This week's video is up, a popular reader/home sewer/costumer request for a closer look at the details of a kimono and related accessories. Part 1 covers kimono, and Part 2 next week will be obi and accessories. Please pardon our cats playing in the background!
Showing posts with label men's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label men's. Show all posts
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Kimono Costumes: Geisha and "Samurai Darth Maul"
I'm sometimes asked what I do with the kimono I collect. The answer is usually "wear them when I have the opportunity" or "show them at educational panels," but as a costuming geek I also have fun working them into costumes when I can.
So a couple of weeks ago at Houston's Comicpalooza convention (awesome, can't wait for next year!) I wore these two:
Geisha "Ayame"
This costume has been a long labor of love as I kept an eye out for pieces in my price range, but I finally pieced together a decent "starter" geisha look! It involves a hikizuri (trailing kimono often worn during dance performances) in my favorite color, a hakata obi (traditional geometric weave pattern classically seen on geisha) worn in a style particular to geisha, two-color dance fans, and a human-hair katsura (wig) in a styling very similar to a geisha's.
"Ayame" 菖蒲 means "iris" and is a flower that fits me for a couple of reasons: it blooms in my birth month (May) and is often seen in my favorite color, purple. :)
My kitsuke (kimono-wearing) skills need a lot of practice, but I loved this costume and will definitely wear it again.
"Samurai" Darth Maul
This next costume comes from the fact I'm aiming for an eventual full Darth Maul (Star Wars) costume, because I love challenges in costuming, but due to funding and time only had half of it done by the convention. My choices if I wanted to do it anyway were a white T-shirt with "rest of costume goes here" worn over my linen black pants and Frank Thomas black boots, or my idea to do a nod to the awesome Star Wars "ukiyo-e" paintings I saw on the Immortal Geisha forums a long while back, which featured the characters as classical Japanese nobles, samurai, demons, etc.
So I bring you a loosely-inspired "Samurai Darth Maul" in punk black hakama by indies brand Qutie Frash, a formal men's kimono and haori, boken practice sword, men's geta, and a whole lot of paint!
It was well-received at the con (Darth Maul barely talks, so with binding and a silent swagger the costume seemed to work, as I was taken for a guy all day) and an artist actually came running up to me excited because he did a series of paintings, apparently, featuring Star Wars characters in "real life" and one was a Maul samurai. It was a lot of fun all around, though I will say to any guys reading that it was tough figuring out how to walk like a guy. ;)
I will also say that after all the prep time and work that goes into Maul (bald cap, handmade horns, full head of paint) the geisha makeup seems like a breeze in comparison.
So there are two of my own kimono-based costumes! If you've done any you'd like to share, any costume that involves a kimono, please send me a link or picture! I'd love to see them. :)
So a couple of weeks ago at Houston's Comicpalooza convention (awesome, can't wait for next year!) I wore these two:
Geisha "Ayame"
This costume has been a long labor of love as I kept an eye out for pieces in my price range, but I finally pieced together a decent "starter" geisha look! It involves a hikizuri (trailing kimono often worn during dance performances) in my favorite color, a hakata obi (traditional geometric weave pattern classically seen on geisha) worn in a style particular to geisha, two-color dance fans, and a human-hair katsura (wig) in a styling very similar to a geisha's.
"Ayame" 菖蒲 means "iris" and is a flower that fits me for a couple of reasons: it blooms in my birth month (May) and is often seen in my favorite color, purple. :)
My kitsuke (kimono-wearing) skills need a lot of practice, but I loved this costume and will definitely wear it again.
"Samurai" Darth Maul
This next costume comes from the fact I'm aiming for an eventual full Darth Maul (Star Wars) costume, because I love challenges in costuming, but due to funding and time only had half of it done by the convention. My choices if I wanted to do it anyway were a white T-shirt with "rest of costume goes here" worn over my linen black pants and Frank Thomas black boots, or my idea to do a nod to the awesome Star Wars "ukiyo-e" paintings I saw on the Immortal Geisha forums a long while back, which featured the characters as classical Japanese nobles, samurai, demons, etc.
So I bring you a loosely-inspired "Samurai Darth Maul" in punk black hakama by indies brand Qutie Frash, a formal men's kimono and haori, boken practice sword, men's geta, and a whole lot of paint!
