, and the quality of the obi. I thought the 'amount' of pattern was a visual break between the komon and the brocade without being completely plain.

The obijime is plain teal in a wide, flat fashion more popular in the late 30s and 40s. I chose a plain coloured one because everything else was already visually 'busy.' Anything else would be really too much. The teal is also slightly lighter than the deepest teal used in the obi.

I don't recall how old this obi was said to be, but it isn't a Meiji or Taisho piece made into a Nagoya later. It is made after the 1930s or so and is only about half-covered in brocade. The te end is plain. Makes it a contemporary of the komon. Although I think of brocade as being too formal for this, the extra kimono layer justified it.

In the photos, the khaki colour appears almost gold, but it isn't. The silk just shines differently in the light. I love the teal in the chrysanthemum leaves and the rich yellow-brown, which would have been the base colour of an obi I'd choose for this kimono also.

Although the patterns don't match at all, both feature a version of bamboo and chrysanthemums, so I thought... well, close enough.

I suppose it could be a good outfit for December-March. Additional layers of kimono, not just haori, were worn for warmth.

I do love the 'secret details' of an outfit, things like the iromuji layer matching patterns on the outside or the shibori colours in the obiage.

Maybe this year, I will look for a more versatile obi to work with it. I still have an overall goal of adjusting to the heat. Going outside really does feel like opening an oven, a blast of hot air. I've spent so long building up a wardrobe of beautiful antiques, in fabrics I enjoy... I've got to pick and choose what to move on, I suppose.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Street scene in Kyoto, Japan

Japanese vintage postcard

[thekimonogallery]

Images of Japanese kimono and western fashion featured in Japanese womens magazines from the 1930s.  All images from the 2016 blog of Fractal Underground Studio (Yatsutake Comet Blog)

[maigeiko]

Hamachiyo 浜千代, Takamatsu Geiko in the late Shôwa era. Hamachiyo was a natori of the Kiyomoto school of Joruri, studying under master Umejû 梅寿. The Takamatsu Hanamachi was established in the late 1800's. Around 1885, the first Kenban (registry office) was established. Around 1892, a second Kenban was established in Katahara-machi, called "Higashi 東" (eastern)". The older one was remaned to Nishi 西" (western) Kenban. In the time between 1900 and 1930, there were over 100 Geiko and about 15 Maiko. Higashi Kenban was renamed to Tamamo 玉藻-Kenban before 1909, and at a later point renamed afain to Naka 中-Kenban. Takamatsu Geiko likely studied Kineya 杵屋-ryu for Nagauta and Fujima 藤間-ryu for dance. Photo published in Hana Akari: Shôwa Meigiren, p. 212, quick paint job by me

[thekimonogallery]

Danko and Tomigiku. Photo likely taken in the 1910’s or ‘20s, Japan  Image via Rosarote of Flickr

[bebetaian]

look closely at the weave, especially in tomigiku's shoulder

these were ro kimono, height of summer (late july, august)

[bebetaian]

How Japan Solved Summer

The Casual makes quite a few videos on fashion, but instead of the usual "here's what people wear this year" videos, he explains some about *why* a trend became this way, briefly what fabrics do to change a garment, how construction plays a part, and tbh the brutality of Japanese summers.

If you're used to Florida summers not far from the coast in the 90s, before all the droughts, it's like that. So humid it feels like you're almost suffocating, 32c outside, heat sickness sets in within 10-15 minutes if you're resistant and aren't on any medications. But sometimes worse.

[bebetaian]

Vash + Eris

Was looking for something interesting for the yellow/red combo. Not sure I've found it yet.

Eris is happily napping, as she does on kimono. Cats like to play with anything their friends have interest in, so if you're always looking at a computer, your cat gets on your keyboard. Eris snuggles into kimono when she cannot. Vash supervises.

I like the yellow collar but I could do it with a date-eri. The sleeves of the outer kimono are far too short, like 40s short. It would fit in pretty well with a late Showa kimono. Also, it's pretty short. The Taisho/early Showa sleeves are almost twice as long, and the skirt flows out an extra 10cm or so.

Great colour combo, though, right?

