Japanese Kimono

Posts Tagged ‘robe’

Question: Does anyone have anyone good idea for girl scouts ?

we are doing thinking day and our country is japan we do not know what to wear we thought about just wearing bath robes and fixing them up like kimonos we also wanted to bring tea and pass out chopsticks for ur hair as swaps and we all bought some tradtional japanese shoes (u know the wooden click clack flip flops ) do u have any ways and ideas we can improve or make our costumes and swaps better ? btw we learned how to say hello and goodbye ! , thankyou please be honest

Answer: Skip the costumes. Bathrobes are not substitutes for kimono and chopsticks are for eating, not wearing in the hair, so I have to admit I find the idea of passing out chopsticks for the hair and fixing up bathrobes to look like kimono to be pretty offensive. If you want to have something involving kimono for your day, see if there are any people in your area who study or collect kimono and would be willing to be involved. It might take a bit of hunting to find, but I'm sure if you asked around a lot or found a way to post something in your local newspaper you could find someone if there is such a person in your area. There are a lot of things you can include in your swap:

- chopsticks FOR EATING. Japanese chopsticks are usually wood or plastic and have a very narrow tip compared to Chinese chopsticks. Google "Japanese chopstick etiquette" and use the resources you find to made some little cards to pass out with the chopsticks.
- Learn a few basic origami patterns. You could learn very simple ones like boats and hats, or go with something very traditional like cranes. Include them in your swap. Consider including a piece of origami paper and instructions on how to make whatever you made.
- Seasonal things are important in Japan. Figure out what season your day will be in, and try to incorporate some Japanese themes for that season into your day. For example, the flowers for spring are things like cherries, irises, and wisteria. Winter flowers include camellia, pine, and plum. See if you can get some silk flowers or make them out of paper and decorate your area.
- Learn about tsumami kanzashi. They are hair ornaments traditionally made with silk, but they can really be made with anything. See if you can get some cheap blank barrettes or hair pins of some sort, get some fabric that you like either on sale or second-hand from clothing that is too damaged to be worn anymore, and make some basic hair flowers. Lots of fun to make and much more accurate for your hair than chopsticks.
- Don't try to do a tea ceremony. It takes a while to learn to do it properly. But do have tea available (preferably green tea and black tea, you could also include things like lemon tea and provide milk and sugar for making milk tea) and see if you can buy or make some small Japanese sweets. A proper tea ceremony usually includes very bitter green tea served with a traditional Japanese sweet.
- Get a CD of traditional Japanese music to play in the background.
- Keep in mind that you're dealing with a modern culture that people still live in, and as such you need to be respectful with whatever you do. When in doubt, Google it or look it up in a book before you do anything.

Want a Halloween costume? Get one from me!

Question: I have 1920s Chinese clothing with matching shoes. How much is it worth?

My father traveled a lot in the military. Back in the 1920s he went to Japan and acquired a kimono along with matching shoes. (handmade with cloth and wood) There was two sets.
One is black silk with matching shoes that are lined with fur.
While the other is just the top. Which is hand embroidered.
None of them ave any tags.
I was just wondering as to much I can possibly get if I were to sell these items?

Thank you for any feedback you can give.

Answer: Hard to say without seeing pictures, since there are a lot of other details that are important (e.g. what KIND of kimono are they, what condition are they in, etc) and would help determine the price range. Antiques can go for a much higher price than other kinds of kimono, but not all antiques are worth the same amount.