One of the adjustments I have had to make when wearing kimono is taking more time in the morning to get my clothing organized.  Keeping track of all the accessories can be a challenge and if I hurry through my routine I inevitably leave something behind.

Recently I left the house in a rush, already late for work, when  five minutes into the commute I realized I left my tabi at home (tabi are the split toe socks worn with zori or geta sandals).  I normally wear regular shoes to drive to work where I then change into tabi and zori.  Becoming a bit annoyed I decided to go back home to quickly grab the tabi and made my way to work.  Upon arriving in my office I proceeded to change and realized I had two right tabi…  This left me with two options: wear the zori without tabi or wear my shoes for the entire day.  Neither choice was very appealing.  Luckily I had a pair of black athletic socks with me that were thin enough to wear with the zori sandals and give the appearance of the traditional tabi.

I am certain that most people would have not noticed the missing tabi, but I would have spent the day feeling incomplete.