I've worn yukata for events and festivals, but I have yet to take the plunge with kimono.Where do I start? What's a reasonable price for kimono dressing lessons?
I'm not really into kimono myself but my friends are and their advice would be to buy second hand kimonos and kimono items. I'm not familiar with Tokyo shops but maybe it's easy to find on the internet where are the good second hand kimono shops.
My friend also got a lot of kimono and items from grandmas in her neighborhood who gave her stuff after she told them she was into kimono.
If you want to learn who to wear it you'll need kitsuke 着付け lessons. Some lessons are provided by foreigners.
If you want just the wearing experience, rental shops are great and if you want the full experience including a photoshoot I recommend Inkimono on Instagram https://instagram.com/inkimono?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
If you can/want I recommend you wear furisode because they're super gorgeous 😍
Kimono-wearing is a "pin-kiri" matter. The price range, for everything from purchase to accessories to lessons is so broad that it is difficult to pin down. But depending on your size, you might easily be able to find used kimono at a very reasonable price.
For starters, instead of lessons in wearing kimono, you might consider renting a kimono at a store that specializes in kimono rentals. There are many at tourist spots throughout Japan, but there are among them some that actually provide a pretty thorough and "authentic" experience. They tend to be a bit more expensive than the touristy options, but often have better kimono and obi and provide a very thorough "kitsuke" (dressing) experience.
There are many stores today that feature used kimonos for sale. You can even find them in stores like Second Street, but you are likely to find better kimonos at specialty shops. They do charge a bit more, of course, but they have many kimonos that were custom made and antiques, items that would have cost a few hundreds of thousands of yen (or the modern equivalent) back in the day.
I have three kimono, one silk, one wool, and one denim. I highly recommend a denim kimono as an option. Being cotton, it is very versatile, appropriate in formal and informal occasions. It can also be washed at home, which is more difficult with other fabrics. I had mine order made in Kurashiki, which is near Japan's most famous denim town of Kojima in Okayama prefecture.
Although kimono can be fit over a range of body sizes much more broadly than western clothing, an order-made kimono that fits perfectly feels fantastic. I've worn my denim kimono to parties with a leather belt, boots, and wide-brimmed hat, prompting many people to suggest that I conjure the spirit of Sakamoto Ryoma.
Don't fear asking questions in a kimono specialty shop. They might seem intimidating (and expensive). But department stores, which seem less intimidating, send the orders they receive to specialty shops anyhow. Kimono stores have so little business nowadays that they are usually very happy to have new customers.
Thank you for your detailed response!I'm not a big person so I should be okay for sizes.I will take your advice on the kimono experience. I found some premium kimono taiken studios in Tokyo that do what you describe - high quality kimono with kitsuke.Your denim Ryoma style sounds like fun! I'm thinking I'd like to dress a little retro, maybe Taisho.
Taisho Era is great for kimono. I really like kimono from that time and early Showa. The only caveat is that people were generally much smaller then and there are so few kimono from that period that fit me. I'm 175cm tall. Have fun!
Very complete answer from @mikekato
I'll add my own opinion.
I'm not really into kimono myself but my friends are and their advice would be to buy second hand kimonos and kimono items. I'm not familiar with Tokyo shops but maybe it's easy to find on the internet where are the good second hand kimono shops.
My friend also got a lot of kimono and items from grandmas in her neighborhood who gave her stuff after she told them she was into kimono.
If you want to learn who to wear it you'll need kitsuke 着付け lessons. Some lessons are provided by foreigners.
If you want just the wearing experience, rental shops are great and if you want the full experience including a photoshoot I recommend Inkimono on Instagram https://instagram.com/inkimono?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
If you can/want I recommend you wear furisode because they're super gorgeous 😍
Kimono-wearing is a "pin-kiri" matter. The price range, for everything from purchase to accessories to lessons is so broad that it is difficult to pin down. But depending on your size, you might easily be able to find used kimono at a very reasonable price.
For starters, instead of lessons in wearing kimono, you might consider renting a kimono at a store that specializes in kimono rentals. There are many at tourist spots throughout Japan, but there are among them some that actually provide a pretty thorough and "authentic" experience. They tend to be a bit more expensive than the touristy options, but often have better kimono and obi and provide a very thorough "kitsuke" (dressing) experience.
There are many stores today that feature used kimonos for sale. You can even find them in stores like Second Street, but you are likely to find better kimonos at specialty shops. They do charge a bit more, of course, but they have many kimonos that were custom made and antiques, items that would have cost a few hundreds of thousands of yen (or the modern equivalent) back in the day.
I have three kimono, one silk, one wool, and one denim. I highly recommend a denim kimono as an option. Being cotton, it is very versatile, appropriate in formal and informal occasions. It can also be washed at home, which is more difficult with other fabrics. I had mine order made in Kurashiki, which is near Japan's most famous denim town of Kojima in Okayama prefecture.
Although kimono can be fit over a range of body sizes much more broadly than western clothing, an order-made kimono that fits perfectly feels fantastic. I've worn my denim kimono to parties with a leather belt, boots, and wide-brimmed hat, prompting many people to suggest that I conjure the spirit of Sakamoto Ryoma.
Don't fear asking questions in a kimono specialty shop. They might seem intimidating (and expensive). But department stores, which seem less intimidating, send the orders they receive to specialty shops anyhow. Kimono stores have so little business nowadays that they are usually very happy to have new customers.
Have fun! I hope that you find a perfect kimono.