- A fabulous, boy’s ceremonial kimono. The kimono has a large kabuto (samurai armour helmet) with more armour on one sleeve, a tsuzumi (hand drum) on the other and a crane and a Uchide-no-Kodzuchi (lucky mallet) at the bottom, plus Sho-Chiku-Bai (three Lucky Plants, Pine, Bamboo and plum). Exquisite to wear and perfect as a display item.
- Acetate 90% & Polyester 10%)
- A spectacular display item and such a good size for that; big enough to be striking and impressive but not requiring a huge amount of space. This kimono is, of course, also very wearable. To display it you can hang it on a wood or bamboo pole (a little bit thinner than a broom handle, tie a string loop at the centre for hanging). The pole should be long enough to go from sleeve end to sleeve end. Pull the kimono’s fronts out to the sides (a little further out than seen in the photo below; pull out to the outer edge of sleeves) and just clip (or stitch) them to the outer edge of the sleeve, then hang it on the wall. You could also frame it or use a display stand like the one shown further down this page.
- An Omiya-mairi kimono, for a child's first visit to a Shinto shrine
- Beautiful for a boy but also a wonderful display item, requiring less space to display than an adult kimono
- Made and bought in Japan. Synthetic silk.
- The kimono is fastened with the attached front ties. You thread the tie on the inner front edge out through the armhole and round to the back, then take the one on the outer front edge round to the back and tie them. An obi/sash is usually worn on top, such as a soft heko obi, though, with the ties, not essential
- The Japanese take great pains to store their traditional garments with the utmost care, which is why they stay in such exceptional condition. Some of my Japanese garments have large, white stitching (shitsuke) round the edges. The Japanese put these stitches in to keep the edges flat during long periods of storage, these stitches just get pulled out before wearing the garment
Please be aware that different monitors display colour slightly differently. Therefore the colour in the photos and description is a guide only
Condition:
Excellent
Measurements approx:
Sleeve end to sleeve end 95cm
Sleeve seam to sleeve seam 33cm
Length 99cm
Japanese clothing is usually of adjustable fit, being mostly wrap-over or tie-to-fit items, so most garments fit a range of sizes. Because of this (and only really knowing my own size anyway) I can't really advise anyone on the fit. Please judge fit from the measurements given.Measure from centre back of neck, along shoulder and down the arm to the wrist, then double that and compare it with the sleeve end measurement to judge sleeve length.
Kabuto Boy's Kimono
Kimono require a sash to hold them closed. This is always bought separately. For casual wear they tend to use soft heko obi.
Japanese children traditionally wear them with big tucks loosely stitched into the outside of the shoulders and round the waist.
Sizing: Japanese clothing is usually of adjustable fit, being mostly wrap-over or tie-to-fit items, so most garments fit a range of sizes.
Storage: Hang up your garment for a few hours prior to wearing, to remove fold creases. They should also be hung out to air 4 times per year, if not worn frequently. Hang your garment to air for a day or so immediately after purchase too, as it will have been stored for a while. The Japanese take great pains to store their traditional garments with the utmost care, which is why they stay in such exceptional condition. Some of my Japanese garments have white stitching (shitsuke) round the outside edges. The Japanese put these stitches in to keep the edges flat during long periods of storage, these stitches just get pulled out before wearing the garment.
Cedarwood or lavender essential oil keeps moths away, but don't get it on the fabric, apply near it, on the box, wrapper, drawer etc. or on a tissue nearby.
Cleaning: Be very cautious about washing kimonos. All cleaning is done entirely at your own risk, as is standard with all vintage garments and items. I would advise only dry cleaning for silk ones and for most synthetic ones, cotton ones may be dry cleanable too but select your dry cleaner carefully and take their advice before deciding if you want to try dry cleaning it. Some synthetic textile or cotton kimonos can be gently hand washed but the dyes can run even in some of those, so consider that before washing but, if you decide to wash, only cool hand wash very gently, do not rub, just gently squeeze the water through it a few times, do not wring, Use a detergent made for colours, not one for whites, as they contain bleaching agents. Do not machine wash, it can rip off the sleeves, but if you hand wash you can briefly machine spin it to remove excess water before hanging it to dry but do it on its own, separately from other items. All forms of cleaning are done at own risk. In Japan many kimonos, especially silk ones and any ceremonial ones, are cleaned by specialists in kimono cleaning, often by a special method called araihari, where they take it completely apart, clean the pieces, then sew it back together again.
Uses: Kimono and haori can, of course, be worn but also make wonderful display items. If short of space for displaying one, consider a child’s kimono or a haori which are just as striking and beautiful as an adult kimono but require less space.
Colour: Please be aware that different monitors display colour slightly differently. Therefore the colour in the photos and description is a guide only.
Additional Information
One must bear in mind that most are vintage items, which I strive to describe accurately and honestly. Most are in excellent vintage condition and therefore look virtually new but all are vintage, even the unused garments, which are or deadstock. A very, very few smell of mothballs or a touch of vintage mustiness but that is rare. This can be aired out and can sometimes be speeded up by tumble drying the dry garment at cool, but it should be put in a pillowcase in the dryer and is done only at your own risk. I have also had success at removing it by turning garments inside out and spraying very lightly with Oust, then letting them hang for a couple of days, but you do this at your own risk, as I can’t guarantee it won’t damage some fabrics. I found Oust to be much better at it than Febreze, even though Febreze is intended for some fabrics and Oust is an air freshener. Some synthetic textile and cotton kimonos can be hand washed but do this entirely at your own risk and only use a detergent for colours, as all other detergents contain bleaching agents to brighten whites. I usually mention any mothball or musty smell, if one does have it, but one must bear it in mind it is a possibility, even if not stated in the description, whenever buying vintage and antique textiles.