Why I love Kimono - Reason 7

So you would have thought making a kimono is this complicated process but in reality it rather easy.

All you are working with is strips of 36cm and 18cm wide cloth and since nothing is wasted, you don't even have to trim the excess fabric.  Instead you just tuck them away to give a neat appearance.

Here is one of the few photos I take when I am making my own kimono.  As you can see it is a lot of rectangle pieces of fabric which are just sewed and folded into a kimono shape.

Of course there are some technical issues which need to be mastered like attaching the collar is quite an art form but it is amazing what you can get away with.

And once you got the general idea of making kimono you just repeat the process.

Here is my latest attempt!

There is one issue with this kimono in the fact that outer collar is a bit  short but you will never notice with this pattern and I would prefer to have a proper fitted kimono then one that has been compromised just to make it technically correct.

Why I love Kimono - Reason 6

They say variety is the spice of life and kimono is always full of variety.

Whether it is the designs available or the way you style your outfit, there is so many things you can do with kimono and this is especially true for the obi!

Of course these ones are for special occasions like the Coming of Age ceremony where the flashier the musubi the better!

But even the humble otaiko musubi has variations as well.

This is the standard version which I normally tie when I am casually wearing kimono with my friends.

However this is not the only way to tie a otaiko musubi.

Here are a couple of more ways to tie it.

http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~tomasan/kawaritaiko.html

This one is actually very cute and I must try this one day!

So as you can see, this is another reason to why I love kimono!

Why I love Kimono - Reason 5

Now my next reason for liking kimono has it up side as well as it down side.

I love the fact that I don't have to wash them!  I have over 20 kimono and not one of them have been cleaned.  Granted I haven't worn them much so the chances of them getting dirty is very low and whenever I wear them I am careful not to drop my dinner on them.  However whenever I wear a white shirt I have to wash it after a couple of wears because of the collars.

In addition, when you wear a kimono, you always have at least two or three layers underneath which will prevent sweat from getting to your kimono.

There is a good reason why you can't wash kimono especially the silk ones.  First the dyes used are not fixed so as soon as water touches it, they could run!  This is not good if you have something like this!

I hate to think what this would look like if the orange ran.

And secondly, although the outer layer of the kimono maybe polyester sometimes they use silk lining!  This is actually very annoying when you brought a kimono which you want to be washable.

This kimono I know is polyester but I am pretty sure the lining is silk.  Oh well so long as I can't see the dirt on the outside I don't care.

Of course in saying I don't have to wash kimono does sound like I am a mucky thing (which I am not by the way!)

Why I love Kimono - Reason 4

I am one of those people who will only buy another new clothes if it fits into my existing wardrobe.  I am not talking about physically fitting in my wardrobe, if I want something to fit into my wardrobe I will always find space.

No I am talking about mixing and matching my clothes.  There is nothing worse then finding out that you have  a top that does not go with anything in your wardrobe.  Which means you have to go out and buy something else so you can wear it.

Originally I started buying kimono without considering my fundamental rule because I never thought I will be wearing them outside.  I am live in the UK and it is cold!

However now I love wearing my kimono with my western wardrobe and whenever I go shopping I lookout for items which I can wear with my kimono and western clothes.

My latest co-ordination was for the Sisterhood of the Travelling Kimono.

Rather then wearing a juban under the kimono, I opted for a shirt, tie and black full length skirt.  It was very comfortable and if I have to say, very chic!

Another way of adding a western touch to a kimono outfit is with shoes!

My favourite shoes are my boots!  They are comfortable and in the UK they are perfect for wet and cold weather.

Here are my white boots which are actually my wedding shoes.  I really should wear them again.

Then there is the outer wear.  You can not go out in the winter without a coat (well cape in this case), scarf and gloves.

So much choice and so much possibility!  This is my reason for loving kimono ^_^.

Why I love Kimono - Reason 2

Since I was 18, I have been bouncing around the UK.  Living in cities and towns for no more then 2-3 years and as such, I have gotten pretty good at packing.  

One of the things I spend most of my time packing is my clothes.  Everything has to be fold neatly so that when they arrived at their new location I can just hang them out or place them into draws without messing about.

And since kimono are stored all nicely folded, it makes moving them really easy and this is another reason why I love them!

Okay it is a weird reason for liking kimono but for a neat-freak like me kimono are perfect for someone who like to efficiently pack their wardrobe. Why???? So I can buy more kimono and clothes of course!

This is where the majority of my collection is living at the moment and when I move again, I will simply need to take them into the van.

If you are wondering why they are left stack in my lounge well that is because my husband is using the boxes as a standup table for when he is thinking about maths.  Which is fine by me as it make coordinating outfits easy.

Why I love Kimono - Reason 1

You may be wondering why I am writing about my reason for loving kimono.  Well it occurs to me that I never really answered that question.

I have so many reason why I love kimono that I thought it would be a nice idea to say why.

So the first reason why I love kimono.

I love the simple design!

My favourite yukata

Here is a typical kimono or in this case yukata design.  If I was to describe it then the best description I could give is that it is a robe like dress with rectangle sleeves.

That is it!  Yet it has survive the ages and the construction of this garment has not changed a great deal.  I suppose the design appeals to me because I like uncomplicated thing.  Not that I do not like other forms of clothing.  I mean I am also a fan of corsets (I own 4 at the moment and I want more) and they are one of the most complex piece of clothing engineering around.