Product Description

Kimono is a generic term for traditional Japanese clothing; it means thing to wear. This book provides an overview of some traditional garments, introduces types of designs found in twentieth century kimono that are still available, and presents wearable art inspired by kimono from contemporary artists. The text gives price ranges for items that would be reasonable in a store or gallery, and explains what to look for when collecting. As kimono disappear from Japanese wardrobes, they are becoming increasingly collectible. Each of the fourteen chapters opens with the definition of the type of apparel covered therein (including simple, everyday, formal, etc.) as well as their use in Japanese life. The terms are further explained in the Glossary. Over 525 color photographs display brilliant and subtle textile designs and demonstrate beauty in mens, womens, and childrens garments and accessories. Textile and clothing designers will find a wealth of inspiration here. Vintage clothing enthusiasts will be enthralled.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #382060 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 255 pages

From Library Journal
The authors (founders of Arise Inc., a vintage kimono supplier) predict that the kimono, a traditional Japanese garment, will become increasingly collectible as it disappears from Japanese wardrobes. This book surveys different types of kimonos and other related traditional apparel and wearable art. Over 500 color photographs illustrate the beautiful variety of textiles used to create the kimono, and the text explains the uses of each style. Each image is presented with a date, time period for the clothing, and an expected price range for its purchase. The authors don't cite sources for the information they provide, and it appears that much of it is anecdotal, gleaned from working within the industry. Although the images are appealing, the lack of authority for the information provided makes this a marginal purchase. Jennifer Mayer, Univ. of Wyoming Libs., Laramie
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Paul MacLardy and Cheryl Imperatore are co-founders, and Paul is the current owner, of Arise, Inc., one of the worlds largest suppliers of vintage kimono.

Customer Reviews

Kimono Lover
If you, like me, are enchanted by the designs and workmanship that go into the making of these lovely garments, you will really enjoy this book. Wonderful color photos, informative text - everything you might want to aid in your appreciation of this amazing form of wearable art.

A great book for the new kimono collector
This was my first book on the subject of kimono . It is great for the new kimono fan and an invaluable inventory for 20th century kimono. Great photos and good content. Not an encyclopedia (never was intended to be) but a great primer! Nice people too! I look with interest to their next book!
Robin Cahill
Hanagumo
The Kimono Collector

Great photos, no editing, marginal information
As a 25-year kimono/textile collector and enthusiast of Japanese traditional culture (not to mention former vintage dealer), I give this book both stars for the gorgeous photos.

The book content, alas, is a mess. First off, I doubt it was edited. There are numerous typos and spelling errors (e.g. "Japanes"), grammatical mistakes, and captions that will tell you to look at something that's not in the photo! (What green kumihimo tie? No ties were shown!)

An editor needs to clean up the author's writing, as some sentences make no sense, and grammar mistakes are rife. I was reminded of the "junior high essay bloopers" that make the rounds. I'm not sure if it's fuzzy thinking or just bad writing, but the author also seems to confuse colors, techniques, and fabrics, as I found several sentences that were the moral equivalent of saying "Growing on trees, green apples are a kind of pie." (An example: "Lined entirely in white with accents at hem and sleeves of flowing sage green called bokashi." [sic] Would you know that bokashi is a technique, not a color?) At one point, tsumugi is identified as a kind of ikat(!). There are also numerous misidentifications, the most obvious one (to me) being a characteristically early Meiji kimono being identified as Taisho era (~60 years apart). No rationale is given for assigning dates (for example, design elements, placement, fabrics, techniques, linings, etc., are valuable clues in dating a kimono). There are also context statements presented without justification (i.e. "may have belonged to a geisha/been a wedding kimono" etc.). The most baffling was a 1920's wedding kimono that said "Probably a rental." Since rental wedding kimono are a post-WWII phenomena, why would you conclude a 1920's kimono was a rental? As for the value figures, pricing is either artifically inflated (some price guides do this in an attempt to jack up the market) or heavily regional to Washington D.C. On the West Coast, full retail would be half or a quarter of what is listed. Kimono shows/sales would be much, much less. EBay auctions would be a fraction. The bibliography is also very short and fluffy, mostly focusing on kimono as art and actual wearing, with "When Art Became Fashion" (L.A. County Museum of Art) as the sole historic source.

It's a gorgeous book, but deserved to be better written and edited, not to mention researched.
Jilara