Clover sleeves: adventures in Hagi robes

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

After finally rejoining the world of the wage earners (yay!) I am at long last taking steps toward my own set of Heian garb. Albeit, baby steps.

In the interests of budget I’m attempting a set with fewer layers, the Autumnal kasane of “Hagi” 萩 (Lespedeza / bush clover) which I've long admired... comprised of a single silk robe in lavender warp and blue-green weft threads, worn over a blue-green hitoe.

Along with Ominaeshi (golden-yellow warp, blue-green weft), these are the only examples of woven colours I've come across in my sources, and it'll be really fun to see how such a silk fabric behaves as an assembled robe.

Unfortunately, finding information in general on the robe beyond the above is proving to be a challenge, and images of examples non-existent. The closest I've found is this piece of jaw dropping loveliness on Wikipedia: a man's suit coat and breeches of shot silk (plain weave / changeable taffeta) with purple warp and green weft, dated Europe c. 1790.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_silk

Since Hagi appears to be unlined (re: online sources and Dalby), my dilemma is what type of silk to use - habotai or silk taffetta? I'm personally reluctant to use habotai, as without a lining it would be insanely drapey and delicate.

Does anyone have any suggestions - or alternatives? Has anyone seen a reproduction of this ensemble?

Also, since this is the only robe worn over the hitoe, could it have potentially been patterned - with roundels or otherwise?

Attachments:

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

I really am starting to loathe poly fabrics (or should that be fauxbrics?). Never would have I imagined with all the shot silks on the net that it would be this hard to find a lavender-green fabric.

The closest I've found – infuriatingly near yet far – is a silk taffeta from Bangkok Thai Silks in lavender (tick!) shot with a sort of chartreuse-mustard. If I'm honest, it’s lavender/yellow, nowhere near green or blue-green, no matter how hard I squint. (furthest to the right in the photo.) The green in the background is the silk-cotton blend I'm using for the hitoe.

the other samples in the photo are, as with all other remotely close fabrics I've found, poly (blech) or slubby dupion (blech). Also, a mystery silk I'm not familiar with called "matka": my samples were woven from lavender and lime - and lavender and turquoise silk, but the fabric itself is very coarse, and rather open. More like tweed. It is quite matt... no colour change to it at all, unlike the taffeta and dupioni. The overall effect is of a murky not-quite colour. (pics to follow shortly)

There are other potential silk taffetas I've since uncovered online, but they're from wholesale suppliers and the minimum amounts for an order start around 15-30 yards and run into hundreds... and it doesn't help matters that bangkokthaisilks.com are ignoring my enquiries into custom fabrics.

can anyone here recommend a source for shot/changeable/iridescent silks?

Attachments:

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

Matka silk: lavender-lime, and lavender-turquoise.

Attachments:

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

Poly taffeta: so-called purple-shot-turquoise, in fact a brilliant barbie fuchsia shot turquoise, that results in a pink-toned purple shifting to aqua. These shot silk samples are near impossible for me to capture in a photo, but are actually very lovely.

The lavender-yellow taffeta gives a good idea of how gorgeous the actual hagi material may have been; the paler lilac gives a much more subtle colour shift than the more gaudy purples and hot pinks.

Interestingly though, the flowers and foliage of Japanese bush clover are quite varied, ranging from white to delicate purple to outright magenta.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lespedeza_ja02.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lespedeza_thunbergiiaDT1.jpg

Attachments:

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

I think we have a winner:



It's synthetic, and it's pre-creased, but the colours are as near as dammit... At least the purple is a true lavender. I had some joy removing the creases with a diluted white vinegar solution and a warm iron; any lingering vinegar smell will give me an excuse to scent the finished item with incense

It'll certainly do until the day I find a silk in the right colours.

[yumehime]

i don't know if this helps, but i made a winter furisode for modern use from wool, thicker than suit wool, thiner than coat wool, that sounds a lot like what you were looking for. the actual look of the fussy color is around an aqua that i quite like, but individual strands can be pulled to create colored patterns in lavender or candy green depending on direction.

if silk is impossible and poly is the wrong color, perhaps a thin glossy wool will give you something closer to your target.

[Ōgiyame no Emi]

Thanks for suggestion, Yumehime This project is temporarily on hold, but will resume. I swear it! For now, the poly is the closest thing I can find; I've not come across any other fabrics in the right colour combination. Once ironed the fabric colours become more subtle, a rather lovely greyish lavender changing to leaf green. Silk would of course be ideal... but for now, this will do.