Condition of
– VINTAGE KIMONO
How to recognize the QUALITY of a vintage kimono while buying it?
It’s hard to believe, but a lot of kimonos that we buy at the auctions look BRAND NEW. And this is despite the fact that they have been kept in someone's wardrobe for decades.
The reason is that the popularity of kimonos in Japan has decreased. The youngsters are not as eager to wear the full traditional kimono set which their parents have bought for them as gifts, paying a very high price to do so. As a result these garments are then often sold at auctions for just the fraction of their real cost. Though those handmade masterpieces might have never been worn once.
On our website Shopkimono.com we’ve divided the conditions of the garments and accessories into the following categories:
| Category | Characteristics |
| S | New |
| A | Vintage. In a great condition. No visible defects. |
| B | Vintage. In a great condition. There are small seemingly unnoticeable defects. |
| C | Vintage. In a good condition. There are small defects which are almost unnoticeable (i.e. little spots on the backing or little abrasions etc.) |
| D | Vintage. In a satisfactory condition. There are noticeable defects. * |
⭐ We do not distribute garments of the D category.
Our advice: category A garments are a bit more expensive, but they are perfect as a gift. Category B kimonos will help you to save and will look great on you as well. We recommend photographers buy kimonos of category C for photo and video shoots. They are a great price but also a very high quality.