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Event Description
Kitsuke Workshop
07/31/16 Kitsuke Workshop at Poughkeepsie Galleria Community Room
One who has no idea about Kitsuke may wonder why learning how to wear Kimono is so important for Japanese, women particular. Why it takes so much time and practice while it seems just putting them on and tie a thick belt. But if you ever try to wear one by yourself you’d know how much work it’d be, after hours of sweating and out of breath followed by frustration and disappointment. Many times you may experience embarrassment if you’ve ever attended at a public event wearing Kimono from your unsuccessful Kitsuke, when your Obi-belt may become loosen and, the worst case scenario, it’d fall and be dragging like your tail… So, it’s not that easy, definitely not so simple as you think. But when you see one wearing Kimono perfect in style and elegance, you’d understand that is truly the “Art of Sophistication” one would love to achieve to the highest level.
We have done Kitsuke workshop twice last year. Sadly, however, none of the previous participants has mastered or improved the technique. The truth is, regretfully to say we all forgot what we were taught… So, here we are again at another workshop, with freshly cleared brain, to challenge the same thing – to learn how to wear Kimono. Most importantly “beautifully”. Today, we started with Yukata, light and casual Kimono for summer (the direct translation is bathrobe), which is much easier than the other. But, if we ever tried, the list of Kitsuke check point could be as long as several pages.
We’d know the result of today’s lesson probably at the next occasion when we’d have a chance to wear Yukata or Kimono, hopefully some of us would be accomplished after all. Thanks to our instructor, Chikako-san, for her patience and to Yuriko-san for her assistance to make today’s workshop more interesting and enjoyable.
Midori Shinye
Project Coordinator
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