Tokyo Kimono Week

Wow ! This is Awesome Picture ! Beautiful Creation of God, thanks JT !

gorgeous! what a way to start the day with this picture

Butterflies with flowers.

Beautiful !

Subtle elegance

Nothing is more flattering

Flutter, butterfly...

Very nice picture, and models too. Something about simple beauty and elegance, and not being too made up with outlandish hair colors and immodest clothing.

Nice. That reminds me I saw a 600000 yen kimono at daimaru Osaka last week. 600000 yen O_o

It is great to see that Japanese tradition is still alive. I love Japanese kimono for their beauty, simplicity and elegance.

Real pieces of art. One of my hobbies is silk painting. The silk used in kimonos, chirimen, is very hard . It is much harder for the paint to dilute nicely in the fabric.

Lovely picture!

Is it just me, or does the young lady on the left look a bit like Christel Takigawa?

Guiliano, that was a relatively cheap kimono...

My wife's 'furisode' was upwards of 1mil... Absolutely beautiful too.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the designs woven not painted? Beautiful designs - I'd love to see them larger.

the harper, they are painted on silk by hand. You should visit a kimono studio once. Kanazawa is a great place to do that. Kanazawa offers many art courses, I took a lacquer course there, a shamisen and a silk painting one there

the_harper : I believe the method is resist dyeing. A paste or wax is applied to the material which results in the other areas absorbing the dye.

the harper - Some kimono designs are woven in, but intricate patterns like those in the picture are most likely painted. Check out kaga-yuzen or kyo-yuzen. Tie-dyeing also produces some beautiful designs. http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/attractions/facilities/spots/traditional_handicrafts/83dn3a000000elj4.html

Won't pass wind tunnel test.

Kirei

@Giuliano Garau

Nice. That reminds me I saw a 600000 yen kimono at daimaru Osaka last week. 600000 yen O_o

Probably what you saw was 振袖Furisode set (single woman's kimono) that included everything like 袋帯fukuro-obi, 帯締めobi-jime, 草履zouri, obi-age, etc. Those sets are usually 200,000~ brand new. The more classy and traditional the more expensive. Modern patterned kimono is much more inexpensive. Then again, kimono goes from Furisode, 黒Kuro/色Iro 留袖Tomesode (wives kimono), 訪問着Houmongi (visiting kimono), 付下げTsukesage (a grade after Houmongi), 色無地Iro muji (single color kimono) which is the most convenient kimono as it can be used for a wide range of occasions like graduation, Tea Ceremony, etc. Then when have the 小紋Komon/江戸小紋Edo Komon that can be used to attend a friend's party, going to shop in the city, Tea Party. And last but not least..we have my favorite which I use once or twice weekly, the timeless 紬Tsumugi(made from left over silk bolts). Tsumugi comes in a variety of designs from single color to 染めdyed patterns, 絣splashed patters, 紅型bingata patterns from my Okinawa and many more. There is also a more high grade elegant 大島紬Oshima Tsumugi and 結城紬Yuuki Tsumugi, and these can be very expensive, I know because I only have 5 of them. But I do have a Tsumugi collection of about 30 pieces, Komon/Edo Komon/Iro muji I have about 15?, maybe 2 銘仙Meisen fudangi(old style of daily wear kimono) and just 1 Houmongi. I don't have Furisode (because I am "married"!, lol) I don't have a married woman's Kuro-Tomesode because that's up to my husband and because it is INDEED custom made and MORE expensive, so I don't mind not having one though sometimes I wish I had so I could wear my husband's family crest 家紋(^_^) with pride.

I told my tea ceremony Sensei once that the true spirit of Japan lies within the kimono wearer's heart, not just green tea, mannerism or how well you speak Japanese. I hope I'm not wrong. -_-

originalusername and bluewtich yah it was a complete set. thnx for the explanation

@BlueWitch

It seems that you have considerable knowledge of kimono. Apparently you also learn the tea ceremony and kendo. If this true, it seems that you have deep feelings for Japanese culture, not to mention your Okinawan heritage which you mention frequently. I can only say I approve - not because I am a Japanophile but it's great to see people anywhere in touch with their own culture. There is mention in the Hagakure about a man who assumed a Kamigata dialect while he lived there and was laughed at when he returned to his native Hizen han. I agree we should have some pride in our town, country, etc. I hope you will consider this and refrain from criticising your country unless it really is a problem that is unique to Japan and not one that is as bad elsewhere if not worse.

