This is a really stunning, truly vintage, quality jacket. 
I found this jacket somewhat difficult to photograph. The threads are all gently sparkling or glittering and the flash bounces off them. I don't think the photos do the jacket justice and I hope you can see how gorgeous it is. 

The base silk is a lustrous, soft, black silk with a fine, smooth woven texture and a slightly crisp feel. I think it is chirimen kinsha silk which is a high end silk used for special occasion garments. Chirimen is characterised by having a slight crinkle made by the twisting of threads during weaving.

The base colour is a deep black. The pattern has a background of swirling ocean waves. They are woven in silver and green lamé thread giving a subtle sparkle and very subtle green tinge. The other motif is a very classical Japanese design called kasamatsu or 'umbrella pine'. It is a stylised pine branch based on the way that pine trees in Japanese gardens are pruned into umbrella or cloud shapes. These one are further stylised by taking on the shape of fanned peacock tail and there are shapes of peacock feathers woven into the pattern. So we have pine which represents long life, mixed with fans which are to do with the spreading of happiness and also peacock feathers.

The pattern is all woven in sparkling metallic and coloured threads. There is gold, pale pink, deeper pink and a vibrant fuchsia pink/purple. The fans are quite sparkly and glittering.

The pattern is done in a technique called nuitori omeshi which was most popular in the 1950s/60s. This method gives the look of embroidery but it is woven. The metallic threads catch the light and give sparkle to the pattern. The effect is lovely!

The picture is asymmetrical and crosses the central seam uninterrupted giving a picture effect. This is called 'eba' and is considered a higher class of pattern than an overall repeated design.

The lining in the upper part of the jacket and sleeves is a fine, glossy, white and palest pink silk with a arabesque style floral pattern.

The haori is hand-made and hand-stitched in the traditional way. 

The original tying cords (himo) are present which is a bonus as they are often missing. These ones are are intricately woven in graduating ivory to pale pink silk with some green and silver embroidery detail. I will send the buyer information on how to tie the himo correctly.

The garment is really stunning and gives a unique effect. 
It is a lovely item to touch and to wear and brings something of traditional Japanese culture into everyday use. This haori would make an excellent, unique and gorgeous evening jacket or a display item.

AGE & CONDITION : This haori probably dates from the mid Showa Period (1926-1989) around the 1950s/1960s. Pink linings and himo cords were fashionable in the 1950s. The haori's condition is vintage excellent with no faults to note. It is very slightly musty only.  It is in overall fabulous, wearable condition but it has some age, so please do not expect it to look exactly like new.

SIZE: This haori is a fairly average size for this kind of kimono. It will fit a range of sizes, up to a maximum size of UK 12 (possibly small14), which is US 10 (possibly small US12), it would also be fine on someone smaller as it is supposed to be large and flowing. Cuff to cuff width is 127cm/50", overall length is 79cm/31", the width across the back (side seam to side seam) is 59cm/23”. It weighs about 650g. The weight is reflected in the postal costs.

Haori are short kimono jackets worn over full length kimonos. They are not designed to close in front but can have two tying cords called Himo that are knotted across the chest ( included with this garment). The sleeves are worn shorter than other kimonos. Traditionally they were only worn by men but in the early 19th century, it became fashionable for women to wear them. They make excellent and unusual evening jackets or wall displays, the fabric is often used to make cushions or home décor items. This haori’s could also be used for display.

If you need any more information or pictures just send me a message. 

All information is to the best of my knowledge. Please bear in mind, that colours do not always show absolutely accurately on photos and on monitors although they should be close to reality. 

My items are mostly vintage and are not returnable unless grossly mis-described, so please check the details and measurements before bidding/buying. Please be aware that vintage clothing does not usually 'look like new' even when it is in excellent condition. Some slight general signs of ageing and use should be expected. If these are conspicuous they will be mentioned in the description. 

Low feedback – if you have less than 3 feedbacks, please email me before bidding. If you do not, I may cancel your bid and block you from bidding until we have communicated. Sorry about this but it is based on previous experience of problems. 

Overseas buyers must pay with paypal. 

Payment and postage terms: The postal charge includes a small packaging and handling charge. eBay now charge me a final value fee commission on the postal charge as well as the item value. So I have had to pass this new cost on via the postal cost. 

UK buyers can pay by paypal, cheque, electronic bank transfer (email for details) or postal order. Item will be sent when funds have cleared. Basic 1st and 2nd class mail is only covered for £20. Therefore this kind of postage can only be offered on low value items. Higher value items will be posted by signed for mail with insurance cover up to £50 due to loss or damage in the post. If the item is worth more than £50 then I will send you an invoice with a special delivery option which you should choose if you want it fully insured. If the item is not fully insured, obviously you cannot get the money back if the item is lost or damaged in the post.

On post to overseas. - The post office have recently reduced their cover on standard airmail to £20. Therefore I can only use standard airmail for low priced goods. This is not tracked, if you want a tracked service then please ask for a quote or choose signed for service. For higher priced goods I will be quoting for signed for mail which has insurance for up to £50. If the item sells for more than £50 and you want more insurance it will cost an extra £3. Sorry about that, but that is new post office pricing. If the item is not fully insured, then obviously you cannot get the money back if the item is lost or damaged in the post.

Please note that once the parcel has left my hands, I cannot accept responsibility for delays caused by the performance of the postal services or customs in your country. 

Combined postage for Overseas - Please be aware that as the weight and value of the parcel goes up, so does the price of postage and the need to fully insure. It is not usually much cheaper to combine postage especially to overseas. Sometimes it is actually cheaper to send two or three small parcels than one large one. This is based on the post office pricing structure and is not in my control. 

Combined postage for UK buyers, depending on what you buy, I will look into the most secure and economical way to send combined parcels and advise you of options. But again as the weight and value of the parcel rises so does the postage cost. Please do not expect large savings on combined postage. 

RETURNS POLICY – I do not take returns except in the exceptional circumstance of an item being wrongly described. Please understand that selling items on ebay and posting them out incurs costs to me, so please don't buy unless you have read the description carefully and are sure that you want the item. Except in the situation where an item has been wrongly described, the buyer is always responsible for return postage.