Odd woven stripes kimono
My curiosity being piqued by this recent arrival, I tried it on yesterday to see how it would look with an obi. The obi I’m wearing is one I made myself two years ago for a costume, out of some tapestry-weight fabric. It’s 12″ (30cm) wide and about 10′ (3m) long. Unlined, but folding it in half makes it sturdy enough to stand up without wrinkling – I wore it without an obi ita.
I think it looks better when worn? Had to cheat a bit on the length again, as it’s not quite long enough to be worn longer with an ohashori (fold at the waist). I used a koshihimo instead of a kohlin belt, my third try this way – it really does seem to work better, it’s easier to adjust the collars properly and no wrinkles are formed if you’re careful.
This kimono’s weave is strange, rough and a bit stiff. None of my other woven kimono are as rough, in fact they’re all very soft – the two tsumugi are nice and crisp, very easy to fold. This one isn’t crisp, though its stiffness makes it easier to dress in than kimono made of satiny silk. In any case, it will make a nice around-the-house kimono if I ever get myself in gear and start wearing kimono that way regularly.
(Kimono are comfortable if you do a lot of housework, since the obi supports your back and you can tie the sleeves out of the way with a tasuki – a sash/cord that’s tied in a figure eight around the shoulders, taking in the sleeves, and crossing over in back. It’s also comfortable to sit in kimono on a big, square cushion [called zabuton in Japanese] on the floor, as once again the obi serves as back support.)