The Vintage Silhouettes that inspired the Kimono

[daizawaguy]

I recently received my first fedora from Art Fawcett. I wanted to try the natural featherweight, as at the time it was the only color in featherweight (although I believe now there are some 7-10 colors), as it was approaching summer here. A month or so later I received a email from Art with a choice of ribbons. Art could not match my request for autumnal hues combination due to stock, so I let him chose something original. What came was a great surprise - I am a collector of Japanese antiques, and admired the sence that Art had put into the colors - so much so that it could inspire a Kimono!

Art was a pleasure to deal with, and always prompt at replying, and the hat is beyond my expectations - everything I have read about Art and his hats can only be confirmed.

Here is the hat on an antique maroon Kimono obi band, the reverse of which is grey checks:

Second includes a pink from a more modern obi band:

 

[daizawaguy]

 

[daizawaguy]

Larger Photos

 

[HDRnR]

Very cool hat, I like the short brim with what seems like a standard fedora type crown. What does the brim measure ?

 

[Feraud]

A very classy looking fedora.
Art did a great job on the ribbon design.

 

[Stoney]

Congrats

Very original design and great looking lid.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[MG-B]

Fabulous

Beautiful hat with great ribbon work! Another work of Art!

Wear it in good health.


MG-B

 

[LaMedicine]

I suppose kimono silk might work as a hat band, especially in a puggaree form.

Kimono bolts are either about 14" wide for women's and about 16" for men's, though about 40' long, so you'll have to take that into consideration. Of the various kimono fabrics, probably a good tsumugi (pongee) would be the best choice. Other than the obi-jime (obi bands) there are also han-eri (half collar) fabrics and obi-age(obi bustles) that you might consider. Of the obi-age, shobiri (tie-dyed--used mostly with furisode) might be a fun fabric to try.
The obi/sash is probably too thick, though.

 

[ScionPI2005]

I agree, that's a very original design, that ribbon looks very good. I like the shorter brim on this one.

 

[daizawaguy]

Brim size

1 7/8" is the size, cut down from the original order of 2 1/4" as during the first few weeks after placing the order I realized I wanted both something original, as well as realizing that it was the best fit for my face. Thanks for the comments, but compliments to Art.

 

[WEEGEE]

.!.!.

Very Fine...Very...Cool!

 

[grey ghost]

nice.....love the color..............

 

[LaMedicine]

You are the kimono expert!

Maybe the best kind of a hat to do this on would be a Panama, where a little bit of color and eccentricity wouldn't seem out of place.

At the Tokorozawa Shun-no-Ichi festival last weekend a vendor was selling odds and ends of new kimono fabric, not to mention other flea market vendors who were selling used kimonos and obis and various tradesman robes and the like.

Where is kimono fabric generally sold? I used to visit the Nippori fabric district, but I don't remember seeing kimono fabric.

http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~nippori/map/map.html

There's also a tailoring district south of Akihabara, east of Kanda/Jinbocho, with shops that sell fabrics and tailoring supplies.

I AM a kimono expert. lol I have certification for intermediate level kimono culture expert from the Japan Kimono Promotion Association. I will be taking the exam for senior level this fall, though, judging from the intermidate level exam last year, I expect it to be tough.

Going fftopic: here, but since I know that daizawaguy is also interested in kimonos.
Most kimono fabrics are sold at kimono shops. Kimonos are, basically, sold as fabric, and made to order, not sewn in factories then sold in store fronts. As a matter of fact, things used be when I was still a child, that most fabrics are sold as white bolts, and the design and color choices made by the customer, by going through the pattern samples and color samples that the stores showed to the customers. This is still done on occasions, and I have a few kimonos made that way, including the one I am wearing in my avatar. Often, the store clerks would visit the homes of the customers with a few bolts of different quality textile, and have the person choose both the fabric and design, which are then hand illustrated and hand dyed. So, kimonos basically were "original and one and only" products. Since individual production is expensive these days, though, most bolts are sold pre-designed, but still hand illustrated/printed and dyed.

As far as I know, the kimono stores all have their individual routes of stocking. The buyers go to local unions and guilds. This is because kimonos are very much local products, especially what we call "ori" the majority of them being pongees, weaves where the threads are pre-dyed and woven to produce intricate patterns, so there are as may ori types as there are regions. With the "some" the ones designed and dyed on a white fabric, there are also many ways of designing and dyeing, which also are localised, so again, the local guilds and unions serve as the clearing house. Hence, you get kimono stores that are strong in some areas, weak in others.

I am not a good judge at dating kimonos--I am not an antiques expert, but there are certain designs and specifics that can point to a certain period that is easily recognised.

I am willing to meet up with you two to give you a few pointers, as "a picture is worth a thousand words", it's easier to explain with the real stuff in front of you, and as I would like people who are interested in having correct knowlege of our beautiful traditional costumes.

Incidentally, not to get off the hat topic, it is quite fine for men to wear hats with their kimonos, but not so for women. As a matter of fact, there is a pic buried somewhere at home, of my grandfather in a casual kimono and hat.

 

[LaMedicine]

Proof that it's okay for men to wear hats with kimonos.

My grandfather, 1953. He's wearing a yukata, as this was taken at the end of June on the beach a few minutes from my grandparents' home in Kagoshima.

Going fftopic: again.
Ahhhh, Tokorozawa is late to catch on the latest kimono fad.lol I wear one every chance I get.
Come to Tokyo, and you'll see a few women wearing kimonos here and there. Mostly women in my age bracket, but quite a few younger women too. Vintage/antique kimonos have been a fad for the last few years, so during the colder season, I see from time to time women who obviously are in their 20s wearing kimonos that probably were their mothers'. I have even seen women wearing kimonos despite the weather--rain is a big enemy for silk kimonos.
A friend who's a fellow kimono aficionado and I sometimes IM each other messages like "I got a Shirataka." "That's nice, I'm waiting for the phone call that my Shiozawa is ready." "Okay, we need to make a kimono date."lol
Class reunion time always find a few kimonos among the western wear, and in the case of our class, the number is steadily increasing. As a matter of fact, at my last med school class reunion, 3 (including me) of the 10 women in our class attended in kimonos, which made a couple of other women complain that had they known we would show up in kimonos, they would have worn one as well. And no, we did not conspire beforehand.

Please forgive me for hijacking your thread, daizawaguy, but I did warn you, if someone starts me on kimonos, you'll all get an earful.

 

[Feraud]

Slightly off topic again but...

Proof that it's okay for men to wear hats with kimonos.

My grandfather, 1953. He's wearing a yukata, as this was taken at the end of June on the beach a few minutes from my grandparents' home in Kagoshima.

Thanks for posting this picture. You mentioned him in another thread and I was hoping you would post the picture.
It is always interesting to see how people take elements of style and put it together in their own way.
Your grandfather looks wonderful.
If anyone thinks a fedora and open shoes do not look good I say take another look at the above picture!

 

[daizawaguy]

Paper Hat!

Kabuto in his reply above was thinking of ideas to `Japanize` a hat...well, look at this one - made entirely of Japanese paper!

Close up

 

[LaMedicine]

Looks nice.
I take it it is made from "washi", twisted and made into strings then woven.
Washi is much stronger to water than paper manufacured from tree pulp. There are obi/kimono sash woven with washi, so a hat isn't suprising, actually.