It was well-received at the con (Darth Maul barely talks, so with binding and a silent swagger the costume seemed to work, as I was taken for a guy all day) and an artist actually came running up to me excited because he did a series of paintings, apparently, featuring Star Wars characters in "real life" and one was a Maul samurai. It was a lot of fun all around, though I will say to any guys reading that it was tough figuring out how to walk like a guy. ;)
I will also say that after all the prep time and work that goes into Maul (bald cap, handmade horns, full head of paint) the geisha makeup seems like a breeze in comparison.
So there are two of my own kimono-based costumes! If you've done any you'd like to share, any costume that involves a kimono, please send me a link or picture! I'd love to see them. :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Ichiroya Update: Meiji-Era Kabuki Costume
Online dealer Ichiroya's update tonight includes a flashy Kabuki samurai costume kataginu (the big pointy shoulder vest) from the Meiji period, which was 1868-1912. Who says women have all the fun outfits? :D
Monday, September 20, 2010
Cosplay: Can You Use Real Kimono for Bleach Characters?
So lately I've gotten sucked into the anime Bleach. Yes, I'm amazingly late to the party, but you'll have to forgive me. I have a soft spot for stubborn heroes with giant swords (my favorite series ever is good old Berserk).
Now that I've seen a few episodes, I better understand some of the questions I've gotten from people at conventions and festivals about using kimono with Bleach characters. If you're curious, here's a quick breakdown of the differences between what your average Shinigami is wearing compared to traditional clothing.
Kimono (top half visually): The collar and drape are similar to a real black men's kimono, but the entire front of the sleeve is open. On non-martial arts kimono the hole is only long enough for the hand to stick through, and is sewn shut the rest of the way down. The white you see along the sleeves and collar in the outfit is likely intended to be the underrobe (juban).
Hakama (bottom half, pants): These look to be largely the same, but traditional hakama ties are the same color and material as the rest of the hakama. The Shinigami have contrasting ties.
Tabi (socks) and straw zori (sandals): These look to be the same as traditional versions.
Captain's Coats (the white ones): The coats appear to be based on men's haori (kimono jackets) as they hang down the front rather than fold over, but the designs along the hems are not traditional, and the sleeves are wholly open again when normal ones are sewn shut below the wrist, like the above-mentioned kimono.
So, could you use traditional clothes to create a basic Shinigami costume? I think so. Here's what you'd need:
1. Black men's kimono and white juban (men's or women's, as women's are easier to find online in all white)- Use a seam ripper on the sleeve hole opening of the kimono and resew the hem along it to make it completely open.
EDIT (9/26/10): Having seen a few more episodes, it looks like the back of the sleeves are open too! Long story short, that means a woman's kimono is more accurate to the costume because men's sleeves and the body's side seams are sewn shut. In women's they're open (the side seam several inches), where you could physically stick your hand into the side of a woman's kimono under her arm and also into her sleeve from the back (the wider women's obi types normally cover up the side seam opening in normal kimono wearing).
Juban, the underkimono, shouldn't need any resewing as the sleeves on juban are normally open in the front, but you'll need a long, inch-wide strip of soft, non-slick fabric to tie it shut before you put the kimono on over it. Anything thinner will cut into your skin over the course of a day.
2. Men's obi- This is worn over the kimono but under the hakama pants and is what keeps your kimono shut. The knot you tie in the back also helps create the bump seen under the pants in the back. As this isn't really seen except as a tiny line above the hakama ties (if you want to be traditional about it rather than hide it entirely), this could easily be faked with a cheaper substitute made of stiff fabric.
3. Men's black hakama- Cut off the normal ties and use them as guides to sew your own out of the white fabric of your choice.
4. Captain's coat- This gets trickier as men's haori don't often come in white. You'd probably be better off making your own than trying to find a vintage haori and altering it.
5. Tabi and zori- Check Ebay and online dealers for these as they're ready to go as is. Straw zori can be a bit tougher to find, however, as well as larger sizes.
If you assemble all or some of this down the road and would like to know how to traditionally put it on, there are some good videos on Youtube for dressing in kimono and hakama with a lean toward the martial arts angle (which I think the Shinigami definitely fall under!). My favorite is an easy-to-follow series by an Iaido practioner, which starts with this video on clothing basics and continues on with Part 2 (hakama), and more if you're interested in how to wear a katana. etc.
