Hatsumode

Hatsumode 2020, the first time I get to wear this gorgeous super-formal kurotomesode featuring lions (komainu)! 

It is from Taisho era, a ~1920 kimono for 2020. Imitating 1920 and "geisha doll" style, I wore a formal shibori shouchikubai "lucky" pine-plum-bamboo obiage and eggplant-coloured obijime, a nod to the lucky eggplant of New Year's Day. Red and gold silk collar attached to the red and gold silk Taisho juban. 

This kurotomesode does not have an included white collar layer. One needs to be sewn in but I didn't have any suitable fabric. It is a layer that goes all the way back to the days of up to 15 layers, and back to the 1900s days of wearing two mirrored layers. Honestly, in Florida, it is too hot to wear so much. I was worried about wearing even this. 

White tabi, of course, the only kind proper for this kimono. I had brocade zori for the outfit, although I lamented not having matching gold ones for the obi.

I even managed to get the mon at the shoulders even this time! 

Golden obi with a kikko motif. Otaiko knot with the tesaki tied in the Kanto direction, with the end facing to the right side. Can you see it? The other direction is Kansai side. Kanto direction is Tokyo area, like Ibaraki, Chiba, Kanagawa districts. 

I need to sew in another layer for the skirt so that it has a dust-safe trailing layer... it'll be on the list of things to get fabric for... or perhaps a damaged kurotomesode to take apart...

Komainu are a type of shishi. These are a Buddhist symbol typically guarding temples. Some have their mouths open, to say Aaaa- while some have them shut, a sound like Unnn-. Together, they are A-un komainu. "A-un," like 'aum' or 'om'. Hatsumode is the New Year, especially the first shrine visit of the new year. This is the day you get a fortune told and if it's a bad one, you tie it to a tree (a Shinto idea) and it is mitigated for the year. 

We don't have such shrines here so the best that can be hoped for is to visit other Japanese and support their businesses and wish them good fortune. For that, of course, the kimono couldn't be worn trailing like this... but since the owner of Yoko's is in love with the style, of course, we had to show how it draped and floated for a short while...