Year: 2017

Ichiroya Vendor Spotlight

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Welcome to a new feature here on Kimono Tsuki! While I have shared shopping tips and tricks before, I often receive questions asking if a particular vendor online is a reliable source and I thought it would be beneficial to shine a spotlight on some of the excellent vendors and dealers out there.

For the first installment of this feature, who better to feature than Ichiroya. Run by a lovely couple named Ichiro and Yuka Wada, Ichiroya has been bringing vintage kimono to the public since 2001. They were one of the first stores to make purchasing kimono simple for people outside of Japan. Their team has grown slightly over the years, but they remain a small, friendly, and very knowledgeable company. Their selection is updated almost every day and they stock everything from Taisho-era vintage formal pieces to modern and inexpensive yukata.

The site is quite well laid-out and easy to navigate, especially if you’re used to large Japanese shopping portals like  Rakuten, which can get a little overwhelming. There’s a huge variety in stock, from vintage to modern and from inexpensive yukata to major investment pieces. A little something for everyone, from the beginner to the seasoned collector! The listings are always incredibly detailed, with a full list of flaws, age spots, etc. A few times I’ve purchased things and been unable to find the “flaws” that were pointed out on the listings. It just goes to show you how thorough they are.

One of the ways Ichiroya stands out is the customer service. Everyone who works there is not only incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, but they’re also very kind. If you’re a beginner, or looking for a gift and don’t know where to start, they will gladly communicate with you before you make a purchase. They include lovely little gifts with every purchase. Usually something small like a fabric sample or a little postcard, but it’s a lovely gesture. They’ve also taken the time to answer questions I’ve had about kimono I didn’t even buy there! Now that’s amazing customer service.

Ichiroya also has an offshot project, Kimonotte Factory, where they can make kimono with modern size, comfort, and convenience using custom-printed fabric with vintage designs. This is especially awesome for folks who love the bold look of Taisho Roman or early Showa fashions but need a bigger size, or are worried about ruining delicate vintage fabrics. There are a few pieces I would absolutely love to have here (this lavender rose komon and this beautiful floral obi come to mind), but they are not in my budget for the time being. One day, though!

Mugi, the owners’ daughter, also runs a lovely Tumblr account called Mugi’s Kimono World where she shares lots of fun and funky coordinated outfits, so if you’re looking for inspiration after having made a purchase, do check that out too!

Quality and Selection

Ichiroya has an enormous selection of products, and add more nearly every single day. The site is also very well organised, which makes it easy to find what you want. Or you can browse and end up falling in love with something unexpected. The quality of the pieces varies, as to be expected with vintage items, but they’re always incredibly up-front about the condition of each item.

5 out of 5 stars

Ease of Use

The site navigation is very straightforward, and adding items to your cart is as easy as a couple of clicks. However, the ordering process has a step you might not be used to if you’ve only shopped online in North America, or only with large retailers. After you’ve placed and submitted your order, you have to wait until they get back to you with the invoice, at which point you can pay easily with PayPal or a credit card.

4 out of 5 stars

Customer Service

I cannot say enough good things about the customer service at Ichiroya. As I mentioned above, all the employees are incredibly helpful and friendly, always willing to go the extra mile to help out a potential customer. They are just genuinely lovely people.

5 out of 5 stars

Prices

This is a tough thing to quantify, as there are currently items under $10 and items over $1000 listed. When it comes to kimono, there are so many things to factor in when it comes to price. Age, rarity, condition, etc. Since most of these items are one-of-a-kind, it’s not easy to comparison-shop. However, their prices are more than competitive when all of these things are factored into account. Whatever your budget is, you’re certain to find something you’ll love.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Shipping

They offer multiple shipping options, depending on your budget and timeframe. When ordering from Japan, EMS tends to be the most reliable option, but it’s also the most expensive. SAL is cheaper, but slower and uninsured. Whatever rate you choose, though, they are always quick about getting the order out, it’s always carefully packed, and there is always a lovely little extra in the package.

5 out of 5 stars

All in all, whether you’re looking to add to an existing collection or just dipping your toes in, I cannot recommend Ichiroya highly enough!

Tiny Doll, Tiny Makeover

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Hello! Just a quick post today. A few weeks ago, I found this charming little doll at one of the thrift stores near me. I posted a photo of her (along with the rest of my haul) on my Instagram but now that she’s had a bit of a face-lift I felt like she needed her own post.

She’s nothing fancy – maybe 4″ tall and made primarily of plastic. I assume she was a cheap souvenir or something. But I was really charmed by her, and wanted to give her a new lease of life. I was inspired by my friend Naomi, who has been rescuing dolls from thrift stores for ages now, and my friend Vi who runs The Heirloom Smith, a small custom design and restoration business.

