Come on, kimono
Sexy and comfortable, this trend works for a nice night out or a naughty night in
Kaitlyn Bristowe got it right on The Bachelor — the kimono is having a moment.
The real joy of any kimono is how elegant you feel in it, swathed in silky material. There is an air of glamour, of dressing with intent to seduce. And the style couldn’t be more flattering: it skims over your shoulders, making them appear narrower. A wrap close flatters any bust line. The sash-tie cinches your waist. And the wide sleeves flutter when you walk.
“The trend is full throttle,” says Kealan Sullivan, owner of 69 Vintage on Queen St. W., where she has wait lists in perpetuity for the authentic Asian silk or cotton vintage kimonos from the ’30s through the ’80s that she goes to superhuman lengths to source.
Depending on what kind of shape they are in, and how rare/old the style is, Sullivan can command up to $500 for mint-condition pieces.
“They are standalones, works of art.” On the runway The spring 2015 runways — from Gucci to Alexander Wang to Marni to the Row — were awash in gorgeous kimonos, often cinched with dramatic, wide, obi-style belts. And every go-to fast-fashion label now has a permanent kimono section, making the Japanese classic a slouchy, sexy layering update: less stiff than a blazer, more polished and exotic than a cardigan.
The current manifestation of kimono fever dates back to 2012, according to stylist Roslyn Griffith Hall, specifically to Rei Kawakubo’s “flat pattern” collection for Comme des Garcons.
“And we saw the sleeker, more three-dimensional version on the runways for spring at Celine,” she says, from the set of the vampire series on which she is working in the wardrobe department. “A kimono is easy, loose, flowing, drapey, sexy, and above all comfortable. It can go from day to night and everything in between.” The history The Victoria & Albert Museum has this to say about kimono symbolism on its site: “The patterns that adorn kimono are very significant, for it is through choice of colour and, most importantly, decorative motifs that the wearer’s gender, age, status, wealth and taste are articulated.”
A red kimono like the one Bristowe wore after battling a Sumo wrestler on The Bachelor has over time indicated all the following ideas: heat, passion, youthful glamour. They are traditionally dyed with safflower.
Brides in Japan still often wear red, and this kimono certainly would perform well for a wedding after-party. Celeb factor There is also a theatrical thread to the trend, which can be pulled back to Lady Gaga, who has taught us all to blur the lines around what is costume.
She wore a kimono to yoga class last summer in Toronto, a full-length baby-blue silk number with hot pink lining to match her shoes. Then this past May, she famously donned a sculptural black glittery Balenciaga kimono for this year’s Met Gala, openly mixing her Asian metaphors for this year’s Chinese theme. Get the look When it comes to the Cadillac of the modern kimono genre, you can’t top Agent Provocateur. The haute sex shop (now on Bloor at the Colonnade) offers exquisite “shorty” kimonos in the thickest silks, with limited edition hand-embroidery. These are meant for the boudoir, but now that we have thrown the old rules out the window and embraced sequins for day and white for winter with zeal, inside goes outside just fine. You could take the slinky out of this hot little number by pairing it with a simple tank and some vintage Levis (high-waisted, of course, to pin the tail on every possible trend). The kimono prices — the cherry-red Shirley kimono, shown here, rings in at $1,390 (U.S.) and features sweeping sleeves inlaid with sheer panels of French Chantilly Leavers lace — are for serious apologies or proposals of the naughtiest nature. Luckily all the highest-end sex toys in the world can be found next to the kimonos, safely nestled behind glass cases.