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wendyzskiI wore faire garb to work on Friday - my green flemish, with the proper high-necked shift. It was hot. Then I came home to find my annoying creepy neighbor and his BF were moving out - all over the stairs. I actuallt fell trying to get around one large box, which proceeded to fall back down and dump its contents on the landing. I failed to care very much. I then rearranged my living room.
Saturday I slept in, did some chores, and then dressed to head over to Chez![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ashtalet. As everyone there would just laugh at the idea of faire clothing being a "costume" I put some more effort into my dress, and came up with a fair approximation of japanese clothing.
Granted, anyone who knows anything about kimono would notice that I was wearing the equivalent of a suit jacket and pearls with sweats and a T-shirt, but all the lines were correct and the colors harmonized pretty well, so I was pleased. I fashioned a half-slip and an under-collar from a pale blue fabric I had lying about (and which was actually used for my Flora costume a few years ago, and then it became curtains, and now kimono undergarments!) and some safety pins. Over it went my indigo print yukata and a sort of obi-age/sash/thing out of some traditional japanese indigo fabric I had - it has flowers and bunnies on it! Over that went a narrow obi (of the same blue fabric as the under-layers) tied in a shell knot in back, and I faked a date-jiime (obi cord) from the leftover bits of my new curtain lining. I put a sparkly hair comb in and wore my geta.
I suspect that I used rather more safety pins than the average japanese woman, but considering that the yukata is sized to a westerner's bathrobe, and that I have a VERY non-traditional-japanese figure (slender and cylindrical seems to be the ideal) I needed them. A sports bra suppressed my bosom reasonable well, but there was no way it was going to stay closed over my plump meat-fed western hips without some serious assistance!
It was also an interesting experience because I tried to remember all the bits of proper kimono body language that I had read about over the years - walking slightly pigeon-toed with small steps so as not to disarrange the kimono was actually pretty easy. I did show slip because the yukata was simply too small for my frame, but that was why I wore it. Sitting upright so as to not crush the bow in back worked on the bus but fell apart trying to sit on the couch. There is a reason that there are two different words for "to sit" (we would call it 'kneeling') and "to sit in a chair" (literally 'to drape your hips'). Getting onto the bus was a challenge as well. Geta are NOT suited to stairs. I also either wore my bag backpack style or carried it in my left-hand. Walking without swaying your arms was odd, but seemed to "go" with the smaller steps. It seemed to take FOREVER to walk anywhere. All in all, a slightly awkward but interesting experiment.
Came home for more futzing about the house and an early bed.
Today was an I-Go car and a trip to IKEA. Stopped at Loews to take advantage of a $10 off coupon and got a new cordless screwdriver, some wall anchors, a soap dish and toothbrush/cup thingie that both screw to the wall, and paint and tools to reninsh the bedroom furniture (all of which got me $8 over the minimum to use the coupon - go me!
IKEA was out of the shelving I had wanted but for $20 more I came up with a nice alternate plan. Also scored some under-shelf lights, another set of shelves for the living room, and random useful things (frame, bulbs, clothespins, closet-hanging-storage-thingie, tealight holders).
The "fallback to plan B" had used up sufficient time that I was unable to stop at Mistuwa as planned for yummy cheep sushi. (I has a sad.) But I got the car back only 6 minutes late and no one was waiting. It took 3 trips to haul my loot upstairs. The screwdriver is charging so I assembled the shelves, re-arranged all my books, reinforced the anti-pigeon screening on the back porch beams, and actually had some time to sit outside in the swingy-chair and read catalogues.
After dinner I plan to make a start on the shelves or do laundry.
Saturday I slept in, did some chores, and then dressed to head over to Chez
ashtalet. As everyone there would just laugh at the idea of faire clothing being a "costume" I put some more effort into my dress, and came up with a fair approximation of japanese clothing.Granted, anyone who knows anything about kimono would notice that I was wearing the equivalent of a suit jacket and pearls with sweats and a T-shirt, but all the lines were correct and the colors harmonized pretty well, so I was pleased. I fashioned a half-slip and an under-collar from a pale blue fabric I had lying about (and which was actually used for my Flora costume a few years ago, and then it became curtains, and now kimono undergarments!) and some safety pins. Over it went my indigo print yukata and a sort of obi-age/sash/thing out of some traditional japanese indigo fabric I had - it has flowers and bunnies on it! Over that went a narrow obi (of the same blue fabric as the under-layers) tied in a shell knot in back, and I faked a date-jiime (obi cord) from the leftover bits of my new curtain lining. I put a sparkly hair comb in and wore my geta.
I suspect that I used rather more safety pins than the average japanese woman, but considering that the yukata is sized to a westerner's bathrobe, and that I have a VERY non-traditional-japanese figure (slender and cylindrical seems to be the ideal) I needed them. A sports bra suppressed my bosom reasonable well, but there was no way it was going to stay closed over my plump meat-fed western hips without some serious assistance!
It was also an interesting experience because I tried to remember all the bits of proper kimono body language that I had read about over the years - walking slightly pigeon-toed with small steps so as not to disarrange the kimono was actually pretty easy. I did show slip because the yukata was simply too small for my frame, but that was why I wore it. Sitting upright so as to not crush the bow in back worked on the bus but fell apart trying to sit on the couch. There is a reason that there are two different words for "to sit" (we would call it 'kneeling') and "to sit in a chair" (literally 'to drape your hips'). Getting onto the bus was a challenge as well. Geta are NOT suited to stairs. I also either wore my bag backpack style or carried it in my left-hand. Walking without swaying your arms was odd, but seemed to "go" with the smaller steps. It seemed to take FOREVER to walk anywhere. All in all, a slightly awkward but interesting experiment.
Came home for more futzing about the house and an early bed.
Today was an I-Go car and a trip to IKEA. Stopped at Loews to take advantage of a $10 off coupon and got a new cordless screwdriver, some wall anchors, a soap dish and toothbrush/cup thingie that both screw to the wall, and paint and tools to reninsh the bedroom furniture (all of which got me $8 over the minimum to use the coupon - go me!
IKEA was out of the shelving I had wanted but for $20 more I came up with a nice alternate plan. Also scored some under-shelf lights, another set of shelves for the living room, and random useful things (frame, bulbs, clothespins, closet-hanging-storage-thingie, tealight holders).
The "fallback to plan B" had used up sufficient time that I was unable to stop at Mistuwa as planned for yummy cheep sushi. (I has a sad.) But I got the car back only 6 minutes late and no one was waiting. It took 3 trips to haul my loot upstairs. The screwdriver is charging so I assembled the shelves, re-arranged all my books, reinforced the anti-pigeon screening on the back porch beams, and actually had some time to sit outside in the swingy-chair and read catalogues.
After dinner I plan to make a start on the shelves or do laundry.
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-03 11:12 pm (UTC)I don't like to think of it as unfair. I like to think of it as mundane recognition of my excelant taste in money absorbing past times...
Ok, It might be an unfair advantage, but I am a rogue and a scoundrel. It says so on my business card.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-04 12:35 am (UTC)Last year I wore my court gown and a woman stopped me on Michigan Avenue and asked if it was for Halloween. I bit my tongue to keep from saying "oh, this old thing? I just dragged it out of the closet..." (cuz i did)