The sharp-eyed of you will immediately note he has white ties on his hakama, but he explains early on that he switched them out to a different color to make them easier to see. ;)
Kimono images courtesy Ichiroya and used with permission.
Now that I've seen a few episodes, I better understand some of the questions I've gotten from people at conventions and festivals about using kimono with Bleach characters. If you're curious, here's a quick breakdown of the differences between what your average Shinigami is wearing compared to traditional clothing.
Main character Ichigo Kurosaki in the standard Shinigami uniform.
Kimono (top half visually): The collar and drape are similar to a real black men's kimono, but the entire front of the sleeve is open. On non-martial arts kimono the hole is only long enough for the hand to stick through, and is sewn shut the rest of the way down. The white you see along the sleeves and collar in the outfit is likely intended to be the underrobe (juban).
Hakama (bottom half, pants): These look to be largely the same, but traditional hakama ties are the same color and material as the rest of the hakama. The Shinigami have contrasting ties.
Tabi (socks) and straw zori (sandals): These look to be the same as traditional versions.
Captain's Coats (the white ones): The coats appear to be based on men's haori (kimono jackets) as they hang down the front rather than fold over, but the designs along the hems are not traditional, and the sleeves are wholly open again when normal ones are sewn shut below the wrist, like the above-mentioned kimono.
So, could you use traditional clothes to create a basic Shinigami costume? I think so. Here's what you'd need:
1. Black men's kimono and white juban (men's or women's, as women's are easier to find online in all white)- Use a seam ripper on the sleeve hole opening of the kimono and resew the hem along it to make it completely open.
EDIT (9/26/10): Having seen a few more episodes, it looks like the back of the sleeves are open too! Long story short, that means a woman's kimono is more accurate to the costume because men's sleeves and the body's side seams are sewn shut. In women's they're open (the side seam several inches), where you could physically stick your hand into the side of a woman's kimono under her arm and also into her sleeve from the back (the wider women's obi types normally cover up the side seam opening in normal kimono wearing).
Juban, the underkimono, shouldn't need any resewing as the sleeves on juban are normally open in the front, but you'll need a long, inch-wide strip of soft, non-slick fabric to tie it shut before you put the kimono on over it. Anything thinner will cut into your skin over the course of a day.
2. Men's obi- This is worn over the kimono but under the hakama pants and is what keeps your kimono shut. The knot you tie in the back also helps create the bump seen under the pants in the back. As this isn't really seen except as a tiny line above the hakama ties (if you want to be traditional about it rather than hide it entirely), this could easily be faked with a cheaper substitute made of stiff fabric.
3. Men's black hakama- Cut off the normal ties and use them as guides to sew your own out of the white fabric of your choice.
4. Captain's coat- This gets trickier as men's haori don't often come in white. You'd probably be better off making your own than trying to find a vintage haori and altering it.
5. Tabi and zori- Check Ebay and online dealers for these as they're ready to go as is. Straw zori can be a bit tougher to find, however, as well as larger sizes.
If you assemble all or some of this down the road and would like to know how to traditionally put it on, there are some good videos on Youtube for dressing in kimono and hakama with a lean toward the martial arts angle (which I think the Shinigami definitely fall under!). My favorite is an easy-to-follow series by an Iaido practioner, which starts with this video on clothing basics and continues on with Part 2 (hakama), and more if you're interested in how to wear a katana. etc.
The sharp-eyed of you will immediately note he has white ties on his hakama, but he explains early on that he switched them out to a different color to make them easier to see. ;)
Kimono images courtesy Ichiroya and used with permission.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Convention Questions: Men's Colors
Whenever I go to a con to do a panel or to sell, I try to remember questions I get asked a lot. At this convention I've had several guys ask about men's kimono colors and patterns, as in what range do men have?
This is actually a quick and easy answer: if you go to any men's store here in the West and look around at the suits and business wear, you'll see the same color palette used in men's kimono and clothing (minus rare exceptions like Kabuki costumes, etc.). Black, grey, dark blues, browns, beiges, maybe the occasional light blue or light neutrals, are the norm. Patterns, if used, are very small and sedate, again like Western suits.
Thanks so much to everyone who's stopped by the booth so far and see you again tomorrow!
