color combinations
Each season brought forth different named combinations of colors (irome no kasane). Here are some examples of these sets of five robes (itsutsuginu) with undergown (hitoe).
Flowering Iris (waka shōbu)
A top robe of green over a layer of plae green, one white, one dark pink, one light pink. Underneath the ensemble is a white undergown.
A color combination for early summer. Murasaki recalls playing dress-up with this outfit on page 143 of my tale.
Flowering Calamondin (hana tachibana)
A top robe of golden-yellow over a layer of pale yellow, one white, one dark green, one light green. Underneath the set, a white undergown.
Also a color combination for early summer. Murasaki puts this one when she comes out of mourning on page 209 of my novel.
Flowering Kerria Rose (hana yamabuki)
All five robes are golden yellow. Underneath is a dark green undergown.
Another combination for early summer. The color is that of the yamabuki flower.
Beneath the Snow (yuki no shita)
Three top robes of white over a dark pink and a light pink. Underneath all a dark green undergown is worn.
A color combination for winter. Murasaki receives an outfit like this from the empress and wears it to a meeting with Michinaga on page 286 of my tale.
Pine Tree Layers (Matsugasane)
A top robe of maroon over a layer of lighter maroon, then three layers of green going from light to dark. Underneath is a scarlet undergown.
A classic color combination for fall and winter.