Japanese Kimono

Archive for April, 2006

Question: where can i buy a kimono online?

this kimono isn't a regular one. the type i'm looking for has very long sleeves and a long body. it's a combination of a Hikizuri's length and a furisode's sleeve length. silk catches on things and tears but if it's all that's available then i'll take it. can anyone help please?

Answer: Kimono with furisode sleeves and hikizuri length are usually just called hikizuri, or sometimes you'll see wedding kimono called hikifurisode.

Anyway, check Yamatoku, Ichiroya, Kimono Lily, and Ryu Japan. If you can't find what you want there, search for hikizuri on eBay. You might also consider looking on Bokunan-do, but their items are brand-new and usually quite expensive. If even that fails, just look for a super-long regular furisode, or one that you wouldn't mind taking apart and altering to make it longer. Many "hikizuri" are actually furisode that were taken apart at the waist seam and then sewn back together with extra fabric between the top and bottom parts. The obi hides the extra fabric, so nobody but you knows what you're really wearing.