Month: June 2015

Outfit of the Week: Mystery Dragonflies!

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While folding and organising some of my older kimono the other day, I came across something that threw me for a loop. I do not remember procuring this kimono in any way. I don’t know if I bought it, if it was a gift, something I rescued from a thrift store… I really have no idea. In my dozen-plus years of collecting, I can tell you where nearly every piece in my collection came from, down to things like tabi and haneri. To have forgotten an entire (lovely!) kimono is quite a feat, I think.

That being said, I’m not complaining! This is a gorgeous piece. It’s a casual summer piece, very lightweight. I’m not positive on the fabric but it feels like a linen blend of some sort. It might be cotton, but it’s definitely softer and more refined than a yukata. The collar is conveniently sewn down and there is a light lining in the bum area and across the shoulders for cleanliness and reinforcement. It’s a beautiful dove grey with dusty blue foliage and adorable little dragonflies. The era is a bit hard to pin-point; it feels like it could be quite old, or it could be more modern but made to look vintage.

I wanted to make the coordination very cool and comfortable-feeling, so I kept things simple with a hanhaba obi. I also learnt a valuable lesson – this particular obi, while one of my favourites, is a finicky little thing that refuses to hold tight. I managed to get the kai-no-kuchi musubi to stay in place with the help of an obijime, but would not be comfortable wearing it out of the house like this. At least I know for the future!

Items used in this coordination

ねこあつめ – Neko Atsume!

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Ok, so this post is only very loosely related to kimono, but I thought it was worth sharing! You may have heard of the mobile app called ねこあつめ (Neko Atsume), as it’s gone a bit viral recently. It’s very adorable, and very easy. All you have to do is make sure your kitties have food and toys, and they will come visit your garden, sometimes leaving you little trinkets or currency. You only have to check it a couple of times a day, and it’s more of a cute diversion than an actual game.

The main reason I’m posting, though, is that a few of the rare kitties available wear kimono!

neko_samurai_cropThis guy's name is Osamurai-san. You can try to coax him into your garden by putting out the Sakura Zabuton or the High Quality Log.
maroThis is Maromayu-san, and he wears traditional Heian era garb. He'll come visit if you put out the Mari Ball item, and sashimi for food.

And once you’ve expanded your garden, you can also buy a very pretty little Japanese garden theme for it:

Neko Atsume garden

You can download Neko Atsume for free for iOS here and Android here. There is a great English-language tutorial available here, and another handy guide here on MeoWoof!