How did you first get interested in Kimono?

[bebemochi]

I would like to ask EVERYONE :
How did you first become interested in Kimono?
Were you interested in some other aspect of Japanese culture first and then drawn to kimono?
Or perhaps you were interested in textiles in general or even came to kimono via a passion for history re-enactment?
However it happened i would be very interested to hear about it...

[chiiyo]

There's a similiar topic somewhere in here, I remembering answering some version of it...

*grin* For me it was manga, then anime, then I kind of latched onto kimono. Simple as that. My obsession with the japanese language came much later...

[theresa]

i always loved seeing kimonos in the movies! i bought my first one on ebay, then from a google search found this site. i've bought 8 kimonos from here, sent one to a friend i met on this board!

i especially love the pre WW 2 one i bought, with the really long sleeves.

i emailed ichiroya about this boasrd, and asked also if she had any kimonos that are pre-WW2, but i didn't get an answer!!

[Kati]

I've always been interested in kimono. Ever since I was a little girl and before I could remember. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that my father's cousin lived in Japan. Or maybe it was that my dad found out my birthday is on shichigosan and he always made a big deal about it. I remember one time I was in my grandmother's closet and I saw an embroidered silk bathrobe that she called a kimono and I asked her why I couldn't have a kimono. My grandmother didn't know much about kimono and she said they didn't make them for children and that it would be a waste to pay so much money to get one for me if I was just going to grow out of it. Well now I have a small collection of them, one of which is custom-made and I'll never be sad about not being able to get kimono again.

[Marie]

Kimono has always been a beautiful and graceful garment to me. It was in a San Franciso Japantown that I saw, to my astonishment, how long they were! As a very tall women I never thought it would be possible to find one long enough. I bought a beautiful antique kurotomesode, an obi, and obijime.

In the States nobody notices the differences in formality. I wore it to a party and to the opera, with nice complements.

Two yukatas and two komon have been added to the collection, and they are to wear rather than display. I always were obi and obijime with kimono, lest it look too much like a night robe to American eyes! But I wear western shoes, not zori. That may look strange to Japanese, but to Americans the shoes make a more appropriate look.

[Meiji]

In all honesty, I was never that interested in Kimono until relatively recently, what I mean by that is about a year ago.......


Beforehand, I once thought that Kimonos were only for females but then I realized that there were male versions of them as well. Mainly, it was Japanese movies and animes which really interested me in the art of the kimono and the grace and formality that goes with it. Seeing very elaborate designs, I can't help but think that the male kimono, given that you get something that fits you well and looks nice, is pretty cool at that.


I have seen an amazing male kimono robe that had a gold dragon design and was black, the last time I was in Tokyo, summer of 2002. From there, I have been meaning to get a nice male kimono ever since. And I vow to finally get on this upcoming summer, when I visit Japan again.

[sg715]

Hmm...

I've always been interested in Japanese culture, and in kimono. But I considered them unattainable, far too expensive for me to every own one, much less find out how to wear it.

Then, a few months ago, I found people were selling kimono on ebay in the under-$100 price range. And it all went downhill from there.

[Genki-girl]

I am a big anime fan. I also live in Salem, Massachusetts, USA and Halloween is HUGE here. We dress up in costumes at work and this year I wanted to do something different. Ususally I just dress up kind of "Gothy". I was inspired by a print by Susan Seddon Boulet of a "fox-woman". I did a little research, and ended up buying a beautiful kimono from Ichiroya. It matches my hair!! I made the obi, fox ears and tail myself (check out my pic in the photo gallery). I researched how to wear the kimono properly and how to tie a simple bow. The best part of the night was when a lady visiting from Japan told me I wore the kimono beautifully. I was so thrilled with the kimono; not just how lovely they are, but how comfortable they are that I'm determined to buy more of them. Yukata and haori too! Viva kimono!!

[yamadera]

Hajime mashite! I'm new to this discussion forum and have found reading various threads fascinating.

I became interested in kimono when I lived in Japan about 11 years ago. Two events triggered it - a colleague invited me to join her tea ceremony study group and my neighbour's shop was our small town's no.1 kimono shop. My first kimono ensemble was all new and all polyester, because I couldn't afford silk. We chose a black komon with a design of tiny scattered pink & white fans, that would "read" as both snow and sakura, so I would get more use out of it!

My neighbour's aunt Sachiko was my first kimono teacher. She taught me how to make hitoe. I began by remaking second hand wool kimono, with Sachiko's husband showing me how to take kimono apart (for remaking and cleaning). Handsewing everything was a big culture shock for my sewing skills! I progressed to awase (lined), though I haven't sewn irotomesode yet! Sachiko's daughter, Teiko, taught me awase. Teiko is the most skillful stitcher I have ever seen - fast and neat!

Hiroko, another friend, taught me a lot about what to wear, what to wear it with and when, though I once misjudged the formality level of a reception (in Japan) for our English twin town mayor - and turned up wearing woven shima hitoe when everyone else was wearing houmongi! I must have looked like the waitress rather than a guest! ;D Luckily our honorary guests didn't know anything about kimono and everyone else just thought it was funny.

[LadyMcBeth]

Hello everyone - this is my first posting here on this forum.

I have always loved the beauty of the kimono - if I could wear one every day, I would do so! I love sari too - why would you want to wear boring chain-store clothing if you could dress so beautifully every day?

I live on a VERY small Scottish island and I've just ordered my first kimono - fairly restrained in colour and decoration. I fully intend to wear the kimono - but am a little apprehensive about people thinking that I'm odd ;D

At some point I will buy a bridal outfit - not to wear - but to hang on the wall.

I read another thread about westerners being concerned about dressing in a kimono - are you all still nervous?

I'm 5'6" tall, dark hair and pale skinned, so I hope to look the part (a little!

All the terminology is new to me, but I can see this becoming a VERY expensive hobby

Lots of love

Ali X

[Reiko]

After I started watching anime when I was younger, I eventually became more interested in Japanese culture and later, found out about kimono.

Kimono fascinate me, but I think it's the Maiko that really got me interested. I like to look at the long obi they wear, the kanzashi in their hair, and the pokkuri (the high wooden shoes) not to mention their hairstyles. I've always wanted to wear a maiko kimono, but I thought that I couldn't, so I figured I would have more luck buying and wearing a furisode. I like the look of the long sleeves more than the short, but they are all pretty. It may be more fancy, but I don't mind. I feel foolish because I don't know much about kimono, but I do know that I love them.