Modesty's Costume Closet

The intention here is to help you plan and prepare to create a feminine kimono ensemble for either an original design or character recreation.  For the feminine style kimono planner, we will cover:  Identifying Feminine Kimono Formality Customs Design Planner Resources, Tutorials, and Patterns  The key feature of a feminine kimono is the opening under the armpits and down the body side of the sleeve. The opening on the body is called Miyatsuguchi. Other identifying features are very rounded marumi on the sleeve corners or just very tall sleeves. When worn, there should be a fold underneath the obi called Oshori. The hem should be just over your toes and the collar is worn off the back of the neck instead of against it so there is some subtle shape differences compared to a male collar. But the obvious indicator is the open sleeves and miyatsuguchi.  Formality Customs Female formality customs can be a rabbit hole of learning. Things change over time and in some cases ...

This post is hopefully going to give you some ideas on how to plan and prepare to make a masculine style kimono ensemble. This will help both with original designs and cosplay.  We will cover:  Identifying a Masculine Kimono Formality Customs The Design Process Resources and Tutorial References Masculine Kimono The quickest way to identify a masculine kimono is to look at how the sleeves are attached. There will be no opening under the armpit on a masculine kimono. The sleeves also tend to have a sharper corner. The collar is generally all one width. Lastly, the bottom hem of the kimono reaches the wearer's ankles. However, since people vary wildly in height the most accurate and obvious identifier is the lack of an opening under the sleeves. (The opening is known as Miyasuguchi ).  Formality There are only a few identifiers that make a kimono more or less formal for men. These include material, the number of family crests (Kamon), Colors, and what other clothes you wear ...

The purpose of this post is to give you some baselines and cultural common knowledge about kimono as well as the bare bones needed to make one.  What you Need to Wear a Kimono  Kimono is just a part of a whole outfit, just like a jacket is part of a tuxedo. These are the different things typically worn with modern kimono:  Hadagi/Nadajuban/Modern Underwear The first "layer" of this is undergarments. A Nadajuban looks similar to a kimono, except it does not have a wide collar. A Hadagi is a "shirt only" option worn with a wrap skirt. It is the first layer of protection against your skin/sweat/oils. This is even worn with Yukata. You can consider this an optional layer as Modern day underwear serves the same purpose.  🖉NOTE : You can wear a slip or shorts instead of the susoyoke (wrap skirt).  Juban/Nagajuban/Hanjuban The under kimono or Juban is the part you see peeking from the collar worn directly under the kimono. The Nagajuban is a single piece that looks ve...

Guess what...I feel slightly competent in making kimono! So I'm going to share my process and suggestions for making a kimono for authentic garb or more culturally accurate cosplaying. The scope is limited to a "modern kimono" which includes kimono from the Meiji Era onwards.  Costume version.... ...to authentic version. In this post I will outline my planned posts and list a few expectations:  Overview: Kimono Quick Primer Design Plan for Female Kimono Design Plan for Male Kimono Kimono Measuring and Cutting Kimono Construction Process Making Kimono more Formal Obi and Obi Accessories Footwear and other Accessories Wearing the Kimono (Kitsuke) Expectations Currently, I only know how to make an unlined kimono (hitoe) so that is what these processes will end up being. It is more budget friendly because you won't buy as much fabric. However, it is a blind spot in my knowledge. I have assumptions but no experience in properly making a lined kimono (awase).  The examples ...

 This may be a bit tangential from my usual topics but it was inspired by some character bounding shawl ideas I had so we can tie it into that. But Ombre or Gradient yarn cakes are really pretty. I have been crocheting with one. However, the challenge comes with finding the right colors in the right sequence. So that go me curious as to how to make my own Ombre yarn. So here's what I've researched as possible ways to get that color change effect along with some of the pros and cons of each.  1. Purchase Skeins of Colors Sticking with the idea of using solid color yarns, you purchase yarns in the colors you want and create the cake. However, color choice is important here. To make the change of color more gradual, you will need yarn colors in the transitional color. So if I'm going for yellow to red, I may get an orange that is a good blend of those colors. The more "steps" of colors you get the more gentle the transition is between colors. Below is a video example...

 This is going to be the last planned kimono I'm making for this project. There are a few extra things on my to-do list and some things on my wish list too.  Here's how the Wisteria Cat kimono went.  So some things that went well:  French Seams done well! Even on the sleeves! Bless the walking foot! Got the pattern on the fabric to be upright on front and back. Collar went on smoothly! Even hem!! OMG...finally! Some things I wish went better:  I had to make a seam on the shoulder line which is not authentic. :( I did it to make the motif on the pattern look better so I didn't have upside down cats on the back of the body and sleeves. The sleeves are a bit short  I rushed my cutting and it got sloppy making me cut a part I didn't mean to cut and having to fudge around my mistake.  There's a bunch of little extra things I've been doing for these projects. Including kumihimo braiding!  So far I've made:  A kumihimo obijime 3 kumihimo haori himo ...

Duct tape Dummy or a Duct tape mannequin is a quick way to create a replica of your body for all kinds of projects. From being a dress form to creating a pattern, Duct tape dummies (DTD) are incredibly useful for all kinds of costume projects.  However, if you are trying to make a full body DTD, you'll need assistance to make it. It may also destroy some of your clothing in some methods. And you may not feel comfortable making one as it is restrictive.  The primary reasons for making a DTD are to make patterns for clothes or armor. Because it is easy to translate the 3D form into a 2D pattern.  Puppet head covering pattern. Personally, for things like gloves or boot covers, I have no trouble making a DTD of an arm or a leg. But full body I need a different approach.  Method 1: Silhouette Tracing As a kid, I remember having a criminal outline done on banner paper of myself. It is still a viable approach although now I may need to tape pieces of banner paper side by si...