the fit
kitsuke or traditional kimono dressing is an art form, and while [re.form] sells a selection of kimono and kimono related items – obi, obiage, obijime etc., we believe that vintage items should be part of the fabric of modern life. How will you wear yours?
haori
A light, hip or thigh-length traditional jacket made to be worn over a kimono. It can be worn open or loosely tied with braided silk ties called haori-himo. Size-up to be able to wrap the jacket and fasten with a belt.
The front of a haori is not designed to wrap in the same way that a full-length kimono does, but it would be looser and tie closer together or wrap over on someone who is a smaller size than suggested and could be cinched at the waist with an obijime belt (see the Accessories collection) or belt of your own.
The suggested UK garment sizes are based on the haori being worn in a traditional manner ie. fastened with haori-himo and allowing a narrow 6-10cm gap between the edges.
- wingspan - from wrist to wrist across the shoulder
- back width - from shoulder seam to shoulder seam across the back
- length - from nape to hem
- sleeve depth - from top to bottom of sleeve
michiyuki
A michiyuki is traditional three-quarter length kimono-style travelling jacket. It is designed with a low square neckline to show off the kimono underneath and has a double-breasted front opening that closes with snap fasteners. There are decorative self-covered buttons and a small pocket hidden in the front seam.
- wingspan - from wrist to wrist across the shoulder
- back width - from shoulder seam to shoulder seam across the back
- length - from nape to hem
- sleeve depth - from top to bottom of sleeve
- overall/hip size - measurement of the overall girth of the garment
A michiyuki has a relatively straight body so we give the overall dimension of the body of the garment as hip size - generally the widest part of the body.
kimono
A full-length traditional t-shaped garment which is designed to be worn wrapped, left over right, bloused (folded over to adjust the length) at the waist and secured with thin sash called a koshi-himo. Because they are designed to be ‘bloused’ traditional kimono length is calculated as your height +10cm making them generally a little long for ladies of average height! However as they are hand-sewn they can be simply shortened by a competent dressmaker or tailor.
- wingspan - from wrist to wrist across the shoulder
- back width - from shoulder seam to shoulder seam across the back
- length - from nape to hem
- sleeve depth - from top to bottom of sleeve
If you have any questions about fit please feel free to email us at info@re-formstore.com and we will be happy to help!
kimono for men
In contrast to women's kimono, men's kimono & haori are typically in subdued, darker colours with subtle patterns and textures and the sleeves of a man’s kimono are generally attached to the body of the garment.
Measurements are given in the same way as for women's kimono:
- wingspan - from wrist to wrist across the shoulder
- back width - from shoulder seam to shoulder seam across the back
- length - from nape to hem
- sleeve depth - from top to bottom of sleeve