It wasn't until I got home after the shoot to edit the photos that I realized I had worn the kimono collar backwards, with the left front overlapping the right front. The night before, to learn how to put on a kimono, I practiced following video tutorials until past 11:00 PM. At the time, I thought I had managed a decent fit, but things still went wrong during the actual shoot the next day. Because the dressing method wasn't right, even though it felt tied very tightly, the sash grew looser and looser as I walked, sliding down constantly. Moreover, since I hadn't prepared proper kimono padding garments beforehand, I had to improvise by stuffing a towel around my waist as padding. Lacking elastic cords, I had to dig ribbons out of my bag to bind the towel tightly around my waist to secure it. I was tightly strapped like this for an entire day, leaving my waist sore and aching, having to breathe with great care.
To achieve maximum fidelity for this Madoka Kaname cosplay from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, I commissioned a custom pink battledore prop in advance, confirming several versions of its color and shape before feeling satisfied, and bought a full set of a traditional kimono along with matching high-heeled geta clogs. I have to say, walking in these geta clogs was exceedingly difficult, especially since the park grounds were bumpy and uneven, combined with lawns and stairs; every step required finding my center of gravity, keeping my ankles in a constant state of tension. By the time I returned home after a full day of shooting, the soles of my feet ached so severely I could barely put weight on them.
During the shoot, to disguise the awkwardness of the misaligned collar, I had to keep standing sideways or use my hand to adjust the collar, testing countless angles just to get a few presentable shots. The colorful flower bushes in the background were in vibrant bloom, harmonizing beautifully with the pink kimono and lending the final photos an intense ambient atmosphere for this Outdoor flower viewing session. This experience gave me a profound appreciation for the sheer complexity of wearing traditional garments; behind just a few minutes of shutter clicks lie extensive preparations where not a single auxiliary tool can be spared. If I ever do another Kimono cosplay character in the future, I must buy a complete set of kimono shaping padding tools in advance, switch to elastic straps, and schedule dressing at least two hours before shooting to allow ample buffer for adjustments, avoiding the frantic scramble I had this time. Even though I endured some hardship along the way, the moment I got the photos, I felt all the preceding trouble was genuinely worth it.