Iplehouse Toyko Story dolls discussion! New SID boy Storm & SID girl Soo

Here is the best tip for putting on a kimono:

Get at least three lengths of ribbon.

Why is this important? Because in reality, each layer of kimono that you put on is tied separately to hold the fabric in the proper place. This also allows you to adjust the length of the kimono. There are standard lengths of kimono and they are not varied like pant lengths. Instead, the kimono is adjusted using the ties I mentioned. The kimono should fall only to ankle length, so once you have the arms in and the kimono wrapped (with the left side covering the right side! Only corpses are wrapped right over left. That's why it is such a no, no to mix this up. >_<) use one of the lengths of ribbon to tie the kimono around the waist. Then gently pull up the kimono over the tie until the hem is at ankle length. The excess material (now pulled over the tie) should be folded down over the tie. This also helps give that tube-like shape to the body as it falls around the waist (though pillows are also used on humans, but this particular kimono set was not made for those).

Now that you have the folds hanging over the tie, use the second length of ribbon to tie them in place. Now when you go to do your second kimono (just like the first. The overlapping should be the same.) you do not have to worry about struggling with the under kimono...only the top one. ^_^"

You use the third piece of ribbon to tie the over kimono. You can use a fourth piece to tie the folds as well, but in this instance you can use the green strip of cloth since it should be under the obi anyway. This is usually the piece that would hold the pillow I mentioned earlier in place. The green cloth should be tied right under the breasts, as high as you can get it so that it will peek over the obi.

Now put the obi over all of this. It's a bit of a squeeze with the layers, but don't give up! The red belt with the knot goes on as described above.

...that all said, I'm not an expert by any means, but it'll get you close. ^_^"
I hope that was helpful a bit.
Unfortunately, when I did my photo shoot with the kimono, I wasn't focussing on straight ahead shots, so I don't really have a good example to show you, but this is o.k., if you will excuse that it isn't a very good photo that was then compressed when I uploaded it...

 

Wow, what a setup routine! I am so glad that the menswear set didn't have half that to sweat over. ^^ You guys are some kinda dedicated. Those who are about to assemble girlswear, we salute you.

 

I am letting my Soo's full set stay in the package, she does not want to put it on. Maybe my next day off I'll put it on her, sounds like a challenge!

 

LOL! I read one site that said it can take an hour to dress a child in a kimono. And it can be easier to dress a person than a doll because they can help. Much of the fitting is done as the kimono is put on. Miwa has a good page on dressing a doll in a kimono.

http://www.geocities.jp/miwa_kimono/

On the left menu near the bottom is a link for How to dress Kimono, then choose the Separate type kimono.

It's a wonderful site to wander around!!

 

Nancy- Thanks for the link, that is kind of how I was thinking it fits, I could have been dressing my other dolls incorrectly if I had not seen this first.

 

When I went to Japan, I went to Gion and was dressed like a Geisha. (There's a little shop there where you pay and they dress you, do makeup, and take pictures). Two girls dressed me and it was still quite a process. I'm glad we don't live in an era where clothes are so difficult to put on! That said, though, I do love putting my dolls in period clothing, despite the effort.

 

Yeah...kimono are set-up intensive to say the least. Hehe. But it could be worse if the obi was not already tied. Imagine just getting a long strip of cloth in the box too!

Also, it does seem harder to get them onto a doll...it's much easier to do the appropriate pulling up and folding over when the subject is standing for instance, whereas it's easier to dress a BJD lying down. Ah well. I'm still working out the details with Nightingale, but I decided it was good enough! ^_~

 

My Storm arrived home yesterday. ^^ Today, I changed out his hands and feet and wrestled him (literally) into the full set outfit.



Admittedly, I know nothing about how the outfit is supposed to be put on. I had to study the stock photos for awhile, as well as do some research. I think I got everything right, except the pants -- though I did run across one picture that had them tied in the front like I have them, so that's how I did them.

Today was likely the first and last time the outfit is going on this doll, so the outfit has been removed and tucked safely back into its box. He definitely has a preference for modern/casual clothing...


"Now this is more like it! -pose-'"

 

Storm looks great with his Full Set outfit and casual clothes as well!

 

Holy cow. He's absolutely gorgeous.

Wow!!

I love him in both. But... I suspect you could put him in the proverbial burlap sack and he'd look great!! Congrats!

 

Thanks Jenny. In retrospect. My box opening has Asa's kimono crossed improperly, but I got help on the thread from CoreDrill to explain it should look, in the front, like a lowercase y. I also didn't have any extra lengths of ribbon, but it all worked out. I (this may seem stupid) eventually went off both the pictures on the site, and pictures of real geisha. All that did was give me even more appreciation for the living artwork that these geisha make of themselves. Ahem. With hope, some people visited my box openings for Soo and Asa. (I have both the girls! I am so lucky!)

 

Dying inside a littles.

 

Quirked: Your Storm is gorgeous! I love him in the Fullset...and the casual clothes.

 

He's definitely amazing! I wish I had my time back to get the haori and the pants (those aren't hakama, really, are they?) -- suffice it to say that Katana kicks butt!

 

Quirked, your Storm looks great both in the default outfit and casual.

 

: Oooo~ooohhh, Storm! Wow, his hakama set is even cuter than Tedros's. Those medallions, those stripes. ^^ He looks wonderful! Congrats on his arrival, Quirked.

I like the short choppy hair you have on him. He also looks cute in that lumberjack shirt. But that hakama outfit, zowie. Awww, and he's even got a tassel--! Tedros's outfit or sword did not come with dangly bits.

 

Derilan85, Baakay, Luluna, MagicBunny, and Patrice S:
Thank you! I'm so pleased, and glad that I got him.

Thanks! I agree that it is a wonderful looking outfit. Its just so danged hard to put it on! It was totally on like Donkey Kong when I was trying to get him dressed. I definitely had some words with him in the entire process...

And thank you for the compliment on his hair... I tend to like my boys with short choppy hair. Though I think I need to get him a new wig, since this one has seen better days and belonged to version 1.0 of this character (used to be a Mars) and apparently Storm has a narrower noggin.

And LOL, dangly bits... I thought the pompoms were adorable. ^^

EDIT: Just put up a gallery post with more photos of my boy, that include more photos of him in the TS full set and in his casual clothing. /shameless plugging ^^;

 

Storm is really a wonderful mold. Your pics are great.

The more I see my Tedros, the more I find him impressive.

​

I've opened threads with him:
his thread
the topic where he hesitates between 2 of my girls... he finally chose Ismérie

 

Quirked, your Storm is fabulous in his Tokyo garb! I so enjoyed seeing him in it .. as usual, Iple's things are even better in person! Really makes one wish they could have gotten the whole set of four! Iple is killing us with wonderful dolls! We can all at least see them in other's photos that they share!!

And . . I happened to stumble across this photo . . a wedding in modern day Japan, with historically based clothing!

 

Ooh! Now that looks familiar, Sherry. ^___^