Commissions are Now Open.

My name is Rosario. I’m a 25-year-old game developer and your friendly neighborhood back-alley kimono tailor.

Sewing runs in my family. I have been sewing for all my life. I previously worked as a bridal tailor, but while I was getting my Asian Studies bachelor’s, I spent a great deal of time studying kimono tailoring. It was only recently that I came to the realization that these years of studying and practice, that I did not even realize could be considered “hard work,” have resulted in the ability to construct some really solid, beautiful quality kimono and yukata that I am confident enough to offer custom pieces.

This sheet is a menu of what I have to offer and a walkthrough of the commission process. It assumes you know basic kimono vocabulary. If you don’t, and you have questions about what certain words mean, you can ask me when we discuss your commission. Otherwise, please refer to this kimono glossary.

About My Work

I currently only offer hitoe and yukata, though I may offer lined kimono in the future. The reason I don’t offer lined kimono is because most fabric is ordered online, and guessing how two fabrics would work with each other can be tricky. I’d prefer to limit myself to work that is 100% always in my comfort zone, so I can make the best piece I can. You can style both over a juban or Western clothing, and it is popular in many kimono fashion spaces to even wear a yukata like this.

My kimono are made with modern sewing methods for modern styling with traditional elements of kitsuke OR Western clothing. Seams are neatly finished with rolled hems or bias tape, and given the right fabric is used, they are machine washable and should last the wearer for years to come. My mission is to make kimono that are more approachable, sustainable, and accessible to those who would like to wear them. Versatility of style, ease of care, and durability are prioritized over using traditional sewing methods that require traditional care. These are perfect pieces for anyone who wants to incorporate kimono into their wardrobe, but may not have access to other components of kitsuke.

Fabric is not included in the price. The prices listed the service price PLUS fabric and shipping.

Commission Menu

400USD Custom size Festival Yukata or Hitoe

The type of yukata you would find in Japan.

• Custom size
• You can mix and match elements of mens’ and womens’ kimono to your personal preference.
• Takes 4-5 yards

Typically women's features:

• Miyatsuguchi
• Furisode sleeve length
• Longer length, about the same as your height, meant to be worn with ohashori.

Typically men's features:

• No miyatsuguchi
• Short sleeves only
• Shorter than women's kimono, because it isn't meant to be worn with ohashori. Reaches to about your ankle bone in total length.

300USD One-size “Magic 3 Yards” Kimono or Yukata

What is “Magic” about it? It can be worn as a jacket or a top made from an even 3 yards of fabric.

• Great for gifts, when you don’t know what size to get. Fits many body types, just fits them differently!
• Length is 90cm, yuki is 75cm. You can measure on your body to see where your the sleeves and hem fall.
• Sleeves can be fused or made with miyatsuguchi.
• Takes an even 3 yards

300USD “Rogueish Cut” Kimono or Yukata

A cut loosely based off of the ACDC Rag yukata.

• No okumi
• Short length sleeves, fused to body. Convenient for pocket storage.
• Can be worn with obi in a traditional style, or styled with Western clothing. Best worn with men’s obi, as it will not get in the way of the fused sleeves.
• Better for more drapey, rugged styles rather than structured wear. Masculine and cool!
• Custom length, made at a men’s wear length.
• Back vent can be added, like a cool tailcoat! Can even feature a zipper to open and close it. (+zipper cost, +10USD for installation.)
• Takes 3-5 yards, depending on length. For wear as a jacket, 3 yards is enough.

250USD Monpe

• Pants you can wear over kimono or with casual clothes.
• Will be made to your measurements, but is highly adjustable and will accommodate for weight fluctuations or bulky obi.
• Can be cinched at the ankles for working and bicycle riding!

100USD Hanjuban

• Kimono underwear
• Essential for more traditional-style wear and arranging kimono over western clothing

Sizing Information

The Magic 3-Yards is made one-size.

It is cut from a fixed width of fabric, and is not meant to be form-fitting. The one-size fits most, but in different ways. You can check the fit of your kimono against the measurements by measuring yourself.

If your yuki is shorter than the listed measurement by less than 5cm, the sleeves will fit a full long sleeve.

If your yuki is longer than the listed measurement, measure how far the yuki measurement goes on your arm. The very shortest the sleeve can fall without looking unusual is ¾ up your arm.

The rest of my menu items are made with custom sizes, which will require you to take your own measurements.

Plus Size Available

If you are plus sized, extra fabric may need to be purchased to accommodate for size, but I will not charge extra for service when making plus size clothing.