This is actually a quick and easy answer: if you go to any men's store here in the West and look around at the suits and business wear, you'll see the same color palette used in men's kimono and clothing (minus rare exceptions like Kabuki costumes, etc.). Black, grey, dark blues, browns, beiges, maybe the occasional light blue or light neutrals, are the norm. Patterns, if used, are very small and sedate, again like Western suits.
Thanks so much to everyone who's stopped by the booth so far and see you again tomorrow!
Friday, August 6, 2010
How Much? - Men's Formal Outfit
Notes and Disclaimers: If you're thinking about putting together a kimono look, to wear normally or for a cosplay or costume, you might be wondering how much you're probably going to spend. I've seen hideously overpriced items in my time collecting, and ones that are real steals. This ongoing series, "How Much?" will give you my highly subjective, personal experiences in Kimono Price Land on what is a good price, what you should snap up immediately and what you should pass on with raised eyebrows. ;)
Before I get started, and I'll repeat this in every entry for this series, it's not impossible to occasionally see a really high-priced item, due to age or rarity, etc. However, most of the time in my opinion you're more likely to see prices in this range. I pull my estimates from a long time spent on Ebay looking at vintage pieces, online with various vintage dealers, and a bit of convention-going thrown in. Brand-new kimono items, please note, will often be astronomically higher (thousands of dollars for a kimono-obi set).
The lowest price is the lowest price I've ever seen, and the highest I consider reasonable, give or take a few bucks, with both prices including shipping if you see this on an online site. Usually most pricing will fall around the middle.
Kuro Mon-tsuki (Men's Formal Kimono-Ensemble)
For any guys reading, or cosplayers/crossdressers/interested women, tonight's "how much" installment will be for the most formal of men's outfits, the sort of thing you'd get married in or get photographed in for New Year's cards, etc.
The * indicates things that can be left out or faked in a pinch to lower the cost. (In truth, budget-minded costumers could, for once in kimono-land, sew an entire version of this outfit from scratch and have it come out pretty well as there's no dyed patterns you'd have to mimic beyond getting striped fabric for the hakama and finding a way to get the crests going up top.)
For the real deal or closer to it you'll need:
-a men's juban (underkimono, * - can be faked with a collar insert of plain fabric, which can also be added on top of the juban but under the top kimono as a faked layer) $20-$90
-men's 5-family-crest black kimono and matching haori jacket (sometimes sold as a set) $50-$150
-men's obi* (As you can see, this is hidden under the hakama for the most part so a stiff piece of fabric can be used in a pinch) $40-$80
-white/grey and black striped men's hakama pants $35-$100
-tabi socks $15-$30
-men's zori sandals $35-$80
-white "puffball" haori jacket ties* (basically two cords frizzed and teased out at the ends) $20-$40
Before I get started, and I'll repeat this in every entry for this series, it's not impossible to occasionally see a really high-priced item, due to age or rarity, etc. However, most of the time in my opinion you're more likely to see prices in this range. I pull my estimates from a long time spent on Ebay looking at vintage pieces, online with various vintage dealers, and a bit of convention-going thrown in. Brand-new kimono items, please note, will often be astronomically higher (thousands of dollars for a kimono-obi set).
The lowest price is the lowest price I've ever seen, and the highest I consider reasonable, give or take a few bucks, with both prices including shipping if you see this on an online site. Usually most pricing will fall around the middle.
Kuro Mon-tsuki (Men's Formal Kimono-Ensemble)
For any guys reading, or cosplayers/crossdressers/interested women, tonight's "how much" installment will be for the most formal of men's outfits, the sort of thing you'd get married in or get photographed in for New Year's cards, etc.
The * indicates things that can be left out or faked in a pinch to lower the cost. (In truth, budget-minded costumers could, for once in kimono-land, sew an entire version of this outfit from scratch and have it come out pretty well as there's no dyed patterns you'd have to mimic beyond getting striped fabric for the hakama and finding a way to get the crests going up top.)
