It also means I can finally begin to look forward to kimono wearing, which has been pretty much out of the question (apart from yukata) since May. Even on cooler days, there's no way I'm taking the chance of wearing a fragile garment that's damn near impossible to clean in sweaty weather. My kimono are all regular weight, which is a good reason to not wear them in summer, but I'm even hesitant to buy silk summer kimono. Polyester, washable wonder fiber that it is, will have to do, I think.
The more time I spent around Japanese fashion online communities, whether for kimono or for street fashion, the more I'm amazed at how much more conservative foreign enthusiasts are. Not that no one in Japan takes a conservative approach, but sometimes it seems that the Japanese the only ones willing to experiment with their own styles. Wouldn't you think it'd be the other way around? It's especially weird to me when people approach street fashion as highly regimented. You can say that, "these are common aspects of [x] look," or, "You need [x] components to be recognized as this look," but otherwise, it's ridiculous to say, "You must do [x]. You cannot do [x]." Isn't the whole point of street fashion is that it obeys no rules?
Kimono is a bit different from street fashion, of course. These days, for the average person, kimono are little more than ceremonial clothing, much like tuxedos and evening gowns. Most people won't need to wear them more than a few times in their lives. In that case, a conservative approach stands to reason, to suit the occasions. But in the last decade or so, more and more young people are beginning to take an interest in kimono as a living fashion, something you can wear out with friends, and not just for special occasions. Thanks to the interest, they're finally Just Clothes again, and with that comes the need to experiment and personalize their style, just as they would with any clothing.
These young kimono hobbyists have become known as Kimono Hime, apparently after a fashion magazine of the same name. This magazine shows you ways to wear "antique and cheap" kimono stylishly. After all, new kimono are expensive. On the cover of the issue linked, a young lady wears a funky vintage haori and kimono with pumps and a retro-looking hat.
Yukata have also become quite popular and fashionable in the last decade or so. Perhaps owing to the extremely casual and festive nature of yukata, and also to the fact they get far more wear than more formal varieties, fashion designers and young women are more willing to experiment than ever. One of the key trends in last season's yukata was lace trim. This year's are using rhinestone ornaments and colorful belts over the obi. More designers, especially funkier and more subcultural ones, are making mini yukata to be worn with petticoats and heels. For example, two of this year's trends (images found online):
So, despite the relatively small number of kimono hobbyists in Japan, I think it's alive and well as a fashion. Many younger foreign hobbyists, such as myself, are willing to throw the rule book out the window and wear whatever, but a lot of people have a surprisingly conservative approach. Not that you have to have a wild sense of fashion to be interested in kimono, but people who do otherwise have a wild sense of fashion tend to wear utterly boring kimono. At least, until they've been at it a while. I guess because there is so much to learn just to be able to put the damn thing on, a lot of emphasis is placed on the rules. No one wants to go out looking like an ignorant fool, I suppose.
On the other hand, foreigners, I think, have certain other freedoms that Japanese hobbyists seem to lack. For example, in their choice of kimono style. Kurotomesode are quite popular among western kimono enthusiasts, despite the fact they're among the most formal and limited of all kimono (to be worn by married women on very particular special occasions). But the thing is, because proper wear of kurotomesode is so limited, there are tons of them available second hand. Most women probably need one at some point, but no one will ever wear one until it falls apart, so they're all over the market. Where do they go? Abroad!
