I was so excited to see this morning's post by Angie. She has some truly brilliant ideas for this challenging piece. And I've had these two kimonos in my closets for decades as we've moved from house to house. Of course, even though they were difficult to wear, I could never give them away. They're both authentic vintage kimonos I bought in my early twenties.
The short one is technically called a happi. I think it would have been worn by a merchant. Not sure how old it is, but probably at least six or more decades, though it's made of very resilient cotton and is in excellent condition.
I'm not sure if it's the most flattering length or if in general a short-waisted, busty apple should be wearing something like this, so let me know your thoughts. Kimono are really ideal for the typical shape of a Japanese woman--slender and slight and not big in the chest. That said, though I have not worn it in years, if it's coming back, I think I might try some of Angie's suggestions.
The second is a bonus piece It's a true vintage kimono...though I'm not sure why it's not floor-length. Will need to ask hubs later. It's probably close to a hundred years old, made of delicate silk. It's beautiful and I wore it as a 19-year-old to my brother's bar mitzvah with black tights and a wide red obi-like belt. Since then, nada. Here it looks like a bathrobe, really not well styled and just thrown on for the pic. I have no idea what to do with it or whether to even keep it (but again, cannot give away). Maybe with more weight loss and a better-defined waist it will look more appropriate. It's also much more fragile than the other piece. It kind of looks like a judge's robe here, but I assure you it's a gorgeous understated garment.
Anyway, thanks and arigato, Angie-san! Your suggestions are great and I hope to see this look out on the streets.
The short one is technically called a happi. I think it would have been worn by a merchant. Not sure how old it is, but probably at least six or more decades, though it's made of very resilient cotton and is in excellent condition.
I'm not sure if it's the most flattering length or if in general a short-waisted, busty apple should be wearing something like this, so let me know your thoughts. Kimono are really ideal for the typical shape of a Japanese woman--slender and slight and not big in the chest. That said, though I have not worn it in years, if it's coming back, I think I might try some of Angie's suggestions.
The second is a bonus piece It's a true vintage kimono...though I'm not sure why it's not floor-length. Will need to ask hubs later. It's probably close to a hundred years old, made of delicate silk. It's beautiful and I wore it as a 19-year-old to my brother's bar mitzvah with black tights and a wide red obi-like belt. Since then, nada. Here it looks like a bathrobe, really not well styled and just thrown on for the pic. I have no idea what to do with it or whether to even keep it (but again, cannot give away). Maybe with more weight loss and a better-defined waist it will look more appropriate. It's also much more fragile than the other piece. It kind of looks like a judge's robe here, but I assure you it's a gorgeous understated garment.
Anyway, thanks and arigato, Angie-san! Your suggestions are great and I hope to see this look out on the streets.
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