Making a garment using a vintage Japanese kimono is much more involved than making a garment using a bolt of fabric.

 

Each piece begins with a vintage Japanese kimono that I am proud to have in my collection. I try to source kimono that are in stable condition with good, usable yardage. I cut open all the seams with small clippers, hand wash the different pieces in a conditioning cleanser, hang them to air dry, and then press them to restore the grain of the textile. 

Japanese kimono fabrics are unique in that they are woven on narrow looms to fit the strict geometry of kimono construction. Fourteen inch wide fabrics, however, present quite a challenge for Western-style clothing, and I've had to make patterns that accommodate them accordingly. Small shifts can change everything, and so pattern cutting becomes a delicate dance.

When making a bomber jacket:

One kimono usually yields enough fabric for the shell, and another kimono yields enough fabric for the lining. To make the quilted lining panels I peel off runs of wool batting from a wide spool and layer them to the appropriate thickness for their location on the jacket.

I usually combine different types of silks in the same jacket, and since chirimen behaves completely differently than habutai, I have to make adjustments on the fly. After assembling the lining and shell, there’s usually enough scraps of the shell fabric to make bias tape for the edges. But sometimes there’s not, and I have to devise another solution.

The many variables at play in making a bomber jacket make every piece an adventure, and every piece one-of-a-kind. Each kimono inspires its own garment, and each process determines its own resolution.