For the real deal or closer to it you'll need:
-a men's juban (underkimono, * - can be faked with a collar insert of plain fabric, which can also be added on top of the juban but under the top kimono as a faked layer) $20-$90
-men's 5-family-crest black kimono and matching haori jacket (sometimes sold as a set) $50-$150
-men's obi* (As you can see, this is hidden under the hakama for the most part so a stiff piece of fabric can be used in a pinch) $40-$80
-white/grey and black striped men's hakama pants $35-$100
-tabi socks $15-$30
-men's zori sandals $35-$80
-white "puffball" haori jacket ties* (basically two cords frizzed and teased out at the ends) $20-$40
Friday, May 21, 2010
Cheap Men's Obi on Ebay
Ryu Japan has 18 vintage silk men's obi up for auction on Ebay with all of the auctions ending in about 8-9 hours, around 4pm Central Time here in the States. The starting price for each is $0.99 plus $8 for shipping, though most have crept up to $4 and $9.
Even with the $9 ones, these obi usually run between $40-60 in my experience, so the auctions will likely remain a good deal if you've been after a men's kaku obi to add to your collection.
Even with the $9 ones, these obi usually run between $40-60 in my experience, so the auctions will likely remain a good deal if you've been after a men's kaku obi to add to your collection.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Holidays - Boys' Day!
As touched on in a previous post, today (May 5th, Japan time) is Boys' Day, officially called Children's Day こどもの日 but in practice meant for a family's sons.
Carp banners, called koinobori 鯉幟, are flown and displays of a traditional helmet are shown in the family home, along with a Kintaro 金太郎 doll (Kintaro is a famous folktale character known for his strength from a young age). The idea with the displays and holiday is to wish for blessings and a young son's growth into a strong, healthy man.
A neat detail I just learned reading up for this post: the koinobori flags show the family men, with the father at the top, eldest son next, and then each younger son underneath. I saw these flags every year in Japan but never realized there was a pattern to the number and colors.
(Another account says the red one is the mother, but as the first source gives the children's song sung along and I can read the Japanese, I agree with the first source that the red one is a kid and not the mom.)
A neat detail I just learned reading up for this post: the koinobori flags show the family men, with the father at the top, eldest son next, and then each younger son underneath. I saw these flags every year in Japan but never realized there was a pattern to the number and colors.
(Another account says the red one is the mother, but as the first source gives the children's song sung along and I can read the Japanese, I agree with the first source that the red one is a kid and not the mom.)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cosplayers: Hakama and Sword Tutorial Videos
The night before I wore my pseudo-samurai get-up at Comicpalooza, over at Youtube I found a series of very helpful videos that included a general demo for putting on men's hakama and tying your sword on, with clearly-shown steps and English instructions.
Part 2 covers hakama, and 3 goes over wearing the sword. These videos are intended for those practicing Iaido, the art of the sword, but from what I can tell they'd work for general costuming/dressing as well. Enjoy!
Part 2 covers hakama, and 3 goes over wearing the sword. These videos are intended for those practicing Iaido, the art of the sword, but from what I can tell they'd work for general costuming/dressing as well. Enjoy!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Men's Clothing: Kamishimo
After the Saigo Takamori book review I did yesterday, I saw Ichiroya's update for tomorrow/Tuesday and thought I'd keep the samurai love going for another day.
Ichiroya's put up two vintage kamishimo (裃), which normally refer to a whole men's outfit made up of three things: hakama pants, a formal kimono, and a kataginu, a sleeveless jacket/vest with giant, reinforced anime-sized shoulders sticking out to either side. I'm not sure if Ichiroya's two were for actual wear or stage costumes of some kind, as they're not lined and I don't know if actual ones usually were or not.
Kamishimo were traditionally worn by samurai and courtiers back in the Edo period (1600s to mid-1800s) and is not an outfit you'd normally see around today on a guy. But if you're interested in history or cosplay, it's handy to know what the whole look is called!
Ichiroya's put up two vintage kamishimo (裃), which normally refer to a whole men's outfit made up of three things: hakama pants, a formal kimono, and a kataginu, a sleeveless jacket/vest with giant, reinforced anime-sized shoulders sticking out to either side. I'm not sure if Ichiroya's two were for actual wear or stage costumes of some kind, as they're not lined and I don't know if actual ones usually were or not.
Kamishimo were traditionally worn by samurai and courtiers back in the Edo period (1600s to mid-1800s) and is not an outfit you'd normally see around today on a guy. But if you're interested in history or cosplay, it's handy to know what the whole look is called!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)