http://creativeflairchic.blogspot.com/ These pictures are from Korean Vogue via All Things bright and Beautiful via Kim Carney, thank you to both. I love the Hanbok My father lived in Korea for a while and managed to buy Kitty one when she was little. I still have it and use it for students to draw. They are not cheap to buy or very easy to find as I found out when I went to visit. I would have liked one, I would like a kimono as well but they are also very expensive, when I was young my parents had Japanese students to stay, I fell in love with them all they were so kind and patient I was able to dress up in their Kimonos but could not keep them as they said the cost to their parents for them was so great. These photos are so beautiful I wish both the Korean Vogue and the Japanese Vogue would drop the western features and use more images based on their own culture which the Chinese Vogue manages to do.
2 comments:
Dear Indigo - thank you so much for the mention, I'm so glad you enjoyed the post :-). I totally agree with you that I wish Asian Vogues would feature hanboks, kimonos and cheogsams - let em know if you find any more gorgeous ones - I love costumes :-)
PS Did you see my earlier post on kimonos? - all the photos are from flickr - I think you'll enjoy that one too :-)
There are any number of beautiful magazines in Japan offering tips and suggestions for wearing kimono stylishly (Kimono Salon is a notable example).
But for a modern woman to wear her own kimono regularly the costs are tremendous, like wearing a succession of wedding gowns on a daily basis. Vogue in Japan reflects what its readers wear as well as what they want to wear (kimono are very comfortable for kneeling in, not so great for extended periods in a restaurant chair and you can forget the idea of lounging on a sofa whilst wrapped in an obi belt).
The kimono market is divided into those who are affluent and keen to preserve traditions (not Vogue's core audience), those who dabble in wearing kimono and will hire one, and someone to dress them, for a day (those who hire out kimono can afford to indulge in buying kimono fashionable enough to become 'unfashionable' in another season - and they do, some 80s and 90s creations are truly ugly!) and then there are the ladies who buy vintage kimono. These are perhaps the most adventurous and inventive of all, but again, Vogue wouldn't benefit by showcasing second hand clothing on a regular basis.
Entertainment workers in Ginza and Akasaka are some of the few people who buy modern kimono and keep up to date with trends... again, hardly a core market for Vogue.
But if you do want to buy your own kimono just look online. Second hand items are available in exquisite condition, with many never having been worn - yahoo Japan auctions has a huge selection, but they are easily available from trustworthy Japanese vendors through ebay.
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