These days you can find kimonos for sale on online shops. It's so much fun to browse through different shops and find the perfect kimono. Once you're ready to make a purchase, there's one important factor to consider besides color and pattern: ensuring the kimono fits you well. Let's explore how to choose your first kimono.
Unlike Western clothing, all kimonos have the same basic shape. Whether you're 160 cm or 170 cm tall, the overall design of the kimono remains consistent. However, the sizes differ. Therefore, the first step in purchasing a kimono is determining your correct measurements.
Kimono sizes vary depending on height, body shape, and weight. To ensure a proper fit, pay attention to the following measurements:
- Kimono length (mitake): The length from the center of the back to the hem. As a general rule, it should be about ±5 cm of your height. For women, the length is usually around the same as your height, while for men, it's typically slightly longer, covering the ankles. For women, a large tuck called “Ohabori” is made at the waist when the kimono is worn, so it is possible to be flexible without being too strict.
- Sleeve length (sodetake): Calculate this by multiplying your height plus 5 cm by 0.3. Formal kimonos tend to have longer sleeves, while casual ones are shorter.
- Shoulder & arm length (yuki): Raise your arm at a 45 degree angle from your body and measure from the back of the neck to the wrist. It is more accurate to have someone else take this measurement for you. Yuki length = shoulder width + sleeve width. In the case of recycled kimono, it is difficult to find the right size, so in most cases you will not mind if there is a slight difference in length.
- Hip size (mihaba): This is typically measured around the widest part of your body, usually your hips. However, if your waist or thighs are larger, use those measurements instead.
Calculation for hip size:
- Front width (maehaba) = Hip ÷ 4 + 1 cm (0.4 in)
- Back width (ushirohaba) = Hip ÷ 4 + 6 cm (2.36 in)
- For example, if your hips are 90 cm (35 in), the front width would be 23.5 cm (9.3 in), and the back width would be 28.5 cm (11.2 in).
Although it is flexible, it is unsightly to wear a kimono with too small a front or back width, because the front is easily exposed. However, if you wear a larger kimono, you can fold it in at the lower front, so you can still manage to wear it.
【Kimono Chart】
