Kikuzure

Yesterday I learned a new word.

きくずれ kikuzure
きくずれ(n) worn out of shape

It was while I was making inquiries about kimono bra’s. The lady said it is good to reduce “kikuzure-kimono becoming loose and untidy” Being curious I put it in google and found this site:
Main site furisode.jp
Study furisode.
Kikuzure page
There are many gorgeous furisode to look at and drool over but the best part are all the (short) videos. It takes some time to watch them all and there are not really any new things for people who have a lot of kitsuke books, but still, seeing the pictures move is really fun and helpful.

Ro Tsukesage

Today I wanted to wear my tsukesage, it has been a long time since I dressed in this one. The kimono is dark blue with pink, light green and white maple leaves and stylized water, so perfect for a warm late summer day with fall in the air. I wanted to pair it with a pink-ish ro fukuro obi but then I realized that from the 20est of August a hitoe obi is more appropriate. So I choose my soft green hakata.
I paired the set with a corn yellow ro obi age, and white with blue ro obi jime.
It’s not very funky or bright or contrasting, but I do like it a lot, maybe it would be better with a pink obi age, I will see next time I wear this kimono.
Dressing in kimono on a sunny day is hot! All the layers! The kimono bra, waist padding hadajuban (today I tried my one piece for the first time its wonderful!
I am converted) nagajuban (also a ro two piece) and then the kimono and the obi, I skipped all datejime thinking that would help a bit (I have the rubber backed ones and those are warm!)

With the obi I tried to tie a clamshell again, now the bigger version of course because the obi is full width. It was hard and I did not really succeed. It’s ok but it need work. Later when it’s cool again (which will probably be sooner then I like) I’ll try again with full fukuro, I guess hitoe season will be over then.
I just returned from a walk in the park and I noticed the leaves are already turning, so kimono colors need to become warmer too… I still feel like ro and soft summer colors ^_^ The summer has been so rainy and cold I feel reluctant to accept fall is coming.

Sherbet

Finally I found a little time to dress up again and take pictures. As a kimono junky I dress up as often as possible when I know I will not have to leave the house any more I'll change. It's still cold, which is good for dressing in kimono or yukata, but not for me...
Because the weather is so yucky I went sherbety, to brighten my day a bit.
I decided to go look all pink and lush.



It's fun because I rarely wear pink I think it makes most (blond) women look like they are nude or piggy like but like this with black and green its not so bad ^_^
What might help too is the shade of pink, it's shocking!
Maybe I am converted, pink isn't that bad ^_^ I wanted to pair the yukata with a green obi like the little bamboo leaves... But I have no obi like that, or a crème obi, which I also do not have… gosh, and I have so many ^_^ so I picked this pink obi that had almost the same shade as one of the flowers and I feel it's makes the set quite look like a sherbet ice cream.

Then, because the whole set became so flowery, I decided to try a new musubi. I think this one is a little more "masculine" as if that is possible, but it's at least not flower like, so I thought it would add a nice contrast.

The Packages opened

What was in the packages? Well what would you give a kimono addict? Hihihihi..... Yes a kimono, maybe a bolt of kimono fabric.... in one package there was a kimono... and what kimono yay a gorgeous Taisho era blue kimono with very bold yuzen pattern, very bold!
The kimono is made with the most wonderful big rinzu pattern consisting of tachibana and royal curtains and many many more motives, really lovely and really big. This big rinzu is a sign of pre-WWII kimono. There is not only a rinzu woven pattern but also bands of woven (or later embroidered, I can't tell) lacquered threads. Wonderful, I never saw lacquered threads used like this before. In the pictures they seem very glossy but they are more subtle in real life, I guess because the flash used for the pictures reflects on the glossy lacquer.
Another feature of pre WWII is the red lining:
I love the green at the hakake it's really bold but soft at the same time. Now I need to work something out as an obi. I was thinking a light obi, maybe cream or yellow. But a bold jewel toned maru obi could be fun too? I think this kimono will be hard to pair with an obi I already have, but even with a new one because I really do not have a good idea right now, but I hope it will come.

In the other package was a bolt of kimono fabric... nagajuban fabric, so now I can sew another nagajuban my self, I wanted this fabric to sew myself a geisha nagajuban. I saw many pictures of geisha with nagajuban like this, so, now I'll try to make it myself, this fabric looks perfect for it!