The Japanese are famous for their stunning textiles, especially the National Dress called Kimono. Kimonos are available in silk for special or formal occasions, but in the summertime the Japanese like to relax in comfortable, cotton kimonos called Yukata. Cotton kimonos were traditionally what was worn after taking a long, hot bath, but they are also worn during the summer, to feel cool on a hot day. Both young and old Japanese people enjoy dressing up in them to take in the local “Matsuri”, one of the many festivals that celebrates special days or events during the summer months.

We sell Vintage Cotton Kimonos and also Brand New Kimonos. Vintage kimonos are those that have been previously worn two or three times or more. BRAND NEW cotton kimonos can start at $200 and up in Japan, because they are meticulously hand-dyed with hand-made stencils, and then hand-sewn. You can tell if a cotton kimono is done with hand-dyed stenciling because the pattern goes through to the inside of the kimono. When a kimono is factory-made and printed the design is only on the outside of the kimono. Nowadays, hand-dyed stenciled kimonos are being replaced by the printed kind, which are made very cheaply in China, in order to lower the cost and appeal to more people. But if you look very closely, the designs can’t compare to the hand-dyed kimonos, and often the quality of the printed cotton is also much cheaper. (Hand-dyed cotton kimonos are meant to last, and are usually woven with a very high thread count, so even though it is a vintage garment, you will still enjoy many years of wear.) Hand-dyed stenciled kimonos will probably disappear in the next 50 years, so if you have one you should consider it a soon-to-be collector’s item.

Our Vintage Cotton Kimonos range in price from $75 to $200 for Collector's Items. Our Brand New Kimonos range in price from $110 to $175. We carry a small, but good selection of Large and Extra Large Kimonos, meant to fit people who are not Japanese size.

We also carry special Nemaki Cotton Kimonos that have a gauze lining. These Kimonos become softer and softer with wear, and are so comfortable that the Japanese sleep in them. We have a nice assortment of these brand new Nemaki Cotton kimonos in a variety of floral patterns.

Most kimonos tend to be very long, because Japanese women blouse their kimono over their waist, and adjust the length. They are tied in place with a special Obi sash, which has been carefully chosen to CONTRAST the colors in the kimono. (Japanese like to mix and match the kimono and obi for as much contrast as possible, so kimonos and obis are always sold separately.) For that reason, our vintage kimonos traditionally don’t come with sashes, so feel free to mix and match a sash, belt, or even a scarf that you have at home.

Men's kimonos tend to be shorter than women's kimonos, because they don't blouse them down like women do. Women's kimonos are often designed with floral patterns and more color, while men's are decorated with geometric shapes, small tight patterns, or even solid, dark colors. Vintage men's kimonos run very small, having been meant to fit smaller sized Japanese men, so we only recommend a Vintage kimono if you are slender, and don't have a wide chest.

Kimonos are also cut wide, and many people who try them on first feel they are “too big”. Remember that kimonos are clothing in Japan, not bathrobes, and are meant to close completely so that no part of the body is accidentally exposed. When you wear a kimono traditionally, the right flap folds across your body until it touches your hip. The left flap folds completely across the right flap, and should cross over and touch near the hip. If you learn to wear the kimono the way the Japanese do, you will understand that it is not “too big”, even if you are only wearing it as a bathrobe.

With all of our kimonos listed for sale we have included a woman’s dress size, and the length of the kimono. If you like the kimono, but feel the length is too long we recommend you take it to a tailor and have it shortened. This service is not available from Old Japan.

If you have any other questions, or questions about size, please email us, or call.