Ooh, this is a GOOD topic, Carmen! ;D
Things that make my heart beat fasterThe smell of a vintage kimono, fresh from Ichiroya
Daruma motif (although I've only seen it in haori lining so far)
My other favourite motifs:
momiji (Japanese maple),
noshi,
tachibana, and hemp design (
asa-no-ha), when it's beautifully done
Urushi, when it's really gorgeous and over-the-top
Michiyuki with a scalloped neckline
Almost anything in emerald green or rich burgundy
Arabesque design in shibori
The feel of tsumugi
Old-fashioned long sleeves
When the vendor doesn't describe the lining, and it turns out to be unexpectedly, thrillingly beautiful
Bokashi (gradual shading of the colour)
Beautiful asymmetry in kimono design -- which, granted, isn't uncommon in wafuku, but it's still amazing to this Westerner!
Ichiro-san's wonderful newsletters
Discovering a michiyuki that can be worn well as a dress
Tanuki, especially when disguised as a monk
Tetsubin -- Japanese teapot
Finding furoshiki (and other smaller Japanese items) at my local Value Village
Getting to Ichiroya.com right after Wada-san has listed some new items, discovering that the one I absolutely love hasn't been bought yet, and buying it!
Really beautiful uchikake
Things I don't like so muchThe cost of really beautiful uchikake
The cost of
shipping uchikake
My credit-card bill, after I spot any of the above for sale and am unable to resist temptation
Modern kimono fabric, when it's garish or cartoonish
Realizing that the haori I just bought has sleeves that are embarrassingly short -- oops!
Polyester haori
Kawaii ... because sometimes cute is
too cute
The baffling scarcity of the bat motif
The "Japanese Geisha Kimono Robe Haori" listings that are clogging up eBay these days -- yech
Realizing that the haori I want to buy is the single most popular one on eBay
The fact that I can't yet afford to buy a full "kimono kit"!
Julia
P.S. Decided to modify this list 8 months later as follows:
- Removed
tsuru (crane) from my list of favourite motifs ... overexposure has removed the romance!
- Removed bingata ... no longer quite as charmed by it, for some reason.
- Removed "Orange, unless it's an accent colour" from the list of disliked things. I've developed a liking for some of the more brilliant colours (in moderation, at least): orange, acid pink, lime green...
Isn't it interesting how taste changes!!!