December 24, 2014

New Kimono for Summer!

Summer is so far away and too hot for kimono anyway, so "spring" (spring weather starts in mid-February in southern Arizona) is probably a likely time of year for wearing this new piece I purchased from Shinei. I will likely wear this one in February for Matsuri if we have typical nice weather.

This one seems contemporary becasue of the design but it's definitely at least 60 years old. Shinei stated on their website that this kimono was Taisho-Roman era and the sleeves are the right length but I'm not certain. I think it's a bit later. It was advertised as hitoe (unlined), which I love but I didn't expect it to be borderline sheer.

Interesting design!
It's deep charcoal-grey, with light blue "stripes" bordered with pale grey or white. The "stripes" aren't really stripes at all but are more like leaf shapes and remind me of shark's teeth for some reason. I do not know what this motif is supposed to represent, so I may post a photo on the Immortal Geisha website.
Back of kimono

Front of kimono
The silk or silk-blend fabric is nubby and textured, with some subtle color variations in it. At first glance, it appears to be sturdy fabric with some weight to it, until you realize you can see light through it. It's sheer enough that you might have to consider what color juban you wear underneath but it's not ro or sha as far as I can tell. The design is woven but it's not  Meisen, as you can see by the back of the fabric.
Backside of the weave
Detail of the kimono sleeve
I really like this kimono because of it's modern appeal and neutral color- it seems to be begging for either fun bright accessories or maybe a tweedy menswear look. I think because of the color and weight of this fabric, it might work for spring or even early fall. I also have two new obi to share but I'll put those in a separate post!
Happy Christmas everyone!
~Rebecca

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