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General
#1

… with a kimono!!!

Yes, I want one. I see Kyle, Kevin and the other pros on here wear one and it looks very comfortable but also just want one. But I know so little about it.

I do know that most people wear yukatas or summer kimonos and that actual kimonos are about the price of a car and far too formal. But beyond that I don’t know much. Can you just get the top and jacket and wear regular pants? Any faux pauxs to be aware about? Like I think it must be folded left to right cos the other way is for dead corpses or something.

I may pop by our Little Tokyo here in downtown LA to check some out but I don’t want to end up with a tourist souvenir that’s not very comfortable.

#2

It all depends.

Yukata are summer kimono and so tend to be worn during the warmer weather. Kimono, especially for women, can be very heavy and ornate. Men’s versions aren’t so restrictive. I do not know if I’d call them comfortable however. The ways in which you move and sit in them take some acclimating.

Mr. Abbott wears what’s called Hakama. These are loose, pleated pants and are often worn with a shorter kimono top.

Other performers opt to wear a Happi, a kind of long, straight coat, over regular clothes.

Another option sometimes seen is a jinbei, which is another kind of summer clothing. This is a light, breazy jacket and long or short pants. My friend Hamutani-sensei wears one almost daily.

We had a thread about this some time ago, and I believe some resources for shopping were posted. See if I can’t dig that up later one.

#3

Thanks Christopher.

I definitely do not like the jinbei for myself. I do very much like the hakama with the shorter kimono top. Is there a special name for this shorter kimono top?

So I’m thinking the shorter kimono top with a hakama. Is this typically worn with the outer jacket which I think is called haori?

Also I notice theres even special underwear that shows through the colllar.

#4

There’s the thread in question, it has some additional information and some shopping options.

Haori are indeed the jacket worn with kimono when it’s cooler outside, and may be worn with Yukata as well.

#5

I have a Yukata myself. It was quite cheap and good quality, but it didn’t come with an Obi. From personal experience with full on Kimono though, it’s much better and much more comfortable.
However I’d like to get myself a full on winter Kimono for those colder days.
Though, I often find myself channeling out my inner Suehiro Maruo character than Samurai, as I wear my Gakuran (Japanese school uniform/Military outfit) more often xD
All I need now is a Seifuku and I’m set xD

#6

What’s funny is that my internet handle (username, avatar, whatever) has always been “the.ronin” since the story of the 47 Ronin is my favorite. This is long long before I even knew what a shamisen was which I just learned about a few weeks ago. But I never thought I would be buying a kimono. And yet here I am lol wtf.

#7

Ah, regarding the kimono thread, don’t remember if was me to post it ahahahah!

#8

I’ve been looking into quality kimono and geta for a while the best site I have found for people abroad is http://www.kimono-yukata-market.com/ they explain a lot of stuff about kimono and are pretty helpful

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