This is a lovely, vintage, quality jacket in excellent/ very good vintage condition. Although there are some light stains, it is in remarkably good condition for its age considering that it is a pale coloured item.
The fabric is a good quality silk called chirimen kinsha which is a top quality silk used for high end garments, It is characterised by having a very fine subtle crinkle texture like crepe. The silk is not very lustrous and is quite matt. It is mid weight & fairly soft.
The pattern is a typical brightly coloured abstract modernist design which it typical of the period. I think it is showing a stylised leafy branch design.
The colours are bright and vibrant and include warm white, pale pink, deep rust red, mustard brown, green and grey. Some of the design is outlined with fine silver lines and there are also fine horizontal fine silver lines which adds interest and richness to the effect.
This type of bold patterning is characteristic of the lateTaisho Period (1912-1926) or early Showa Period (1926-1989). This was a time where Japanese fashion was being heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau movement in the west. At this time ready-to-wear kimono were produced in loud colours and patterns, aimed at the fashionable 'modern' consumer. Kimono from this era are often described as 'Taisho Roman'.
I have looked carefully at the patterning and although there are some repeated motifs, if you look very closely at them, they are very slightly different one to the other. This implies the pattern was hand crafted rather than printed. I think perhaps by stencils but am not certain.
It is a beautiful pattern.
The lining is glossy, slightly crisp synthetic fabric. It is white with a pink and grey pattern of dots and chrysanthemum flower shapes. Although we don't think of synthetic fabric as being so early, it was certainly used in this period, between the two world wars, when silk was in short supply.
The haori is hand-made and hand-stitched in the traditional way.
The tying cords (himo) are present which is a bonus as they are often missing. These ones appear to be quite new and contemporary. They are fine rounded cords, in white and pink with tasseled ends.
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 originally dates from the early Showa Period (1926-1989) around 1930s. The loud modernist design and the patterned lining suggest an early date. It is sometimes difficult to be exact about dating kimonos, as they are traditional garments which were made in similar ways over decades.
The jacket is in excellent/very good vintage condition for its age. This means that I found no conspicuous faults and it is in great condition overall for its age. However, it not quite perfect and has some minor & typical vintage garment issues. In this case, there are some small speckles and dots here and there. Some are original printing errors. There are also some subtle yellow marks which are mostly tiny. There are two marks on the white part in the front chest that are not very conspicuous within the busy design. They will be acceptable to most buyers of vintage clothing but not to others so please take this into consideration. This haori is a vintage garment of some considerable age so please do not expect it to look like new.
SIZE: This haori would fit a few sizes up to a size UK14 although it would also be fine on someone a bit smaller as it is supposed to be large and flowing.
Cuff to cuff width is 125cm/49".
Overall length is 82cm/32".
The width across the back (side seam to side seam) is 61cm/24”.
It weighs at about 600g.
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.
CLEANING: Vintage silk items should not be washed. They can usually be dry cleaned. Old stains are not usually removable and some finishes like gold paint may be diminished by dry cleaning.
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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.
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