I don't have a grey obi, but in with early Showa fashion, I have a bunch of obi in Nagoya style, various tans with some embroidery in browns, tans, greens, blue or purple, a little black here or there. Some may have been remakes from older obi, who knows.

We'll see how it comes out.

[maureen2musings]

hiro_510

[bebetaian]

Coveted Kimono: Antique Peach Autumn Ofurisode

::cries::

well, for one, I am long past ofurisode age... but even if I had the space and sheer wealth to collect such things I will not wear.

This peach ofurisode is probably from the late 1920s to early 1930s, I think, since the lines on the flowers are clear instead of watercolour-like, but it still has the red lining.

This ofurisode has five crests, although I can't tell which by the photos. It's a kikyo-type shape. Mon weren't used on ofurisode for much longer, I think. I'm not an expert on it. I don't think I've seen mon used on any iro-ofurisode I've seen made after the early 30s. It must have belonged to someone wealthy, being made in that period like this... and also, look at the sleeves. Many furisode made for marriage were black at this time, with only decoration at the bottom 1/3 of the sleeve or less. So it could be easily cut to make a kurotomesode after marriage, no problem. Conservation of fabric and expense. This one clearly isn't made for that! So they had money to spend on more kimono.

This one is still available (at time of posting) at DesignerVoodoo on ebay.

These motifs are of red and orange maple leaves, winter camellias, chrysanthemums, the flower carts before they are covered in snow... There is a touch of plum blossoms on the shoulders, like looking forward to winter. There are three seasons of flowers here, though. A trace of fuji, perhaps left over from the summer. Tachibana, April. Are those daffodils or narcissus? I can't tell yet.

I might have preferred it at the height of September, October, and the first half of November. I think the Autumn motifs are most prevalent. It's most fashionable to 'look ahead' to the next season, don't you think?

[maigeiko]

Thank you. If Yuzawa did not have Kyoto style maiko then how do you think their maiko and geiko would look? I think they would still look like Kyoto maiko and geiko because mostly maiko and geiko from past look similiar to each other in very old photos.

There is this picture and I'm quite sure on the left it's a Maiko. The photo is probably from the earliest years of the Taishô era. Overall style of dress and photography looks like "Meiji" to me, but the caption says the lady on the left was named Rôra ローラ and came from Russia to work in Yûzawa in the Taishô era. It's not a good picture, but the only pre-2015 Yuzawa Maiko I can offer. Back then, there was less uniformity in Maiko looks, but let's say she represents the typical prewar Yuzawa Maiko. Hairstyle: Shimada, likely Yakko Shimada. Kimono: Furisode without shoulder tucks. (Hikizuri are draped differently on the floor, you'd see a lot more fabric) Obi: could be Otaiko Musubi, which was not restricted be worn by to Geiko/Geisha

[viralthings]

I am half Scottish and half Japanese- I hand-sewed this kimono from men’s dress shirts and boxer shorts.

[weareallstilllearningright]

This kinda stuff is actually really inspirational to those of us with uncommonly mixed heritage, regardless of if you’re this particular mix just seeing other mixed people make their backgrounds their own instead of being forced to choose is so important for mixed children growing up tbh

[opabinia-regalis-deactivated201]

@lesbiantrad

[the-solar-review]

This is solarpunk AF.

[honestmerchantsailor]

Best part (IMO) is that it actually makes sense from a historical standpoint. In feudal Japan, each clan would have a mon (an emblem sort of like a coat of arms) that would be displayed on banners and used to identify that particular clan. Members of a clan would often have their mon displayed on their clothing including kimonos, like so:

Thus, the idea of a kimono in a clan tartan pattern is in fact completely appropriate and would be perfectly familiar to feudal Japanese culture.

[citizen-of-the-fandom]

And also it looks really cool.

[saltypringl-track]

Scottish-Japanese artist celebrates her heritage by making a tartan kimono

This weekend, Maya Caulfield posted to photos of herself modeling a kimono she sewed by hand, and her work earned her thousands of instant a

the artist is Maya Caulfield, this blog stole her post

[lilacsinthedooryard]

Kawase Hasui   (Japan1883-1957) 

Moon over Arakawa River  1929

woodblock