STORIES 着物物語

These two kimono belonged to my grandmother. One is an indigo dyed yukata and the other is a yuki tsumugi. Unfortunately, I have never seen my grandmother wearing them. I knew that my grandmother had many kimono, but by the time I became aware of things, she was no longer wearing kimono for daily wear. After she passed away, we didn’t do anything with her tansu for a while. Then I began to wear kimono, so I wanted to know what was inside them. So two years ago, my mother and I decided to air the kimono out, and we took photographs and documented what was in the tansu.

She left seven tansu, so there were many kimono. When we opened the drawers I felt that I was touching the style that she lived and her thought life through the kimono she had left behind. Everything was fine quality and design. It really came home to me that she was a woman of sense, who loved beautiful things. She must have been really stylish and spent so much money. At the same time though, I was conscious that I was her descendent. We are related by blood. Among all the chic kimono, this bold yukata design really stands out. I felt I was seeing another side of my grandmother, when I saw it. I am always praised when I wear it. I am going to wear these chic kimono instead of her, in my own cute style, and there are lots of kimono here that I want to wear as I grow older. I am very lucky that my grandmother are almost the same size and shape, and it makes the kimono very easy for me to wear. She was always very loving to me, and so I wish that I could have shown her how I look when I am wearing kimono.

この２枚は私の祖母のものでした。１枚は藍染めの浴衣、１枚は結城紬です。

残念ながら、どちらも着ている姿を見たことがありません。祖母が着物をたくさん持っているのは知っていましたが、私が物心ついたときにはもう着物を普段には着ていませんでした。祖母が亡くなってしばらくの間は箪笥にそのままにしてありましたが、私が着物を着るようになったら箪笥の中を見たくなり、２年前、母と虫干しを兼ねて着物を写真に撮って記録しました。

箪笥が７竿あるので、相当な量でした。引き出しを開けたとき、祖母の生き様とか、考え方のようなものが、残された物からわかる気がしました。どの着物も、質、デザインの良い物ばかりで、祖母は美しい物が好きだったんだな、センスが良かったな、と思います。おしゃれが本当に好きだったのだなあ、お金を使ったのだなあ、と実感すると同時に、私は祖母の孫なんだ、と血がつながっていることを感じます。

祖母の着物はシックな物が多いので、この浴衣は大胆な柄で驚きましたが祖母の違う面を知ることができました。これを着ていると必ずほめられます。地味な着物も供養代わりに私なりに可愛く着てあげたいと思っていますし、私が年齢を重ねたときに着たい着物もたくさんあります。

幸運なことに、祖母の体型と私の体型が似ているため、着物のサイズが同じでとても着やすく助かっています。私のことをかわいがってくれていたので、着物を着ている姿を見せたかったな、と思います。