Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No541
Hello from Yuka from Ichiroya.
Firstly, I apologize you for the mistake in our last newsletter. There was a quiz in that issue, asking which iromjmuji was more formal.
Here is a quiz. Which iromuji is more formal?
1.http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/256208/
2.http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/265286/
The correct answer is 1, dyed mon. I wrote the answer is 2 by mistake but always dyed mon is more formal than sewn mon, I am sorry for the mistake.
White circle you sometimes see with bolts are called kokumochi, where mon is dyed out later.
Bolt with kokumochi:
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/247199/
Next month, there is a wedding of our son-in-law's sister. Our daughter is wearing kurotomesode, black formal. I will be wearing houmongi, and our another daughter Mugi(unmarried) will be wearing furisode.
Shoko, our married daughter is wearing kurotomesode for the first time. She attended her friend's wedding after she got married, wearing a dress. Kurotomesode is only for mothers of bride and bridegroom, and also very close relatives. This time, this is Shoko's sister-in-law's wedding, so she is wearing kurotomesode. We put mon of chigaitakanoha, crossing eagle's fethers which is my mother's side mon. Mon from women's side comes down but this tradition differs according to area. The chigai takanoha mon is the third one from left in fourth row from top.
https://x181.secure.ne.jp/~x181007/kamon/goodslist.cgi?in_kate=13-2616&in_start=40&max=
Actually, kamon is not used anymore as an important thing, and I assume most people do not know what their family mon are in Japan now. It is natural, there is no need of using mon in our usual life. We need hanko, stamps of our name though-- we need our own hanko to open bank account, or making contract of something. Without hanko, you meet many inconvenience, but there is no inconvenience by not knowing own kamon at all!
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Recentry, we added new function in our search corner of our website.
* key words-----the search could do by only one word in the past, but now, you can enter several keywords with a blank in betwen each word. Searching with severaly keywords is working now.
* Sleeve to sleeve length-----you can enter the minimum to maximum length you like.
For example, I am 155 cm, around hip size is approx 90 cm, and yuki(sleeve to sleeve length) , I can wear approx 128 cm to 132 cm. I can enter these size and choose item, price, condition and so on, and also keywords as stripe, unlined, and so on.
Kimono are so different from western clothing, you have to wrap around and make a fold at the waist to adjust.
Regarding the length, approx the same length with your height will be good. Your height ±5 cm (approx 2 inches) will be good. Regarding formal kimono, longer length than your height will be better.
Regarding around the hip size, the number shown in our website is considered `maximum' width. If you can find wider size, it will be better, especially if you are looking for a kimono for ocha(tea cremony).
I think sleeve to sleeve length of average Japanese migth be shorter than western people.
For your information, you can figure out average yuki length this way:
your height x o.83(the kimono length WHEN it is worn) x 0.5
Younger people tend to choose longer yuki, and older people think long yuki, (sleeve can hide wrists) is not nice, and think showing wrist for some extent is good.
You can make the collar shape(V shape) wider and pull sleeves towands hands to make yuki a bit longer, if yuki seem too short. You can find your acceptable point.
You can dress in kimono by wrapping around, folding, smoothing and pulling here and there! If you are not sure what size of kimono you choose, you can ask us any itme, we will be happy to e-mail you for the reply.
It was a rainy weekend, it rained quite hard but cherry blossoms kept the blossoms(they were half blooming). They look weak and delicate but they are quite tough-just like Japanese women.
We wish you a wonderful haru, spring.
