Kimonos, Japanese Fabric, and Cosplay

Well, here we are. After a long, long absence, I've decided to try my hand at blogging again. In this particular post, which will probably be on-going, I'll be breaking down the complexities of traditional Japanese clothing and trying to modify it to fit my cosplaying/costuming needs.

I'm currently in the process of making a kimono from a Simplicity costume pattern (see link below) for my final project in Beginning Sewing. While it's not really geared toward beginners, I still felt compelled to give the pattern a shot, seeing as a good portion of my future cosplay plans all have a distinct Japanese flare to them.

From a costuming perspective, the pattern is pretty manageable--despite the instructions being rather unclear at times. There are shortcuts like snaps and pins, mostly where the obi is concerned, and it gives you the option of making a short-sleeved kimono, or a furisode, a long-sleeved kimono. Sounds pretty doable, right?

So how does one go about making a costume look as authentic as possible? I'd have to say: research. And boy, is there a lot to go through. From seasonal colors to seasonal patterns, all the way to age appropriate garments, there are a lot of rules to kimono wearing.

To be quite honest, I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of information I've had to compile in order to even remotely understand the kimono and its history. I'm sure the best way to collect any sort of information is to place yourself at its source, but seeing as I'm not able to actually live in Japan, let alone visit at this time, I'll have to make due.

My first go-to sources are always my books. The Book of Kimono: The Complete Guide to Style and Wear  has to be one of the better second-hand finds I've ever purchased. Another would be Kimono: Fashioning Culture which is written by Liza Dalby, author of Geisha.

Both books cover the different types of kimono, the accessories, a brief history, and lots of wonderful pictures. Norio Yamanaka's Book of Kimono even has two chapters (one for women, the other for men and children) on how to properly layer and wear a kimono.

The second, and most obvious source that I use, would have to be the internet. The Kimono Lady is one of the best reference blogs out there, and while she's said 'adieu' to this particular blog, the material is still too good to pass up. Another great blog is wafuku.wordpress.com, but the last updated post was back in February 2013. (Not that I'm anyone to judge.)

So now that I have all of this reference material (and this is a very condensed amount of actual materials I have on-hand), how do I go about applying it? 'To the best of your abilities' is my answer. I'm constantly having to remind myself that I'm going for a costume piece, and not an authentic, true-to-wear kimono. However, that being said, I don't want to purchase the wrong kind of fabric, or have my outfit looking cheap either. And this is where the fun begins!

Fabric buying is the highlight of my sewing journey. It can be challenging to find exactly what you're looking for, but once you do, it makes the whole experience that much more rewarding. Some of my favorite websites specifically for Japanese fabrics are Etsy, Ichiroya, and Fabric Tales. I've also had some luck at JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby, but their selections vary and Japanese prints are very difficult to come by.

Just as I said above, there are a lot of rules to wearing kimono, and there are a lot of rules concerning the different fabrics too. However, in this particular instance, I feel comfortable enough to bend them with a costume piece.

The fabric on the right (purchased at JoAnn's) is 100% cotton. Normally, patterned cotton/cotton-polyester blends are generally used for yukata, but with such a rich pattern, I've decided to go ahead and make a furisode with it.

The obi, which traditionally pulls a brighter color from the pattern on the robe, will probably need some tweaking too. I've found some really great obi fabrics on Etsy, but nothing seems to come in solid pieces -- guess I'll be fudging the all-important belt (and fighting my perfectionism the whole time in the process).

More pictures, thoughts, and updated information will be coming (relatively) soon. If you have any suggestions, questions, or related material please comment below or send me a message.

As always, enjoy and wish me luck! ありがとう!

Simplicity Kimono Pattern: http://www.joann.com/simplicity-pattern-4080hh-misses-costumes-sz-6-12/11102019.html#q=simplicity+kimono&start=1
Gate 7 image via minitokyo.net 
The Book of Kimono image via antiqbook.com 
Fabric image via me, myself, and I 

Update: This post was originally intended for publication back in the Spring of 2014. I've now completed my Intermediate Sewing class, and just finished my Advanced Sewing project on March 15th. Next up is a Dress/Corset Making course, which will help out with my current cosplaying endeavor -- which I'm hoping to share with everyone soon.