Photo by Mariangela Felicity Totaro
I have to admit, this week's Style Sheet is influenced by a passion of mine that has just recently come to fruition. I've been telling myself that I'm going to visit Japan for years now, maybe even take up residence there for a little while, dissuaded only by my weak grasp of the seemingly complex language. This past week, though, I've put my reservations aside and picked up as many instructional books and video games as I possibly can on a whim, and I'm happy to announce that I'm picking up Japanese surprisingly fast! In celebration of my non-failure (for I can't say it's a success until I've completely mastered the language) today's Style Sheet is all about those gloriously gorgeous ladies of Japanese lore - the modestly lovely princesses of Nippon themselves - those daring, darling, geisha girls!
Matsuri Geisha Hair Pin
What's a geisha without extravagantly beautiful hair sticks to don? Described as "mint green Bohemian glass beads on intricately engraved bone," these gorgeously vibrant pins are the perfect cherry to top your super sweet green-tea-ice-cream-sundae of a hair-do with. Wear them with your best pink kimono, tiny blossoms and all, for an electric night filled with sushi and sake, or with nothing at all for a tranquil gardenia bubble bath!
Where to buy: longlocks.com
Lady Snowblood
Remember Kill Bill, that swingin' Quentin Tarantino film from six years back? Lady Snowblood just so happens to be its prickly-sweet Japanese precursor from 1973, a cult flick filled with gangster geishas hellbent on exacting revenge and traveling bandits with a taste for European debutant balls. Vividly beautiful and sharply gory at the same time, Lady Snowblood shows that not all geishas are those elegant and gentle beauties that we've come to expect - they can have quite a naughty side too!
Where to buy: amazon.com
Roberto Cavalli Chinoise Print DressThe uniqueness and elegance of traditional Japanese garb will always have its place in the fashion world - for kimonos never go out of style - but it's always fascinating to see the modern twist that designers put on these far-from-modern dresses. Roberto Cavalli spices up tradition with this amazing kimono-esque dress, perfect for hushed spring days spent under explosive cherry blossom trees or mystical festival nights where ponds and lakes and rivers alike light up with tiny paper boats, burning bright into the night with the secrets of the dead.
Where to buy: net-a-porter.com
100 Poems by 100 Poets White Teapot SetIn order to become a geisha, you're required to be well-versed in a slew of traditional "domestic arts", namely flower arranging and tea ceremony. While not all of us have the precise level of grace needed to excel in the latter, absolutely anyone can indulge in the tranquil thrills of chakai, serving sweets, tea, and a light snack to a cast of close friends. Throw your very own chakai with this traditional tea set, inscribed with one of the 100 poems from the 13th century anthology of Hyakunin Isshu, and refine your natural grace to geisha-like levels!
Always,
Penelope ♥
Penelope ♥
4 comments:
Love the geisha style but it's not something I feel I can copy that much (although I do have a kimono-inspired dress). I really like the Roberto Cavalli dress, I never look at his stuff because I don't like most of it!! Also, those sticks are gorgeous!
がんばって! 日本語はちょっと難しい、でもそれもとてもたのしいです。:).
LOVE both the hairstick and tea set!
Bri - Thank you so much! I'm still struggling through all of the kanji, but I'll figure everything out!
That dress is lovely!
Have you read any Japanese literature? Memoirs of a Geisha (NOT the film) is beautiful. If you are just into the oriental, Empress Orchid is excellent. Oh, and I know you like Murakami, so you've already got that national institution down to a tee!
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