This month, my brother is getting married, and I wanted to wear something “Japanese” for this special occasion. Initially, I thought of wearing a kimono since I love the traditional garment (and had worn it once for my wedding). However, I had to dismiss the idea for these reasons: (1) it will be too hot and humid to wear it in Malaysia; (2) buying a Kimono and its accessories is way out of my budget; and above all… (3) I STILL do not know how to put on a kimono by myself.
After much deliberation, I made a recycled kimono dress instead. So, I went to a second-hand store to browse for used kimonos. Since I love black, I was naturally drawn to a particular one with beautiful gold-red embroidery and hand-paintings of fans and flowers. But before I bought the kimono, I had to ask my mum if the base color bothered them. Usually, at Chinese weddings, a solid black dress is frowned upon, as opposed to the auspicious red, gold, or other bright colors. My trendy mum laughed and said, “In this century, of course, no problem.” (Whew!)
When I showed it to my MIL, I learned it is a Kuro Tomesode (黒留袖) with five Mon (紋 /emblem or crest). The black, short-sleeved kimono has elaborate designs only from the waist down. This type of kimono is the most formal for a married woman and is typically worn at the weddings of her relatives and other special occasions. Wow, a perfect buy for me! ^_^b
Choosing the Right Dress Pattern
Since this is my first attempt at a dress, I wanted an easy dress pattern. However, my search for a simple dress pattern was difficult at all. I bought a lot of sewing patterns but realized that most of them were unusable. Unless you are slim or a misses-fit, most of the individual panels of the patterns are too flared, so there isn’t enough kimono fabric at the width.
Understanding the Kimono’s Construction:
Maybe I should elaborate further… Almost all kimonos are NOT WASHABLE per wear (except for modern kimonos with washing labels). Instead, they are often hung in cool, airy places before being put away carefully. Only if it is necessary, wash the kimono. It is done professionally and will cost an extravagant cleaning fee. The kimono’s straight and flat panels (width 33-36 cm) are taken apart for washing as separate panels during the cleaning process, then reassembled and hand-sewn back to their original form.
The narrow width of the panels is the reason why I could not find my perfect dress pattern. I had no choice but to adapt, which can be nerve-wracking for a beginner. The narrowest pattern I have was from this book: ドレスアップドレスダウン Simple Chic by Machiko Kayaki (茅木真知子). It was a frilled one-piece, which I did not follow exactly. I lengthened it, added darts and linings, and improvised along the way. Thank God, I have my sewing books and my MIL to turn to for advice.
Preparing the Kuro Tomesode
Once I have decided on the sewing pattern, I dissembled my black kimono. The usual practice for any crafter (who wants to recycle the kimono into wonderful handiworks) is to wash, dry, iron, and pre-shrunk (in the process) the disassembled pieces. However, in my case, I was strongly advised NOT to wash it at all. I had a long discussion with my MIL over this because the very thought of it upset my strong sense of cleanliness and gave me an icky feeling. 😛 It was a used kimono and I gonna add my perspiration to it as well.
In her defense, my MIL said that in reality, most owners of the Kuro Tomesode will NEVER wash it during their lifetime. It is too formal and precious to undergo any cleaning process. Additionally, the original linings would have kept the outer kimono “clean”. Besides, it will shrink and I’ll end up with insufficient fabric.
Well, being as stubborn as a mule, I did a test wash on an extra piece. True to her word, the kimono fabric shrunk 10 cm or more, and the hand-painted color on the design was less vibrant! I accepted her advice compliantly and proceeded to work on the kimono with my dress pattern. Anyway, this is how I disassembled the kimono:
Making the Dress:
The layout of the fabric with the sewing Patterns:
The actual length of the paper pattern is about 108 cm, but I extended my dress length to 130 cm approximately.
FRONT of the dress:
Before I worked on the kimono, I made a mockup with my spare lining fabrics to practice marking, pinning, cutting, sewing, as well as testing the darts and fittings. That didn’t reduce my tension when I worked on the actual kimono. My heart “stood still” when I was cutting the Kuro Tomesode and was literally in cold sweats throughout! LOL~
BACK of the dress:
The zipper I used on the kimono was 50 cm long. Since it was my initial attempt, I practiced on a shorter zipper with kimono scraps before the actual piece. I am so thankful to YCMTTV for her wonderful and easy-to-understand tutorial, “How to Install a Zipper.”
Linings:
The linings were the most difficult part for me. I followed the wrong tutorial and it almost ruined my dress. Now I know that sewing a lining to a bodice is different from sewing it to a long dress. (DUH!) My mother-in-law informed me I would have to un-stitch and hand-sew a large portion of it. Since I sew badly and have a needle-prick tendency, I prefer machine-sewing as much as possible. Fortunately, I fixed it while fumbling around and only had to hand-sew the zipper-lining portion. (Thankfully, there were fewer OUCHs!) >_<“
Finally… Presenting my Kimono Remake dress!
I guess I can never wash this dress. I hope everyone will be too busy admiring the dress to notice its musty smell. LOL!
Hello,
I’m not sure if this blog is still active.
You mentioned never being able to wash your kimono. Have you tried using a portable steam cleaner? Very, very gently and not targeting the fabric too much or too closely.
You can practice on the hem or the back for example. I steam clean very delicate jackets and upcycled kimono fabric and they turn out fine. It does help to release the musty odor which will take time. Exposure to light on a sunny day in small doses and of course, wearing the finished piece will all help.
Hi Hemajang, thanks for dropping by.
Yup, this is a really old post.
