From an IG thread about maiko collars (scroll down a few posts). Amazing embroidery on the last five

Brilliant obi with temari (ball) pattern

A rather literal treatment of the subject

Wow - hemp-leaf pattern tabi, that’s eye-catching

Bride in antique furisode

OK, how much do you think I love this blue furisode?

And this must be the back

A women’s court robe, 朝服 (I think)… oh my goodness, WANT

Now that’s a dramatic pattern…

I’m amusing myself by translating furisode ad copy. Rather literal version:

A princess, after the spell is broken and she has awakened, with her hands filled with bouquets given to her by her prince. This furisode, covered with floral patterns, expresses that kind of feeling. It is the shape of the promise of happiness.

Then, translated to make-believe American furisode catalog-speak:

The exuberant floral pattern of this furisode will make you feel like a princess, just awakened from a magical slumber, with your arms filled with flowers from your prince. It is the embodiment of the promise of happiness.

From the Kyoto Kimono Yūzen 2011 catalog

Dramatic dragonfly-patterned obi. The book I’m reading now said that when the military elite came to power in the Momoyama period, their taste in patterns differed from that of the aristocrats; they liked militaristic patterns like the arrow feather and the dragonfly. That’s because the dragonfly, which flies in a straight path directly towards its destination, is believed to be a symbol of strength and victory.