Kimono Challenge questions:

1. How did you discover kimono and become interested?
2. Your dearest kimono item(s).
3. Your most used kimono item(s) (not counting juban, datejime, etc).
4. Your least used kimono item(s).
5. Your favorite coordination(s) so far.
6. What do you like and don't like about kimono.
7. Kimono confessions.  Did you know that...
8. Your dream items (or items you want but can't buy for whatever reason).
9. Your biggest kimono fears.
10. Your biggest kimono inspiration.
11. Your kimono collection.
12. The evolution of your kitsuke (or style).

Every post must have a picture in it, created by Kira Kira Kimono [link] .  

4. Your least used kimono item(s).

While the first three posts were rather hard for me, this one is easy.  There are several groups of kimono in my collection that I honestly don't wear that often.

Formal Kimono- [link]

I have a fair number of formal kimono, and a few years ago I actually had more of these then everyday kimono.  But a few years ago I decided that I wanted to one day be able to wear kimono every day, so I began actively purchasing more everyday pieces.  Now I wear those quite regularly, but I don't wear my formal pieces that often.  I just don't have that many occasions to wear them, I don't attend formal events that often.  Still, I do love buying them~

Antique Kimono- [link]

The term antique can describe a fair number of kimono in my collection, including several I wear regularly, but in this particular case I mean very old antique kimono that are bought as collection pieces.  My antique hikizuri and Taisho/early Showa furisode are like that.  I don't buy these pieces to wear, I buy them for their artistic value.  And of course, my Meiji and late Edo pieces take that further by being extremely delicate.  Suffice to say, I don't wear those at all.

Hanhaba Obi- [link]

I do actually have hanhaba obi despite my lack of personal picture, but I plan on getting rid of them.  To be honest, I don't like to wear hanhaba obi at all.  I know a lot of people start out with this obi (which is why I have some in the first place), and many people really enjoy wearing them.  I've seen really stylish hanhaba obi (the one in the picture being a fine example), but I just don't like to wear them personally.  I really love the look of a big otaiko-musubi too much to wear hanhaba.  Furthermore, during my early nihon-buyo lessons my teacher made me wear a hanhaba obi to help me learn proper posture, and she pointed out to me that they don't look good on me.  I'm taller then the average Japanese woman and I have a long torso on top of that, so hanhaba look proportionally too small and wimpy on my body.  She told me that I needed something wider (like nagoya and fukuro).  So I think it's pretty obvious I'm never going to be a fan of hanhaba obi.

Yukata- [link]

Yet again, despite my lack of personal picture I do have yukata.  I don't have anything against yukata, I just don't wear them regularly.  It's because I like the look of the collars on kimono more then yukata, so I tend more towards summer kimono.  Still, there are certain aspects of yukata style that I find really chic, like tabi-less feet paired with really classy geta [link] .  Also, members of my dance school buy brand new bolts for high quality yukata every year with a pattern chosen by the Iemoto, not exactly like a uniform but more like a sign of membership.  The pattern for this year's yukata is incredibly chic, so I ordered one.  It'll look good with a hakata nagoya or fukuro obi .