5/29/2011

Grocery Shopping - 食品買い物


People often ask me: 'do you wear kimono every day?" And I have to answer: "no, not every day." And the reason is this... my life is busy, and sometimes kimono doesn't always work for a modern, urban woman's lifestyle. For example - some days I work at a different location from my home, stop off and do yoga, then meet up with some friends in a smokey izakya (Japanese bar). Kimono works well in the beginning of the day, but as the day goes on, it gets more complicated; the yoga studio is small - where would I fold my kimono before yoga class begins, the bar is smokey - the kimono would have to be cleaned before I wore it again. So I have to answer: "no, not every day."

「毎日着物を着ているの?」とよく聞かれます。すると、「いいえ、毎日は着ないね」と答えなければなりません。その理由は次の通りです。私は忙しい毎日を過ごしていまして、着物はモダーンで都会的な女性のライフスタイルと会わない場合もあるからです。時々外で仕事をしたり、ヨガのレッスンにも通ったり、夜には煙りっぽい居酒屋で友達と会ったりもしています。このようなスケジュールの日には、着物はお昼ぐらいまで邪魔にならず大丈夫ですが、その後から難しくなってきてしまいます。ヨガのスタジオの着替え質は狭くて度々着物を畳んでまた着付けしなければならないこととか、煙っぽいところにいると次着る前に洗わなければならないことなど、色々な問題があります。このため、「毎日は着ないね」と答えざるを得ない。


And when I meet women in kimono, I ask them the same question. And then if they say yes, I ask them "even to the grocery store?" I don't know why I have fixated on this, the most mundane of chores, but it's my test. Firstly, you have to leave the house. There are two safe bets on what occassion works for kimono; you are going 'out' and it's occassion wear or you put it on every morning like most people put on their clothes (without thinking about it) and that's it. But for some reason, this idea of wearing it grocery shopping marks the test. And most women answer: "no, not for grocery shopping."

私も着物を着ている女性に合うと同じ質問を聞きます。そしてもし答えが「はい」だと、「スーパーにも着ますか?」と聞く癖があります。なぜかこの場面がいつも頭に浮かぶのです。私の中のテストかな。まずは、家を出なきゃいけない。着物姿で出かける理由は大体2つあります:特別なイベントのためか、普段着で着ている人はいつも通りに。しかしなぜか、スーパーまでにも着物姿で行く人は私の中のテストに合格します。でも、ほとんどの女性は「いや、スーパーには着ないな」と答えます。


So I decided to try it. I was out, I was in kimono, and it was my grocery day. Kimono is great for shopping - but it's the after shopping part where kimono doesn't quite work. Luckily, my photographer (my husband) also carries the bags!

なので、やってみよう!と思いました。食品買い物の日に、着物を着て、スーパーへ行きました。買い物中、着物は良かったですが、その後から少し難しくなりましたな。でも、(私の主人でもある)写真家のおかげで家まで運ぶことは何とかなりました!

5 comments:

  1. Hey my other comments didn't seem to go through so I will try again: I just loveyour blog! I find it very interesting! There's so many questions I want to ask you but my main one is; what's your view on wearing older kimono (like the old ones you find at flee markets) out and about?

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  2. Hi kimonofan,
    Thanks for your comments. I love old kimono - 3 of my kimono are recycled (used) and they are silk and stunning. Buying older kimono is a great way to add them to your wardrobe at an affordable price!
    Of course, I have to be careful when I and out and about, but that's because they are silk, not because they are older.
    It's actually going out in kimono at night I worry about more - being in an izakya or bar in a kimono, then I prefer the new ones because they are polyester and easier to clean if something spilled.

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  3. Oh interesting! I myself have alot of older kimono by I must say your collection is stunning! I am not as brave as you i would worry that people would be like oh thats an "outdated kimono, oh based on your experience do styles change much?

    Thanks so much!
    -kimonofan

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  4. I don't think you need to worry about that - you need more to worry that the pattern / style matches the season, or your marital status - those are the points more that people look for.

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  5. Ahhh I see maybe I will give it a go sometime! Last question as I feel I am taking up alot of comments ^_^' what's the most interesting thing someone has said to you while you were in kimono?

    ReplyDelete

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