The biggest and most obvious problem was her head; her hair was a wreck and there was a flat circle of paper glued to the crown of her head, where a hat had likely fallen off. Thankfully, she had two other hats – one in each hand! I carefully pried the hats off and put them aside, and moistened her hair so I could brush it and try to tame it down somewhat. I then soaked her hands carefully in warm water to dissolve the leftover glue and paper. However, without her hats her pose definitely looked a bit funny, and the fact that her hands, feet, and face were made of cheap yellowed plastic was very apparent. I re-posed her slightly (thankfully, her body is a wire frame so she’s relatively flexible), covered over her yellowed bits with white chalk paint, gave her a cute little umbrella to dance with, and glued one of the salvaged hats onto her head. The last step was to give her slightly more subdued facial features with watercolours over the newly-painted surface of her face. She looks very at home in the cabinet with the ceramic doll I repainted a while back. I’m so happy Ito have given both these girls a new home. Their big sister is also in the works, I hope to be posting about her sometime soon.

I didn’t take too many photos during the process, and the ones I did take were done at my desk with my phone so they’re not fantastic, but it’s still nice to see how she progressed to the final result up at the top of the page.

Kimono Tsuki is now on Patreon!

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I have caved in and set up an account on Patreon, where you can pledge anywhere from $1 to $20 a month to help support this blog financially. Kimono collecting can be quite an expensive hobby, and once you factor in the cost of reference texts and web hosting, things can add up quickly. Due to my health problems I can only work part-time, and while I’m lucky enough to not have to worry about things like food or rent, it’s reaching a point where I’m not above opening up requests for help.

I will never put advertising in the blog, nor will I ever make content exclusive to people who support me financially. There will just be small incentives, like little digital images and early access to some contents. There’s also still always the option of making a one-time donation via PayPal or purchasing an item off one of my wishlists. If you’re ever looking for a way to help out but don’t want to commit to a regular patronage, please check out the Contribute & Support page.

Thanks for reading, and this is the only time I will plead publicly like this!

Fresh Green Ikebana

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The rainy season is here, so of course it’s time for a lush ajisai (hydrangea) ikebana.

I actually did this one while I was in California last month; I’d had the bamboo-shaped vessel mailed to my friend there to save on shipping costs. I actually found the hydrangea while we were grocery shopping. I loved the refreshing pale green colour and the dense texture of the blooms, and thought they would be an excellent contrast to the stark white of the vase. I stuck to one plant material for this one to emphasise texture, contrast, and simplicity. It feels well-balanced and evokes a cool feeling to counter-act the summer heat and humidity. I do like the restraint of one type of plant material and suspect I will do more arrangements focusing on one type flower at a time.

However, I’m not sure this was as successful as I’d like it to have been because from a distance I think it looks like a bunch of cauliflower! I will have to try something different with this vase in the future.

Montreal Kimono Club Meetup!

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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with a group of other local kimono enthusiasts. I will admit, I was more than a little nervous since it’s been over five years since I’ve worn kimono out of the house. Initially, I’d wanted to wear this coordination but it’s been so hot and muggy here lately that I knew I needed to switch to a hitoe kimono. Once I’d decided to run with my bunny komon, I decided to go a bit overboard with adorable animals, finishing the outfit off with my ridiculous daschund tabi and bunny geta.

We met up at a metro station and helped a few folks who didn’t have items of their own get dressed. Of course, we attracted some curious attention, but it was primarily positive. From there we headed to Kimono Vintage Montreal. I’ve been wanting to check this store out since it opened, but I hadn’t had the opportunity yet. It was definitely worth the wait! The store is an amazing little gem, filled with gorgeous treasures. The women there were incredibly friendly and helpful, and seemed genuinely excited to see our ragtag little group. We spent a fair bit of time there, eyeing all the beautiful kimono and accessories on display. I’d not intended to buy anything, but of course I found one piece I absolutely loved and knew I had to have. There was a brief moment of sticker shock for someone who has been spoiled by buying things from online auctions, but the experience and the quality were more than worth it.

After we posed for a few photos and said goodbye to the lovely ladies of Kimono Vintage, we headed a few blocks away to a tiny gem of a tea shop, Cha Do Raku. Of course, we attracted attention from the few other patrons, but again, it was overwhelmingly positive!

There was a huge selection of tea available, and with the muggy weather I was happy to hear most of them could be served iced. The young woman working there was so sweet and helpful, and she served us our teas and snack with warmth and grace. The shop is quite small and intimate, and was a wonderful place to relax and cool down a little after our adventure.

Overall, it was an awesome day. I met lots of wonderful, like-minded people and it felt really excellent to get out and about in kimono again! I’m really looking forward to doing this again sometime soon.

If you’re in the Montreal area, please check out the following links:

Kimono Vintage Montreal Website | Kimono Vintage Montreal Facebook
Cha Do Raku　茶道楽 Website | Cha Do Raku Facebook
Montreal Kimono Club Facebook

Items used in this coordination