Cultural Information

The only pieces I have listed on my sheet are ones I know how to sew exceptionally well. However, I am not a certified kimono tailor, nor am I an alternative to one. I create modern pieces for modern and alternative styling. Even my more alternative-looking pieces can be styled with other kitsuke components (and vice-versa), and the type of stuff I make wouldn't be out of place at a store in Japan, but it's not the type of clothing you'd be able to wear to a tea ceremony. These are casual pieces. What you see is what you get. If you want a completely “authentic” and traditional kimono, educate yourself on what that means and GO PAY A CLASSICALLY TRAINED KIMONO TAILOR, because they deserve your money and your support. When you support actual shops in Japan, you help to keep the beauty of kimono alive in an age where its daily wear is no longer normalized.

If you want to get a custom sized kimono made from somewhere dedicated to preserving and celebrating kimono as an art, I reccommend starting here:

motoji.co.jp/

chiso.jp/

If you want to look for secondhand kimono, obi, and kitsuke stuff, look here:

Shinei

Ohio Kimono

And, because the topic comes up often:

I am not Japanese. I get a lot of questions about whether it's "okay" for me or other foreigners to be making and wearing kimono. YouTube is riddled with videos of Japanese nationals talking about this topic, so I'm going to keep it short here:

Yes, it's okay for foreigners to wear kimono.

Not only is it okay, but its popularization is extremely beneficial to kimono artisans and the preservation of their art. Kimono are extremely versatile, can be made to be very size-inclusive, last a very long time (at least compared to most clothes), and are extremely fun to style. It is an absolute crime that Westernization has convinced us that the only "normal" clothes are Western ones. Let's work to keep kimono alive and encourage others to educate themselves on the importance of this beautiful art.

Especially in America, many people don't even know what kimono really is. Lots of people I've met with little knowledge about Japan are convinced they are some type of "ancient clothing," or only used for closed cultural practices. In reality, they can be worn as everyday clothing in all different contexts, depending on the type and styling, and even though less people wear kimono than in previous decades, the subculture of modern kimono-wearers is blooming with creative and talented enthusiasts. If you'd like to see what I'm talking about, please check out Kimono Recipe for tons of great modern kimono styling inspiration.

Fabric Stores to Browse

Roguish Cut is currently the only available option that can be made with stretch fabric.

For traditional summer yukata, please choose a non stretch cotton, like a dobby. For an unlined kimono, you can choose any non stretch fabric.

My favorite fabrics to work with are flannel, seersucker, dobby cotton, and dupioni silk.

I would avoid shiny brocades, simply because they are quite an expensive way to make yourself look like a tourist who bought a satin kimono at a gift shop in Shinjuku. They can be beautiful when used for obi, but for entire kimono…

There are certain fabrics that are just not going to work out without lining. because they will warp or lose their form easily. Since I currently only offer unlined kimono, if I feel a fabric will not hold up well unlined, I will ask you to pick another.

I recommend browsing through the fabric stores recommended here:

• Nomura Tailor. In my opinion, the best and most affordable place for Japanese-style fabric and very original designs. Check here first, especially if you have a specific motif in mind. I highly recommend their ripple cottons and dobby cottons for yukata.
• Mood Fabrics. Funky Western-style fabrics with a lot of variety.
• NekoNeko.Another Japanese fabric store. Has a lovely selection of character fabrics, like Sanrio!
• Kokka Fabrics. Can get expensive, but another website of premium Japanese fabrics.

How to Commission

I don’t have a shop page, only this commission page. Because you are ordering a custom garment, I prefer to speak directly to the customers I am serving, so I can make you a truly special garment.

In order to commission me, please email me at priroproduction@gmail.com, or, if possible, contact me on Discord at rosalium. Email works fine, but Discord is where I am most easily immediately reached for back-and-forth correspondence.

I am a disabled and autistic person. My body only allows me to make a maximum of one kimono per week. Any more than that, and I will be in serious pain that will affect my ability to live and work. To me, the most wonderful part of kimono is how adaptable it is to human beings. They can be styled in many different ways to suit many different personalities and bodies. This, in my opinion, is a blessing to fashion, and to life. Kimono has also been so gracious as to be adaptable enough to fit my lifestyle as something I can make for money. I am grateful for being able to make kimono, and I want to keep loving it for a long time. Please understand that when you order, the process may take 1-3 months to complete, depending on how many commissions I have to do.

A deposit is required before I begin my work. This will be whatever amount I need to order your fabric with. This way, if I end up making an entire kimono, and you refuse to pay the rest of the amount required, I can at least get a free kimono :)

Here is what you can expect from the commission process:

1. Email or message me telling me you would like to commission me.
2. We discuss options and conceptualize your commission.
3. We decide on a fabric or fabrics.
4. You send me payment for fabric as your deposit, which I use to order your fabric
5. When your fabric arrives, I make your kimono. You may be put on a queue with an estimated time to wait before I finish your order if there are some commissions ahead of you.
6. You send me payment for my services and for shipping.
7. I ship you your custom-made kimono.

If there are any questions you have before commissioning, feel free to message me and ask. I have tried to explain everything thoroughly on this page, but if there is anything missing, my inbox is open.