I'm sure we can agree that in spite of it's flaws, Japan truly is a magnificeint place. Hope you read this before the mod(s) delete it as being off-topic.

@zichi

Some people, especially first timers can take 3~5 hours easy. It depends on the experience and how well you can master putting on everything in proper order and how fast... For normal daily wear kimono like Tsumugi I can take as little as 20 minutes (I dress by myself)... but for more formal kimono like Houmongi I would need around 1.5~2 hours to look as nice as possible. that without counting hairdo and make-up. The help of Biyoushi would come handy when one does have early morning event. Husband does not like me wearing make-up at all, but for (formal)kimono you should wear at least some lip gloss to look presentable. I bet your wife is very beautiful, my friend.

I always recommend people to study something like Tea ceremony, Ikebana, Kendo, etc. in order to find that peace that makes one feel so relaxed and happy. Arts that involve discipline are always good for the heart and mind.

Get with the times dudes. I am for retro but this is way too old for this day and age. Ok, wear for very special occasions but that is all. We are living in the 21`st century, time to get with it. LOL!

Yep! Love kimonos. And even more the fabrics and designs used to make them. Just love them!

Can't wait till the coming of age day when I can see kimonos everywhere.

@Everyone

Did you know that in the old times once a woman gets married, her Furisode kimono long sleeves would get "shortened" making the kimono appear more conservative according to her status. Some people still do it today. Interesting, isn't it?

Simply beautiful ladies with great looking KIMONO. As my wife says hope those ladies learn how to walk as well as how to wear the KIMONO.

BlueWitch, I don't know what you are trying to prove but I don't think you know what you are talking about as far as the types of KIMONO and etc......maybe you know about the OKINAWAN tradition of KIMONO, only maybe.

@samuraisam

BlueWitch, I don't know what you are trying to prove but I don't think you know what you are talking about as far as the types of KIMONO and etc......maybe you know about the OKINAWAN tradition of KIMONO, only maybe.

I will take your rude comment as a compliment as you are mentioning my home town. I take you are born in Japan too, so you are either a kimonoyasan yourself or work in something related to kimono making. If you think that something I said in my previous post is indeed a mistake, then would you care to correct me and educate me? I would love to learn from someone more experienced. and look forward to your reply.

p.s. Please use kanji to refer to the usual terms as the English meanings may not be enough. I'm not native level yet.

Please keep the discussion civil.

Beautiful! I have found that Japanese fabric is some of the best in the world.

@zichi

Well said. I think women in kimono look beautiful too.

I think a lot of western people (although this is not exclusive) think that others must "keep up" with their own experience with fashion, etc. This killing of culture and tradition is dreadful and I am staunchly against it.

At the same time, I laugh when I hear that youngsters claim they are better than previous generations. It's almost cute and I tend to look at it with some indulgence. As they mature, they realize the truth.

Beautiful indeed! I have only worn a kimono twice but I abolutely love the elegence of it. ALso, the obi kept me from enduging too much which would be a handy dieting tool if I could put one on by myself. I would love to be able to learn how to wear kimono but sadly all the schools in my area only have daytime courses which I cannot attend because I work.

Can't wait till the coming of age day when I can see kimonos everywhere.

Gotta agree - 20-year-old girls look stunning in their kimonos! My only criticism of the kimono is that I think they should be a little shorter - say, above the knees at least - but that is just my preference. In any case, they certainly showcase the allure of the female form - which is their intention no doubt!

BlueWitch, my wife's furisode is supposed to be cut now that we are married, but she cant bring herself to cut such an expensive garment. Apparently you can use the offcuts to make other items though, so they arent wasted...

@BlueWitch

Very informative... Felt like you are presenting a paper on KIMONO... :) I hope you are deeply in touch with your culture and tradition... I dont know much about kimono, but I believe soul of japan dressed up in Kimono... Your explanation was more than expected for a beginner...

Thank you BlueWitch and JT...

What happen to the photo?