We are pleased to share the blog of a customer, expert Kae Warnock: Chocolate Factotum: Meisen – The Fabric, the Vision Above: Meisen geometric pattern - author's collection   Before the early 20th century, most decorative kimonos were custom-made for clients and could take months or longer to create, making them expensive. During the late Taisho era, looms were mechanized, which helped weavers produce silk fabric more quickly and cheaply, making it readily available to a wider audience rather than just those who could afford it. Meisen kimono fabric provided access to brightly colored, one-of-a-kind pieces at accessible prices….(To see full...

YokoDana Kimono: Reflections on Traditional Japanese Textile Designs and Japanese Aesthetics Above and below are some pictures of fabrics we recently posted to our site. We wanted to share here our reflections on the meaning to us Japanese as to the designs seen in Japanese textile arts and kimonos. We are often asked, "What does (Japanese symbol) mean?  We usually give a short simple answer (like, "Cranes symbolize long life"), but thought we might share here a longer answer such as we give to our more persistent questioners. So here is the story of our Japanese vintage kimono fabrics and our...

October 17, 2023:We thought we'd share our experience using the new US Postal Service(USPS) rates the last 2 months since the rate change. all just FYI, below: YokoDana's Latest Word on US Postal Service(USPS) Rates: On July 10, 2023 the US Postal Service made a number of significant changes that affect the types and cost of postage rates available for parcels to USA zip codes.  Now, instead of first class and parcel-select rates (USA only), here at yokodana.com/YokoDana Kimono we have an inclusive USPS Ground Advantage™ class/rate postage.  New USPS Rates Beating UPS for smaller packages: Since this new rate was integrated into our...

Again, one of our favorite website/newsletters around Japanese culture (Spoon & Tamago -- www.spoon-tamago.com) does not disappoint. Again this year they showed us something related to kimonos in a January 8, 2023 blog about Seijin-no-hi, Coming of Age Day in Japan. Above is one of these striking kimonos made by Miyabi. Below: Reverse View of Top Picture Photos from spoon-tamago.com Also, we invite you to check out their Instagram video here of Miyabi's show at Globus Washitsu in New York City this past November 4-9, 2022. We just thought that our site visitors would enjoy seeing these remarkable kimono creations, stunning...

We came across this in a Facebook post by mymodernmet.com and thought our visitors and site fans of yokodana.com would appreciate this. The article is dated October 18, 2017, and tells the story of how Maya Caulfield made a kimono to  honor her Japanese and Scottish ancestry: ... Maya Caulfield recently completed a handmade kimono that celebrates her half Scottish and half Japanese ancestry in one eclectic garment. Created in a traditional kimono silhouette, the fabric is sourced from different types of plaid, from tartan to buffalo check. “I don't usually make textile art,” Caulfield tells My Modern Met via email, “but I do make my own clothes...