259 | Night Orchid
FILED UNDER: THE CHRYSANTHEMUM PARLOUR
Found folded on a chair in the Parlour after the other guests had gone. The tea left on the table beside it was still faintly warm. No one present could say who had been sitting there.
SHELL
Vintage yukata in crisp cotton, with a deep indigo geometric lily motif. Era: 1990s.
LINING
Crisp, undyed cotton.
STRUCTURE
11-panel construction reinforced with synthetic whalebone. The softly pointed hem creates an elongated line through the torso.
FROM THE CITY ARCHIVES
The Chrysanthemum Parlour
The Chrysanthemum Parlour is a private reception room in the eastern quarter of the City, once used for afternoon visits, tea, and the arranging of flowers. Its enclosed garden is planted primarily with chrysanthemums, and the flowers are brought indoors throughout the year. Lacquered screens divide the Parlour into smaller spaces, with dressing rooms adjoining the main reception room.
Garments associated with the Parlour tend toward light cottons and silks in dark botanical colours, often worn with narrow ribbons, soft bindings, and small floral details. Several surviving records mention guests changing garments before afternoon gatherings, though the practice was never formally documented.
Night Orchid was found folded over a chair in one of the dressing rooms following an evening gathering. It was not among the garments recorded as belonging to the Parlour, but its construction and dark floral pattern place it comfortably within the room's surviving collection.
The tea left beside the garment was still faintly warm when it was recovered. No accompanying record was found, and no one present could identify the person who had last occupied the room.
The name Night Orchid is now used within the Parlour. Its original source has not been recorded.
