Recent Acquisitions – Obiage
Nothing exciting this morning, just managed to photograph some new obiage I got recently. I bid on a lot of three specifically to get one, but lucked out because the other two are nicer in person than they looked in photographs.
Peach rinzu obiage

This looked like a gross fluorescent orange in the auction photos – in person it’s a lovely delicate peach colour. The rinzu’s got a great subtle design of sayagata design and multi-seasonal flowers.
Vivid pink chirimen obiage

I desperately needed more casual obiage, so this was a nice addition. It’s very pink, but I’ll find places to make it work, I’m sure.
Lavender obiage with embroidery

This is the main reason I bid on the whole bundle. I was captivated by the tiny, delicate embroidery. In the auction photos it looked like a sort of a drab grey, and had what seemed to be some very visible stains. I was pleasantly surprised when it actually arrived, the grey was actually a warm dove grey, and there’s some areas of a soft lavender too. The stains, so prominent in the auction, are barely visible at all in person.
What really makes this special though, is the embroidery. Each end has three fan-shaped areas filled with plants – one has ume, one has irises, and one has pines.
As a bonus, here’s a random picture of my box of obiage. I just really like how they look when they’re all folded and organized… not that it ever stays this way for long XD

I’ve got several kimono in the mail right now, so hopefully I’ll have some nice new outfits to post in the near future, and yes, I’m still going to continue the series on size challenges in dressing. Just needed a break and a “mindless” entry to post.
Here comes the (mother of the) bride!
This is my second kimono ever! A kuro-tomesode was an odd choice, seeing as how they’re only proper for older, married women going to a very formal event, and I was in my early twenties when I bought this, and never go anywhere fancier than the movies. I was not going out of my way to get one, but when I saw this one, I fell in love. I’m fairly certain it’s a rental, due to the fairly generic kamon, the synthetic lining, and the fact that there is a huge black reference number written on the lining in black marker. XD
The design is also very typically bridal, cranes are a standard motif for wedding items, and the pines are an auspicious design.
That all being said, I don’t care! I love it! I tried to tone down the wedding-y feel in this outfit by using a coloured obi and lavender accessories, rather than a gold obi with white accessories.
And behold, the huge orange menace in my life officially known as Vinnie
Going Bananas!
I’d been trying to abstain from buying anything new, honestly! I was just idly browsing ebay when I found this beauty. I need to learn not to Windows-shop, it just leads to me spending money I don’t have!
Basho, or banana leaf, is a bit of a weird motif. I’d associate it with summer – tropical muggy climates and whatnot, but since it’s not native to Japan I keep getting conflicting information about seasonality. It’s lined, so definitely between fall and spring. I plan to just wear the hell out if it whenever.
The leaves are yuzen-dyed in vivid shades of pink – from a deep raspberry to a pale cotton candy, with some icy blue accents, all highlighted subtly in gold. The sleeves are deliciously long, almost two feet. Taisho length, but it’s definitely a more modern piece. The lining is pale cream, with dark pink around the edges.
I’ve got no idea what I am going to pair it up with yet, but you can bet there will be photos when I figure it out!














