I love to see the kimono really confident enough to come out of the bedroom and flaunt itself out of the street. Wow! But how to wear a vintage kimono, really?
Make no mistake about it. A stunning silk vintage-style kimono is the new go-to piece to add to your wardrobe and – we promise – this fashion is not just for the low budget festival crowd (although we heart that look, too!).
How to Wear a Vintage Kimono – and Look Fabulous! Share on X
“No more rules, the freedom of dressing. The beauty of mixing vintage clothes with a pair of jeans that I love.”
Yves Saint Laurent
Did you know? The word “kimono”, literally means a “thing to wear” (ki “wear” and mono “thing”).
Now it has become in fashion “THE” thing to wear. No longer relegated to the hook on the back of the bathroom door, it can be seen going out to dinner, to the beach, to the Opera.
As outwear, kimonos can be layered creatively over/under any outfit. We’ve found that poking out from under a jacket or over the perfect little black dress – it’s the perfect touch of ‘texture’ to any outfit. Adding a kimono to your wardrobe is an “instant ramen” (is that PC?) way to synthesize the aspirational with the everyday in a grown-up and hip way to put yourself together.
Fun fact! The kimono was the one of the original gender fluid fashion statements. The fabric was woven on a narrow loom and the straight cuts of fabric were sewn together to create a garment that fit every sort of body shape.
One Thousand Years of Kimonos, you say?
Early Western travelers, traveling to India, Persia, Turkey, or China, would frequently remark on the absence of change in fashion in those countries. The Japanese shōgun’s secretary bragged to a Spanish visitor in 1609 that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years.
Wait, like everyone wore the exact same outfit for a thousand years?
Not precisely. Like most societies, Japan had upper and lower classes. And, since everybody wore kimonos and the cut hardly changed during this period, each traditional Japanese kimono provided clues about its owner. Such as social or marital status of the wearer. (Hey, not unlike the way we wear t-shirts with symbolic images and words.)
In terms of the kimono, the fabrics, patterns, and colors, for example, announced who you were. However, there was a catch – the garment were also often subject to sumptuary regulations – laws that prohibited certain people (the lower classes) from wearing glam clothes made from expensive fabrics, certain colors, ornate embroidery, or silver and gold threads.
Rules were meant to be broken!
Of course, you don’t get to be a weathly merchant without learning how to bend the rules – and the newly rich were quite creative in finding ways around these restrictions. While they used plain fabric to make their outer robes, they lined these garments with gorgeous silk, in the brilliant hues and patterns , to show off their wealth.
How to get the look nowadays…
Instead of your go-to jacket, layer up with colorful print kimono. It takes a little attitude to pull it off. Like, don’t wear a kimono over your ubiquitous Lululemon leggings and sports bra. Please.
Below, say Ola/Hello 🙂 to this gorgeous hand-crafted embroidered kimono from Farm Rio, a brand I just recently fell in love with, from Brazil. What a delicious flavor your season will have with the Black Kimono embroidered with a cornucopia of tropical fruits! Whatever your destination, you will arrive with a smile – and leave everyone else smiling, too!
“We are a group of creatives from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that believe in the existence of happiness. More than a brand, we create enlightened cultural movements since 1997. Based in good energies and beautiful frequencies: We believe that solar rays enlighten the soul. We believe in all colors and shapes that nature brings to our eyes, to our feelings. We believe in local culture, and we keep it alive. We believe in quality, we adore details, and the emotions created by these elements, because a powerful product inspires positive transformations in everyone and everywhere. We also believe in hugs, or in Portuguese – we believe in “abraços”. And once we believe, we are. Just like that. Welcome to our magic, and feel it in your soul.“
Farm Rio
And now that the weather is starting to become a little chillier, what better way to say “adieu” to summer than a kimono puffer in a range of autumnal colors embellished with embroidery and sequins?
One more from Farm Rio (did I mention that I just fell in love with this label?). In linen and rayon, this bohemian frilled kimono is embroidered with birds of paradise. There is no excuse to wear boring clothes!
The Love of Vintage Kimonos.
Where to buy: “the Blue Bird” has an truly amazing selection of vintage kimonos. And affordable. Snap up one of these beauties. “Iki Kimono” is another vendor worth checking that sells online and also at flea markets around New York. Remember, these babies are ‘one-offs’ – so if you like what you see, snap it up.
Kimonos are the original gender fluid garment, so don’t forget the lads – buy one for him, too.
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