A kimono dealer in Japan mentioned that he might, potentially, possibly maybe, get a small spot on a news show about his shop.
"Estate Sale" style lots of assorted items to bid on is not common in Japan like it is here. So odd lots of old kimono are very cheap, often $100 USD or less for half a dozen items. But they aren't necessarily items that would be worn together, if someone has a sense of formality, colours, types of kimono, etc. They're great for mixing with yofuku or maybe photoshoots as-is, but if using as intended...
Look y'all. The autistic gaijin kimono collector most certainly didn't take this as a sign to make review photos as perfect as possible. Right?
The first set:
The kimono + fan came from Kazuma. The other items are from my collection.
The single-layer synthetic kimono reads as an odori piece, so it's paired with a gold odori obi and bold red accessories. The collar and obiage match in fabric type (ro) but I don't have a red summer obijime (the cord on the obi belt.) I thought one might not have the right effect if this were on stage anyways. The fan is also for dance performances.
I think now, I should have done bunka musubi, but I went with a long hanging obi inspired by geisha in Tokyo area.
For this, I chose entirely summer items, ro whenever possible to match the juban. This only features the summer obijime from the lot.
The nearly-black colour with pampass grass is a symbol of deep summer and a hope for coming coolness. Dark eggplant purple and brilliant gold is another summer choice, linking with January references to eggplant and a desire for cool weather. The obi is tied in a big, airy otaiko in an asymmetric knot, a reference to days of kitsuke long gone by.
The brilliant red obiage is a classic pairing, and the nearly-white blue obijime is the colour of snow. They stand out against the colour of the obi very well. The obijime very nearly matches the grass pattern.
The fan tucked into the obi is made of light-coloured wood (dark wood is for autumn and winter) and has a simple pattern of swirling green maple leaves, tinged in gold. Momiji (maple) will not become gold until later in Autumn. Right now, green and black are vibrant, and the gold in the fan pairs with the gold in the obi. Hints of a breeze also evoke a cool feeling.
For the last set, the fukuro obi and michiyuki is from Kazuma.
I picked a bold floral hitoe kimono with komono (accessories, lit. "small things") that were bright and cheerful. The collar and obijime match here, pulling from the purple details in the flowers. The obi also has elements of orange and gold, akin to the orange and yellow in the flowers. The white silk obiage has cute triangles of bright colours, in pinks, yellow, orange, and turquoise.
I wanted to make something a fun 20-something would wear out with friends.
Since the kimono is so youthful, as are the coordinating pieces, I wanted to do something ... not boring.
A musubi that is not ginza/tsunodashi, otaiko, or ribon (ribbon). Something cute! Fluffy looking! Effeminate! Something that in passing, is layered and has curves like the tiny flowers in the kimono. Maybe I was successful.
The obiage too, I wanted to be youthful but not childish or too "formal" like a furisode. Especially since the "creative" musubi (knot in the back of the obi) are too often reserved only for the long-sleeved formal kimono. Hnnn. I wrapped it in a way to show off the colourful patterns and tucked in one side to make a cute ruffle, again to mimic the obi and kimono pattern.
A plain obijime then, would be boring by contrast... so maybe don't make it TOO showy, like it's a furisode, but a little bit wavy and fanciful.
How did I do?