I gave that dress to my mum, who gave it to someone who doesn’t mind having it 😅 not sure what happened to it anymore. So, I did not get to try it with a portable steam cleaner. My mother-in-law said that Japanese NEVER self-wash their Kuro-tomesode (black kimono with elaborate embroidery or hand-painted design) because they are so expensive. They would rather pay a professional kimono cleaner. Well, to her defense, it is probably for those kimono that were bought first hand. I guess for old kuro-tomesode kimono that are used for upcycled project, it may be worth giving them a steam cleaner treatment. 🙂
Thank-you for this post. I have 2 kimonos I want to turn into evening dresses and I would not have known that they shouldn’t be washed unless I had read this. I live in the Philippines, and I definitely want to at least be able to dry-clean the dresses after wear as it is just too hot here. But I will do a test of some of the extra fabric first.
You are most welcome, Karen.
Yes, please do a fabric test. My MIL said she will never wash her Kuro Tomesode. As for other type of kimono, most people will get professional laundry services. Super expensive because the pro actually take the kimono apart and sew it back after cleaning.
Nowadays, there are some Kimono that can be hand-washed at home. My Iro-Tomesode (色留袖), which I bought from a second hand store, has a laundry label. I hand-washed it and it didn’t shrink.
So beautifull ! You are gifted ?
I am sure you was wonderfull in this dress
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment, Françoise. Yes it was a beautiful dress, thanks to the kimono. Too bad I can only wear it once ;(
wow! that’s really cool!
Thank you! ^_^
Would you mind sharing where you got the kimono and what price range you paid for it? I’m looking for a second hand kimono, and having a hard time finding one I like that I can afford – maybe I need to downselect to polyester?
Dearest Julia,
Sorry for the late reply. I just came back from a long tiring journey (with a super whiny toddler and a unwell baby)… >_<;
I bought the above black kimono from OFF-HOUSE (a second-hand store) for less 1,000 Yen. I was very blessed. It was really cheap because that inner linings was very old and stained. The price was perfect since it was my first time trying to recycle a kimono into a dress.
However, having said that. Prices for kimonos in thrift stores are unpredictable and extreme. Say, ranging from 1500 to 35,000 yen! If you are lucky, you may stumble upon a beautiful kimono that is inexpensive because it may have some imperfections somewhere. So, my advice is to check the used kimono thoroughly.
Finding the perfect kimono in a second-hand is very much like treasure hunting – fun and exciting! May you find one that suits you soon! ^_^Y
Have a blessed day!
This is lovely! Thank you so much for this tutorial. I’m inspired! I am thinking about doing the same thing myself for a destination wedding, and I am also new to making clothing.
Dearest Tina, wonderful of you to drop by and thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad my experience above had encouraged you to make a kimono dress too. Hey, do share pictures of your dress once its done, I’d love to see it. Let’s continue together to learn more as we embark on challenges, my fellow budding sewing adventurer. ^_^Y
Absolutely LOVE it. I’m attempting something similar, although strapless. I have a question: In your diagram above of the harvested kimono pieces, you show five yellow panels, with one a little narrower. Is that narrow one actually the Okumi front piece? My donor kimono, a tomesode, has two back panels, two front panels and two Okumi. (Actually 4 Okumi, since each is faced with the outer fabric.) I’d love to use the Okumi, because the pattern is super nice on them. TIA
Hi, thank you so much for your encouraging comment. If my memory served me right, the narrow panel was the Okumi. I only used one okumi (the front one with the most design). That’s why my front part of the dress was made up of 3-panels, unlike the back of the dress (only 2-panels). I hope I had answered your question and did not add any confusion to it. I wish i can contribute more but I’m still very new to dressmaking. Thank you so much for dropping by. Hope to see your strapless dress soon. Happy creating! ^_^
Just…awesome!! The dress looks perfect. Wear it on!!
Thank you for your encouraging comment but I’m still too SHY to show meself wearing the dress LOL *^_^*
I found your blog and that excellent, excellent step by step process for converting a kimono into a dress. Many of my customers (www.kyotokimono.com) are so interested in this – I hope you don’t mind if I link to your blog from mine. I apologize in advance if you start getting inquries requesting you to make these dresses for profit!
You did a beautiful job, both on the dress and explaining the process.
Nancy
Dearest Nancy, Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for sharing my DIY adventure with your kimono-loving customers, I really appreciate it and am really encouraged by your comments.. Hee hee, but to be honest with you, I still a “baby” in the sewing world, I doubt I can make any dress for profit. Think I stick to illustration and digital art instead. 😀 Once again, thank you. U made my day! ^_^b
P.S. I’m too shy to show meself in the dress LOL.
Beautiful! Great tutorial!
Thank you #^_^#
Wow, a gorgeous dress! The fan pattern is stunning against the black. Very beautiful contemporary adaptation…I hate to think of commercializing the idea, but perhaps you should consider opening such a dress business! 😀
Thank you Alan! I did initially put a lot of thoughts into a kimono-remake dress business (when I was buying the dress form). But after executing the dress in reality, I decided it may not be my forte after all! Without proper fashion background, I’d overworked my brain this time. 😛 Nonetheless, I’m onto a new business idea recently and will be launching it shortly on my blog (after my holiday trip). Do drop by again. Thank you so much for your continued support and wonderful comments! ^_^b
哇，so smart! 天才！
very elegant …and I think you’ll look somewhat mafia-like wearing it LOL!!
I will try to behave in the dress, I promise. But Purin, You know me best! LOL~
absolutely brilliant Dione
you are so clever
Love the idea…………..trust you and the family r doing well
kindest regards
Bev
Bev, So wonderful for you to drop by. We miss you a lot! (Hug)