No Kimono

April 4, 2007 5:04 AM

Is there anywhere online that one can purchase an authentic kimono for a tall, fat woman?

Ideally, I would be looking for a tomesode (or equivalent) for a size 22-24 who is 5'10".

Surely there must be big women in Japan (or, possibly, Hawaii) that need formal kimono. Any idea's?

I've tried looking through ebay but I need the real deal and not some Hong Kong knock-off bathrobe.) The vintage sites are luscious but they're all made for short and tiny traditional Japanese women.

posted by ninazer0 to clothing, beauty, & fashion (4 comments total)

How about something like Good Orient? They take more measurements than you ever knew you had, and despite lingering fears of small children crying as they sew in some wearhouse somewhere, my sig other got a fine bespoke suit for very little money there.
posted by thebrokedown at 5:15 AM on April 4, 2007

OK, finally a question I am very familiar with! I got my kimono on eBay and I'm tall (compared to asian women), busty and wide around the hips. It's really a waiting game. I watched eBay and sifted through the kimono or obi categories, rather than searching for kimono. This tends to eliminate the satin bathrobe crap.

I would click on pretty much any that looked long in the picture (compared to the sleeves) and then if it was 60" or longer, I'd save it to my watch list. I'm 5'7" so I' would guess that you would want to find a kimono that is around 65" long. I had decided that the longer the kimono, the wider it surely would be and didn't bother myself with that particular detail. I probably should have. There are sites that can help you with measurements. If I can find the one I used, I will post it to you here.

Anyway, to find a large tomesode, you'll have to wait a while, but you'll get it eventually. That's the only way I know to get one that isn't 80+ dollars. I pay in average about 30 for my kimono. If it wasn't for shipping, they would be dirt cheap! I haven't bought a tomesode yet, though. I've wanted one for a while. They will be a little more expensive but probably worth it!

I would advise checking with the wise ladies at immortalgeisha.com. They have a kitsuke forum and will be very friendly in helping you find what you need. They may even suggest some eBay links. It's a double-edged sword, there however. Most of those ladies are American or European and are also usually larger than the average kimono size and may beat you to the deals. I think they are worth asking, however. They will also be a very valuable resource to you when you do get your kimono and start learning how to put it on!

Good luck!
posted by bristolcat at 5:58 AM on April 4, 2007

This doesn't really answer your question, but the reason that older kimono are too small is that they're all one size. Kimono are made according to a universal pattern, with the panels cut from a bolt of cloth that's always the same size (roughly 18" wide). To make a larger kimono would require a larger bolt, and kimonos being so bound up in tradition, that's only happened recently.

As to length: a lot of those vintage kimono are tucked up and basted at the waist to take out a few inches (the flap hides under the obi)—this basically makes permanent what would otherwise be a manual process of tucking up the excess length under an obi. These tucks are easy to take out.

Kimono bought new are, of course, usually very expensive.
posted by adamrice at 7:03 AM on April 4, 2007

What adamrice said -- for the most part kimono are cut to a single standard size, and slight adjustments to fit are made by taking wider/narrower seam allowances. In cases where a substantially larger-than-usual kimono needs to be made, due to the narrowness of the standard kimono bolt, an extra tan of fabric would be used to extend the width of the body by sewing extra side panels onto the standard pattern.

Kimono are pretty easy to sew, so if you don't want to take a chance on fit with stuff from eBay, you might want to just get some authentic fabric and visit a local tailor. Folkwear has some nice Japanese patterns with adjustments for Western height/size ranges, and you can sometimes find uncut kimono bolts on eBay -- or hunt around online, I've never ordered from these folks yet but they have some lovely stuff, everything from chirimen crepe in a variety of fiber contents to elegant brocades, and cotton prints and ikats suitable for more casual yukata.
posted by Smilla's Sense of Snark at 8:31 PM on April 4, 2007