I bought two kimonos recently. Yes, I am a big spender.

Being a “giant” for a Japanese female at 169 cm or 5’6.5’’ (I do claim that half inch!), it is always difficult for me to find used kimonos that are perfect fit. I guess there is the same problem with any vintage clothing elsewhere, but why oh why were the ladies so tiny back in the day?

I guess us kimono lovers are somewhat luckier in a sense that kimono is made to fit the shapes of more variety and adjustment of the sizes are much easier than western clothing. Unless the kimono is hopelessly too small (which still happens very often with me), I can get it adjusted to my size with the help of a professional seamstress.

So, I got two second-hand kimonos recently. I went to look for something decent to wear to the close family’s dinner to celebrate my cousin’s marriage. I had a specific kimono in mind which I saw online before going to the store (at the edge of Shinjuku 2-chome, the famous gay village), but there, I spotted “the one” by some serendipitous fate. It’s pale grayish tsumugi (kind of like raw silk fabric) with orange and white pin wheel pattern. It’s cute. It fits. It’s fate!

Then, a week later, I was looking for something slightly more formal and glamorous for a presentation I have to make in front of some important people from abroad. Again, fate (or god of spending) was on my side, and I came across a perfect one that was within my price range at an online kimono store called “ichiroya”. I usually avoid buying things online, especially clothing, but this time, I had to take the risk. With kimono, size isn’t a big concern. The biggest concern with buying kimono online is the actual colors and texture of the fabric.