Updated 6/13/2022
How to wear a kimono is a topic that works perfectly as part of our dress-up summer outfit. Even if the weather is warm, many inside summer events, are air-conditioned and thus you need some kind of topper.
Quote of the day: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Peter F. Drucker
I chose this quote because I do believe that much of our future is in our control. Sure, there’s plenty that isn’t, yet what we choose to wear every day is certainly our choice.
Dress-up style and how to wear a kimono
1-With a dress-Jodie
2-Black pants outfit-Lesley
3-Colorful pants look-Charlotte
Therefore, we explored the idea of how to wear a kimono with an outfit that we would wear to a dress-up summer event.
While Nancy is on her sabbatical, I reached out to Lesley, to see if she’d be open to joining us. Lesley is a newer friend that we met through the blog. Another example of how technology can bring friends into our lives. I showcased Lesley in our Forever Fierce post, and also the first time we met which was at our Chicos event.
This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about how to wear kimonos on the blog. I truly believe this is one item that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on, yet they look great with so many outfits. In fact, my mom and I wore these exact same kimonos with a casual outfit.
How to Wear a Kimono with a Dress
Dress: Francescas (similar here)~~Kimono: Maurices (similar here)~~Shoes: LOFT (similar here)~~Necklace: Trendz (similar here)~~Earrings: Trendz (similar here)~~Purse: (similar here)
Why I Wore This Outfit
This is my newest kimono that I recently bought at Maurices. I talked about our misconceptions about certain stores on Instagram when I first bought this piece.
I always love pushing my limits with my outfits, so I paired it with a dress that the color isn’t even in the kimono itself. Yet I think that pink and green go well together and we styled that color combination earlier this year.
How You Could Change This Outfit
It’s rare of me to go so matchy matchy with my dress and shoes; however, I figured with the abundance of color in the rest of my outfit, it’d look fine. Needless to say, if you don’t have bright pink shoes to match your bright pink dress, I think nude sandals or white sandals would work wonderfully too.
Interesting Tidbit
Even this dress is from a “young girls” store, Francesca’s. It has a halter top style that doesn’t cover my bra straps, yet I’m trying to be more forgiving of that fact. I wore it out to brunch the other morning with sneakers and didn’t even die of embarrassment that you could see my bra straps.
I meant to showcase all of our outfits without the kimonos also since my good friend asked me to do that. Alas, I totally forgot once we got going with the photos, but I’ll be sure to do that more in the future.
Black Pants Outfit for Dress-Up
Pants: Chicos (similar here)~~Kimono: Draper Design-thrifted (similar here)~~Top: Chicos (similar here)~~Shoes: Arabella (similar here)~~Necklace: Trendz (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Purse: Coldwater Creek-thrifted (similar here)
Why Lesley Wore This Outfit
Lesley laughed and said that dressing up in Colorado is not like in New York or LA when I asked her this question. Slacks are accepted in most situations. So she pulled out her black pants to wear. She actually has 5 pairs of these pants since they are her favorites. We showcased black pants last year on the blog, since they are such a popular item for most women.
The kimono you can read about in the interesting tidbit section below, and since there is turquoise in it, she pulled out a turquoise top. It’s one of Lesley’s favorite colors because it makes her eyes pop, and I think we all feel better when our colors look good on us.
How You Could Change This Outfit
This is an easy example of how to wear a kimono since this kimono has so many colors in it. That makes it easy to layer it over a multitude of different color tops. If you are someone who would rather their purse match their outfit, then a bright pink top would be so pretty. On that same note, you could grab a turquoise purse instead.
Personally, I love that Lesley didn’t match her purse but instead chose an alternative color from the kimono. That concept may not be the “rules” you were brought up to believe, yet I think it’s a modern touch.
Interesting Tidbit
Lesley loves to treasure hunt at thrift and consignment stores. This kimono was one of those purchases from 10 years ago and although it’s not her most worn item, it has survived the purging of her closet many times. And now presto, it’s a current fashion item again. That’s exactly why my mom would tell you why she never gets rid of her older clothes. She’s sure everything will come back in style.
Colorful Pants and How to Wear a Kimono
Pants: Classiques Entier (similar here)~~Kimono: no label (similar here)~~Top: Mom made it (similar here)~~Shoes: Alfani –Macy’s (similar here)~~Pin: (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Purse: Comeco (similar here)
Why Charlotte Wore This Outfit
My mom is a lover of matching her pieces, so when she found that these pants fit her again and matched the kimono, it was an outfit made in heaven. Needless to say, she thought it looked a little plain, so she chose a dressy blouse to pair with it that she made a long time ago.
Since all of the pieces in mom’s look are solid colored, she chose her print shoes and a print purse. I always think that this is the easiest way to incorporate some fun accents into your outfit. In fact, because the purse and shoes are 2 different prints, you could even say that she’s print mixing. We talked about how your purse and even shoes can be an easy way to challenge yourself with wearing more than one print.
How You Could Change This Outfit
Since my mom’s blouse is long-sleeved, you might want a different style for the hotter weather. A short sleeve top or tank top would work if you needed to remove the kimono.
And if you don’t wear heels as much anymore, then there are cute floral shoes that might still be comfortable for you.
Interesting Tidbit
If you ever struggle with the fact that your topper tends to slip off your shoulders, then one trick of how to wear a kimono is to attach it somehow. My mom used the trick of using a flower pin to keep it in place. In fact, Nancy used this same trick recently only with a more subtle pin that you really don’t notice because it blends in with her necklace.
If you don’t want to add a pin or brooch to the outside of your topper like this, then there’s always the fashion tape which should be in everyone’s medicine cabinet.
Tips & Tricks For How to Wear Kimonos
Since most kimonos have a generous sleeve, it’s the perfect topper for our blouses that have statement sleeves. Not that you usually want to cover up these wonderful blouses, but there’s always the chance you’ll need something to keep you warm if the A/C is blaring.
For those of you that don’t love a floral print, don’t despair. There are many other versions of kimonos besides florals. I’m super glad that my mom wore this one because it’s a great example of the fact there are solid-colored kimonos too.
And this is the perfect time to go into the stores that maybe you don’t usually frequent for clothing. For instance, my kimono is from Maurices which I never would have thought to visit until I started blogging. My mom’s kimono? It’s from Bed, Bath & Beyond. And heck, I just saw some fabulous ones at DSW and Pier 1 Imports.
These photos were taken in downtown Denver at Sakura Square since the kimono trend was influenced by Japanese kimonos. It’s a small area off of 19th & Larimer that hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival every year. There’s also a wonderful market with ethnic selections along with beautiful dishware that my mom and I brought home a couple of pieces to enjoy.
Thank you
If you’ve enjoyed this, I hope you will look around the site and…
- find out more about the blog here. Including behind the scenes of our relationship here.
- you can see all the categories of past posts here
- feel free to use any discounts or deals that I share here.
- make sure to sign up for emails to enjoy fun features in every email PLUS get my recent eBook here.
- follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
- and if you ever want to reach out or have any requests, feel free to email me at JTouchofStyle@gmail.com
If you enjoyed any of this information, I would appreciate it if you would share, share and share wherever you can!! You can do this by saving an image to your Pinterest board or sharing this post on Facebook. Or send this post to your friend, and make sure they sign up for the emails.
Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
Find out more about all of us here. And make sure to join the email list where I include so much more.
And if you’re new to my blog, you can always see our outfits organized by categories, here. Don’t forget to check out the deals & discounts too, on this page.
