Kimono and Yukata (summer kimono) Class

This is Mashiko playing with Tayson and Tatum.  She was great with the kids and I was so happy she could help out with them while I was trying on kimonos.

The is a picture of Jeanne Downing and I with our new friends from the Naha District.  The sisters were so sweet to us and we loved every minute of learning about this part of their traditions.

This is an obi.  It is worn around the waist and tied in various bows in the back of a kimono.  This particular one was hand woven with real gold and cost 300,000 yen or around $3000.  This is partly why they are passed from generation to generation.

Here I am putting on the Yukata (summer kimono).  It is made of a lighter fabric and you only wear the one layer.  The yukata is worn shorter so you can move around easier.  Kimonos are all made to be one size fits all, so the sisters showed us how to adjust it to fit us correctly.

This obi (I'm not sure if that's what it's called on a yukata) is tied into the butterfly shape.  They also showed us another tie that looks just like a shell.  The shell is worn by more mature women and the butterfly by younger women and children.

Here I am putting on the first layer of a traditional kimono.  You don't wear anything underneath this including a bra.  You want to make your figure as unshapely as possibly so that the kimono and obi do not shift.  Obviously I am wearing all my clothes but you get the idea.  These undergarments are made to wick away the moisture.

This is the second layer to a kimono.  It is usually a lighter color that accents one of the colors in the obi.  If you can tell the collar is kind of hanging in the back and not right against the neck.  The japanese find the neck to be very beautiful and they sometimes paint white down the neck so accentuate it.   Also a piece of stiff cardboard like stuff is pushed into the collar fabric so it stays nice and stiff.

This the the third layer and the actual kimono.  Kimonos are made very well and can last 200 years.  A 200 year old kimono can be worth $100,000.  The kimono color is chosen to accent the obi as well.  Once the kimono was on they put a flat cardboard piece at my waist with a tie around it to make me as flat as possible.  It got really late so we were not able to tie the obi because it takes quite a bit of time.  I was kind of sad.  I would love to do this again and have all the makeup and hair done too.  It would be so much fun.