Kimono FAQ

We receive similar questions about Kimono all the time, so we've put together FAQ's.

What's Kimono?

Originally the word, Kimono was a generic term for clothing. It literally meant things to wear, and that's what everyone in Japan used to wear before Meiji era.

However after western clothes were introduced to Japan, the word came to mean traditinal Japanese clothes as opposed to the new western clothes.

Also the word, Wafuku (Japanese clothes) is often used to describe Kimono these days as opposed to the word, Youfuku (western clothes).

What kind of Kimono are there?

Everything in the following list is considered Kimono.

Kimono (long one that reaches your ankles)
- Furisode: It's characterized by long sleeves and colorful and bright designs. It's the most formal Kimono for unmarried women.
- Kurotomesode: It has black background and colorful designs on the bottom. It's the most formal kimono for married women.
- Irotomesode: It's like Kurotomesode, but the background is not black. It's the second most formal kimono for married women.
- Houmongi: It's for both married and unmarried women. It's formal, but it could be semi-casual. It's characterized by colorful designs on the back and the sleeves.
- Tsukesage: It's for both married and unmarried women. It's a little less fancy than Houmongi.
- Iromuji: It's characterized with the material of one color (no designs, except for the pattern on the material).
- Komon: It's a casual Kimono, characterized by the design that is equally distributed throughout the kimono.
- Yukata: It's a summer Kimono, made with cotton.
- Mofuku: It's for funeral.
Haori: It's a short kimono, like a jacket.
Michiyuki: It is worn over Kimono as a coat.
Juban: It's also called Nagajuban, and it is worn as underwear.
Hakama: It's like pants.

Which Kimono should I buy?

Basically, we have two types of Kimono: Vintage Kimono (VIK series) and new Kimono (KI series).

KI series Kimono are somewhat westernized Kimono, and it is easy to wear and take care of. It comes with a belt and you do not need to know anything complicated to wear it. If you are looking for something you can wear as a nightgown, this is perfect.

On the other hand, VIK series Kimono are vintage Kimono. They are traditional Kimono, just like people in Japan wear. To actually wear this kind of Kimono, you need many accessories and need to learn how to tie Obi (belt). So, most people who buy these Kimono have told us that they are using it for interior decoration. But of course, it is possible to wear this in a non-traditional way, and we would like to encourage people to invent new ways to wear this.

If you would like to obtain something real and traditional, and if you would like to actually wear it without learning anything complicated, look for Haori and Michiyuki on the Kanaiya website (Kanaiya is a company in Japan with which we have a special agreement that you can order anything from their website through our company for the same prices). They can be worn like a jacket, and you do not need to know anything complicated.