Yasuko
One-Of-A-Kind

Yasuko
Basics

Vintage
Kimono

Vintage
Haori

Vintage
Obi
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You won't believe the uniqueness and beauty of our wearable art clothing, featuring designer,Yasuko. Shawls, vintage clothing like Kimonos plus one-of-a-kind Jackets, made from vintage Japanese textiles, preserving the art but transformed into a wonderful piece of wearable art. Become enthralled in the exquisite beauty of these vintage textiles, created through exotic techniques of weaving, dying, and fine embroidery, in many instances a disappearing art.

Naturally to go with your jackets you need the basics in silk clothing as well, and here also, Yasuko does not disappoint. She has a line of silk tops, silk skirts, and silk pants in a variety of lush and frequently vibrant colors. Whether you like the flowing look of bias cut material or the clean look of straight cut, Yasuko has silk tops and silk skirts available.

If you are especially fond of Kimonos, you can choose from a selection of vintage pieces, including Japanese Wedding Kimonos, of the highest quality art to wear found anywhere. Yasuko had a special showing in 2004 at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and was there again in December 2005, including not only Kimonos, but Haori Jackets, her one-of-a-kind designer jackets, plus Obi's and Shawls from Japanese vintage textiles.

See our pictures here on the website to fully appreciate that they all are forms of wearable art, whether one-of-a-kind jackets or uniquely available vintage art to wear.

Japanese Vintage Clothing and Textile Descriptions:


(Please Note CAVEAT below about Vintage items)

 HAORI: Short women's "jacket" with traditional sleeve worn over kimono. Ties in front make it simple to wear.

HAPI: A cotton work jacket, open in front. Often worn as a uniform.

KIMONO: Any Japanese garment, refers especially to a long women's gown with traditional sleeve worn with obi.

MICHIYUKI: Women's outerwear with a square neck and snaps.

OBI: Heavy belt about 12 1/2 inches wide by 4 1/2 yards long. Maruobi is the most valuable, usually brocade on both sides. Fukuroobi is one sided and features brocade or embroidery. Nagoyaobi is brocade, embroidered or even shibori and narrows to a triangle and is folded over.
Uses: Textile, wall hanging, table runner, interior design

palazzo pant: Wide leg pant

SAMUE: Traditional Japanese garment, cotton, which ties inside and on one side, similar to Karate GI

TOMESODE: "Mother of the bride" or otherwise formal adult women's kimono, usually black with 3 or 5 kamon featuring design at the bottom, often in yuzen and/or with embroidered accents.

YUKATA: Brightly colored summer kimono, usually cotton. Mostly for loungewear, but make great bathrobes or beachwear.


Textile Terms:

AIZOME: Ai is for indigo; zome means dye. A dark blue natural dye used mostly on cotton, in combination with other techniques.

CHIRIMEN: Heavy crepe. A dense, high twist yarn in a loose weave, this is the ultimate craft textile in Japan. Early textiles with small pattern or hand painted scenes bring hundreds of dollars for small remnants in Japan.

JAGUARD: A material with a textured pattern woven in.

KASURI: Dye technique in which colors are died into the warp, weft, or both threads prior to dying.

LUREX BROCADE: Metalic thread woven into the textile.

OSHIMA: A highly regarded type of Kasuri.

SELF: The material that makes up most of the garment.

SHIBORI: "Rice Tie Dye" more commonly any of a number of tied or stitched dying.

TSUMUGI: Once a cheap textile, now a craft textile, a way of using raw silk by combing broken cocoons and spinning the yarn. Highly prized.

YUZEN: Dye technique featuring rice gluten resist. Similar to Batik, it may include block resist or dye techniques, but the most valuable are hand drawn and painted.

Textile Periods:

Edo period: 1603 to 1867. Display pieces or craft textiles only. Textiles are no longer useable for reform or remade garments.

Meiji period: 1868 to about 1912. Mostly for display pieces.

Taisho period: 1912 to about 1926. Great artistry in textiles, many garments still wearable.

Showa period: 1926 to about 1989. Early Showa Yuzen at the height of artistry. War era had great craft pieces. Most useable textiles come from mid to late Showa.

Heisei period: 1989 to current. Demand for new Kimonos on rapid decline. High quality goods obscenely expensive. Mass produced textiles most common.

CAVEAT about Vintage items:

Our estimates regarding age are our honest assessment of each piece, based on our knowledge of Kimonos. We do not represent ourselves to be experts, nor do we guarantee our estimates. Elements affecting value include age, materials, workmanship, artistry, condition and provenance. We recommend that people should purchase Kimonos based on personal choice rather than investment potential.

All Kimonos are 100% silk unless otherwise noted. We purchase our Kimonos primarily at auction in Kyoto, Japan although they may originate anywhere in Japan. We do not purchase or resell "bale " goods. Whenever we feel it germain, we will advise the consumer of issues regarding mercantability, especially damage, discoloration, or delicacy.

New pieces may be dry cleaned. We do not recommend laundering of older pieces. Never wear your kimono in the rain, and in the sun, carry a parasol.

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