How old is my kimono?

How Old Is My Kimono? Redefining Luxury Through 100 Years of Fashion, Textile, and Taste

London Textile week 2025

This talk traces the shifting meaning of luxury in kimono throughout the 20th century, revealing how textile technology, economic change, and evolving social values shaped both the garments and their cultural significance. While the kimono silhouette appears timeless, it is in the textile—and the way it is worn—that dramatic changes can be read. Drawing on 100 years of kimono fashion magazines, especially Utsukushii Kimono, and the lived experiences of Japanese women through their tansu (kimono chests), I explore the evolving ideas of sophistication and taste.

From wedding trousseaux in postwar Japan to inherited garments now resurfacing in the secondhand market, kimono carry layers of personal and societal history. This presentation will show how to decode these garments using visual and tactile clues to understand their era, intended use, and symbolic value. As copyright restrictions limit access to archival images, examining textiles becomes an essential and accessible method for dating kimono and understanding fashion beyond Western paradigms. Ultimately, this talk offers insight into changing concepts of taste, sustainability, and craftsmanship that remain deeply relevant in contemporary fashion discourse.