Where to buy women's kimono?

[brianh]

Figured some of you might know! My wife wants one and I've been doing some googling/reading. This place looks pretty good and has quite a selection of used and vintage: http://www.ichiroya.com/index.php

Looking at about the $100 range. Beyond that, just something "pretty."

Thanks in advance!

[Korin_Mari]

If you're looking for something real, I would be a little skeptical of that website. Most kimonos are in it's $1000's even if it is used or vintage.

[brianh]

Thank you, Mari! So I guess I'm stuck with something that somewhat resembles a kimono

[ecchef]

Maybe a yukata would be better.

[ajrh]

I'm not sure I agree with Mari about faulting that website: on quick scan, it looks pretty genuine to me, and the prices seem good but not way out of line. Vintage kimono are a lot cheaper when they're stained or discoloured, which the site does detail in the descriptions, or when they're unpopular sizes (i.e. too short for the modern-day population).

Mari's broader point, though, is exactly right: you're going to get what you pay for, and these things will make a knife addiction look cheap.

So I agree with ecchef that yukata might be the way to go, especially if the desire is prompted by summer weather. Even there you need an obi and maybe geta as well, but a proper kimono also needs nagajuban and all sorts of other stuff and is really the start of a long road.