Occasionally our customers will ask us, "What kind of jewelry do Japanese women wear when they're wearing silk kimonos?" and we tell them, "Nothing. The Kimono is the Jewel!" Japanese Silk Kimonos are such incredible textiles that nothing else is needed to make them shine. People who love textiles often collect Kimonos, either to wear or hang on the wall as art. Other creative types take kimonos apart and turn them into fashionable western style clothing. Whatever the reason, you're in good company if you've become dazzled by the fabulous nature of Silk Kimonos.

At our retail store Old Japan Inc we sell a variety of beautiful Silk Kimonos, with prices ranging from $100, $150, $200, $300 and up. More casual Kimonos sell in the less expensive range, whereas the more expensive Kimonos use labor-intensive techniques like hand-painting, hand-stenciling, hand-embroidery and hand-dying. We also carry a good selection of Collector's Item Kimonos that are suitable to hang on the wall as Art. (To see a few, scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

In addition to full length Kimonos, we also carry wonderful Silk Haori Jackets, which are much shorter than regular kimonos and thus much easier to wear. Because Vintage Silk Kimonos were originally meant for small Japanese people, the size selection works best for Women who are a size 6, 8, 10 or a slender 12, and for Men who are smaller in stature, or have a slender build. For people who are not a Japanese size we have a small but good selection of Cotton Kimonos (Yukata) in Large and Extra Large. If you are not sure of sizing you can call us, email us, or stop by our store in Boston and we will help you find a Kimono.

One hundred years ago almost everyone in Japan put on a Kimono when they got up in the morning, but because western style clothing is cheaper and easier to wear, nowadays Kimonos are worn only for special occasions like weddings, graduations, parties and holidays. Kimonos are also worn by people who study the traditional arts, like the Tea Ceremony, Ikebana Flower Arrangement, and Japanese Dancing (Nihon Buyo).

Silk Kimonos are some of the most breathtaking textiles in the world, and they are also some of the most meticulously crafted, labor-intensive textiles ever created. They are all one-of-a-kind garments, and not factory produced. Kimonos are often hand-dyed, hand-stenciled, hand-embroidered, hand-painted, or some combination of all of these techniques. All Silk Kimonos are hand-sewn, and the sewing alone can take up to three days. The Japanese don't like doing anything simple, and if there's a way to make something even more detailed, labor-intensive, and better, the Japanese will find it. Occasionally throughout Japan's history the government has had to issue edicts prohibiting certain craftsmen from over-doing a particularly labor-intensive technique related to Kimono. Around 1930 the government issued an order to Kimono manufacturers to curtail the amount of hand-painting on a formal Tomesode Kimono, restricting them to painting only one side of it rather than both. This was done in an effort to curb the "decadent" displays of wealth they thought was occurring. And they were probably right.

Silk Kimonos have always been associated with wealth in Japan. For wealthy Japanese, the best way to flaunt it was not to buy a huge house (Japanese don't have the custom of inviting people to their homes like we do here in the west), nor do they buy a huge, gas-guzzling Limousine or Cadillac (where would they drive it, on Japan's small roads?) Traditionally if you wanted to flaunt your wealth you dressed your wife and daughters in incredibly expensive kimonos and had them stroll around town. It\'s not an exaggeration to say that Kimonos usually start in the low thousands, and go upward. Specially commissioned pieces like Geisha or Maiko Kimonos can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and a few have been known to go over $100,000.  (Check out the book, "Geisha, A Life" by Minako Iwasaki, for more information about this.)

If Kimonos are so expensive, why can we sell them at such reasonable prices? The reason is that, when a Kimono has been worn once or twice it is considered "used clothing" in the eyes of the Japanese, and loses most of its value. (Like a luxury car that loses 90% of its value as soon as it's driven out of the showroom.) Japanese don't have the custom of wearing used clothing, and even if they would like to pass along an heirloom kimono to their daughters, most young women want something brand new, with the latest colors and styles. As a result, once or twice worn Silk Kimonos can be purchased by us at highly reduced prices, and sold in our store at extremely REASONABLE ones.

We welcome you to visit our retail store in Boston and see for yourself how beautiful Vintage Silk Kimonos can be!