Me and my mom in kimono for some family cerebral occasion.
My kimono is called “iromuji (the plain-colored)”, which is a formal or semi formal attire for woman in Japan, especially preferred at formal tea ceremony (showy kimonos are averted to bring artistic tea utensils out prominence). Mine has a (tiny) maternal family crest in white under the neck on the back and can be used as a formal wear. Though “iromuji” is plain-looking at first glance, you’ll often notice a beautiful, delicate woven pattern in close. The obi (“nagoya-obi”, in this case) includes modest but multiple colors (pale orange, blue, yellow and pink) so it is relatively easy to apply to kimonos in other colors too. In addition, it has no seasonal symbols so that you can use it through three seasons (for summer and semi-summer, you need thinner, different types of obi, as well as kimonos).
My mom’s kimono type is called “tsukesage”. While “houmongi” is one of the highest ranked formal wear, “tsukesage” is more flexible to various occasions from such as watching a play and small party to wedding ceremony and formal celebration party (in that case, you often apply “fukuro-obi” intead of “nagoya-obi”, more high-ranked longer obi). The face of the dull-silver “fukuro-obi” is made of Japanese paper (“washi”); silver leaf is pasted and woven onto the thick silk base. It gets less damaged than it looks for some reason even if you tie repetitively. The picture on the obi shows some shinto festival and it should be suitable for celeblation. Anyway, it’s a quite rare kind of craftwork.
These days you can wear and arrange kimono as you like, but it’s only limited to your daily-clothes cases. Ignoring kimono protocol at a formal occasion is to be considered definitely rude and people would be offended by that here in Japan. On the other hand, overdone attaire should look very peculier for just a casual ocasion. There are many rules by season, for materials and patterns. If you don’t know much, you’d better search on the net or ask someone who knows kimono well (…not me).
Wow!! no words can explain the beauty of this…. This colour pallet would have to be my fav, its soft pretty and reminds me of spring my birth season!! I would feel like a million dollars wearing any of these! But If I had to pick the 3rd mint dress!!
