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Thanks for the warning. I just tried on my Yukata and it still fits! whee whee whee

The problem is, I don't have a Kimono Hanger, so my Yukata is kind of wrinkly. Once I get the hanger, I'll throw it into the wash by itself than air-dry it on the hanger. I know it's 100% Cotton, but I'm scared that if I throw it in the dryer, it'll turn into a bleeding mess.

It's still on a western hanger. I've never folded my Yukata before.

I need to learn how to do that if it'll keep my Yukata nice. Do you have any tutorials on how to do that? I didn't find any in the link list.

Thanks.

I have to get off to the evening. Talk to you later...

I don't have a proper hadajuban, so I just wear a tank under my juban (when I'm doing proper kitsuke; last Wednesday, all of my clothes were in the wash, so I was running around the dorm in my yukata without much on underneath redface ). I'm always shocked at how expensive hadajuban are, considering a tank top and a slip (or even just a pair of shorts) do the job just as well. Or, heck, I might just head over to the linens section of Goodwill and pick up some old bedsheets and make my own; I've already got a susoyoke, so I'd just have to make the top half.

I'm hoping to someday buy a compression vest, the sort that FTM transmen wear; my girls also weigh in at about 34 F, and it seems like no matter how much I try to hide them for proper kitsuke, they insist on being counted present. It wreaks havoc on keeping your collars crisp and neat in the back... stare And really, there's no way I'd ever find a proper kimono bra that would fit me; most Asian women don't have the proportions of Tifa Lockhart.

I don't use datejime when I wear kimono. Mostly because I haven't bought any, but when I tie my himo, I just do a single overhand knot, then I pull the two free ends back in the direction that they originally started and tuck them under; it's less noticeable than a bow or other knots (so it doesn't need to be hidden under the datejime), and it's more secure, since the knot doesn't start to slip when you're messing with the loops. It's a trick I learned from my sensei when she was playing with my obi one day after class. (Still, my sensei had a very nice silk datejime; if I'm ever to buy some, I'll definitely be going that route.)


...In more recent news, I bought a gorgeous blue Iro Tomesode (it's a Taisho beauty), a white and blue fukuro obi (I like them, no matter how hard they are to tie), and A FREAKING DARK BLUE IROMUJI. I'm a very happy camper. I also found a juban with sleeves long enough to match my furisode! That made me an even happier camper, since my current juban sleeves are about 10 cm too short, and they look a little silly.

And I justified all of these purchases because I saved $125 on textbooks for this semester. (And my textbook stipend from the G.I. Bill will eventually come in...which I will probably use for more 'Japanese materials', since I've already paid for my books. XD)

Oooh, I'm looking at that shibori crane bolt, right there, it's gorgeous. lol Though with a pattern woven in, the wouldn't be considered tomesode, but iromuji (which I generally like better, for the pure fact that there's color in them).

I've only seen a few kurotomesode that took my breath away. Most of the ones which end up getting sold have very subtle designs along the veeeery bottom hem (so they're basically formal wear for someone about my grandmother's age). I mean, I like black, but I've already got a black kimono (too black; it's mofuku lol), so I don't need one that's just barely not all black.

You could probably get most of that for under $100, depending on where you look to buy kimono stuff. Kyoto Collection on eBay has a 'Yukata Accessories' kit that has a Hadajuban set, koshihimo, a korin belt (to replace a second himo), and an obi ita for a pretty good package price, and they also sell very nice kimono hangers (I own two). Sadly, they only sell pre-tied men's obi (because a man's obi knot is just so complicated. lol). I'm all about kimono bargain hunting. lol

What you could probably do is, if you ever find a good bargain on cloth by the yard here in the West, stock up on it. There are pattern guides to be found online for cutting equivalent kimono width strips from a Western bolt of fabric. By letting the okumi be wider, you could probably manage to make a kimono with relatively 'standard' panel sizes that would still fit you. Then just give it a lining, and voila. :3 (Of course, I've never sewed a kimono, so your mileage may vary; my grandma bought a bolt of yukata cloth, though, and we're going to try making it this summer.)

Just popping in to say hi cuz I haven't really posted.

Nice to meet some other kimono lovers!

Re: Bust size, I've started using sarashi, and I've not really had any trouble with the ladies (32/34 G) once I've dressed. I do also tend to use a lot of ties, so maybe I overcompensate to keep the collars in place? I don't know.

I also use the velcro datejime, and I don't have a problem with them; they're the only kind I've used. I usually had a ton of padding, so having a rubber datejime didn't really do anything. I guess I just got used to it or something.

@ Joseph: It's rude if you don't have permission. I know it'll be awkward, but if you remain professional and don't mention that you might have accidentally touched while tying, it won't matter. (Certainly don't say what my sensei said when she was tying my obi one day, 'Japanese women don't have this problem! *grabs my breasts for emphasis*' XDD) Or, if it makes you uncomfortable, you could teach her how to tie it instead. :3

@ Eleryth: How far down does the sarashi let you compress? I know I'm never going to get the prepubescent boy look when I bind, but even when I go whole hog with binding, I still have a noticeable bust. (Wow, all of us in this group have big girls, don't we? XDDD)

Most eBay merchants in Japan are pretty snappy with getting your orders out. :3 (They also tend to be very understanding about things like multiple auctions ending at different times, and they all try very hard with their English.)

My biggest danger is that I have my Paypal tied directly to my bank account, which means that I have no roadblocks to me spending all of my money. XDDD