The Project and the Pictures

I've been busy as of late, but I am happy to report that like I said in my last posting, I will be posting pictures of my favourite yakuta and my green one once I'm done using them for a Photoshop project. I will also post pictures of three of my obi, too. Sorry to delay the pictures, I'll try and put them as soon as possible, and if I'm able to, I'll post the project as well.

Thanks for your patience!

The Long Awaited Post (with pictures!)

Here they are! Pictures of my kimono, yukata, and obi! I really should be working on homework right now, but we're not going to worry about that, are we? No. Because i'm too excited to work on homework. Enough talk, onto the pictures! This is the first piece of traditional Japanese clothing. I bought it with the Owl during a trip to Ragstock. Here is the detail. Here is my dove gray unlined summer kimono from Wind Whisper West. It is one of my prized possessions. Dragonflies. Hence the name of the blog.
Here is my second kimono, also from Ragstock.


Here are my obi. They're all from Ragstock.

I forgot to mention...

MY CAMERA CORD AND CAMERA HAVE BEEN REUNITED, SO THEREFORE PICTURES OF MY KIMONO ARE COMING SOON. I'M EXCITED. CAN YOU TELL?

Wind Whisper West Trip

Last January, the Owl and I went to Wind Whisper West. Wind Whisper West has the largest collection of wedding kimono in the country. We met the owner, a very nice if not eccentric man. He let us try on an uchikake. Here are some photos. Keep in mind I don't usually look this gross.

Wish List

Money, money, money. If only I had money. The absolute first thing I would buy would be nagajuban, so I could be civilized and not worry about my legs showing when I sit down. The second thing I would buy would be this beautiful black furisode kimono. I am in love with it. By the way, I really like these sites, www.kimono-yukata-market.com and www.kimonolily.com. I hope to patronize them as soon as I start working. However, the absolute first place I will go when I have money is Wind Whisper West, of course.

Exodus

Tomorrow, I head back to my Place of College. Previous to this break, my kimono have been apart from me, which is something very sad, and I am hoping to change it. I am taking all two of my kimono, along with my yukata and obi and makeshift himo. It will be quite the challenge to find a place to keep them. On the plus side, however, my camera is in my Place of College, so I will be able to take pictures and post them. Also, I will be able to download the pictures from the Owl and my trip to Wind Whisper West, in which we tried on uchikake kimono and I bought my dove gray one.
Here is a picture using my webcam. Note it's a mirror image. The blue kimono does not actually have the designs on the right side. That would be silly. They would be covered up. The first picture is of my mother and myself. I am wearing the necklace the Owl gave me.

Yakuta April

Coming in April of this year, I and several friends will be attending Anime Detour, a convention dedicated to all things Anime, Manga and Japanese. I will be bringing with me three costumes, one of which will be my current favourite yakuta kimono to wear in case I tire of the other two. It is an old dusty-rose coloured yakuta, believed to be made of rattan or a dense cotton, I'm not exactly sure yet. It has this neat pattern of irises in an off white colour with greys and a little black here and there in the pattern. I will try and post pictures of it later. I am not one to like the colour pink, but it just speaks to me and fits me correctly with the exception of the sleeves. They fall a little short, but I want it known that this was for everyday use, so the formality of this yakuta falls short there and is perfect for around the house and errands as Inga had implied. I am excited for the convention. I also plan on bringing my mock footwear and the tabi socks for more authenticity.

Needless to say, I'll fit right in. ;D

Introduction, but first, a Reply

That upsets me really, I was hoping that it would work, but that's just our luck now isn't it?

Oh, yes, an introduction. I have many aliases for myself but here, I am Owl. Like Inga, I share a passion for kimono and was the one who converted her to the traditional garbs. I have a pink bamboo-patterned kimono with the cheat obi and bow, a white undergarment kimono given to me by a dear friend, two winter yakuta and several obi between them along with the tabi socks and mock traditional footwear. I have had a fascination with the Japanese culture since grade school and have learned much over the course of time. It started with the freetime studying of the Shinto religion and has since branched into zounds of different things for me. It persists today. I plan to live there someday as well, as I am a believer in that if you must learn about a culture, one must dive in head first and with an open mind. This blog is the brainchild of Inga and she has my thanks. I wish to teach others more about kimono and their significance because every aspect of them says something. It is easy to misinerpet and, if worn incorrectly, can say some unpleasant things. But, they are things of beauty and with this blog, we'll show why. We've done our homework, we've studied and we've enjoyed it the entire way. Please, enjoy.

Misadventure with the Steamer

My mom recently revealed to me that she has a steamer. I was excited because at Wind Whisper West they have a steamer to keep the kimono in top shape. So I read the directions carefully, put it together, figured out it was broken, fixed it, and the stupid thing still did not work. I was distraught.

Introductions

Greetings. My name is Inga. Ever since I was little, I have loved dressing up.
Now, as an adult, my favorite thing to wear is kimono. I am something of a nut. The other day, I wore one of my kimono to the grocery store. The kimono fascinates and intrigues me. There was a time when I went through a phase where I tried to collect as many costumes from different cultures as I could. I discovered the kimono is my favorite. It has such a rich history and tradition behind it and is absolutely stunning. As of now, I own two kimono and a yukata, as well as three obi. I will post pictures of them as soon as I can. Hejdå!