I love the simplicity of a plain white tee & blue jeans. But I will say, the fashionista in me just can not leave the house without some sort of topper or accessory to complete the look. It’s even better yet when that topper is a vintage handcrafted kimono! Cheeky Vintage, my favorite little Texas vintage shop, has the most gorgeous collection of kimonos that just arrived straight from Japan. With both long and short kimonos available, each vintage kimono was exquisitely made for a special occasion with no detail spared. Today I’m styling my favorite kimono from the collection (it’s blue of course) in an outfit that is great for running around town!
For those of you who don’t live in Houston, you can always order a kimono from Cheeky Vintage over the phone. But I’ve also rounded up a few that I spotted online that are seriously adorable too. And as always, my outfit details are linked below too. Oh and I have to tell you about my Clare V Sisal Tote! It was a little birthday gift for myself that I had had my eye on for months & months. This straw handbag is aptly named the “Alice” bag, so I simply had to get it! 😉 But regardless of the name, I am a sucker for fun spring totes and I have a feeling I’ll be carrying this pretty bag with me everywhere once the weather warms up.
Shop the Look:
But back to my kimono! Did you know that the word kimono literally translates to “thing to wear?” In traditional Japanese culture, kimonos are reserved for formal and special occasions. The ladies at Cheeky Vintage mentioned that many of their kimonos were only worn once! In the same way we wear bridesmaids dresses just once – many Japanese women have their kimonos made for specific occasions and onetime use. I would just love to hear the story behind my pretty blue one!
My favorite thing about wearing vintage is that your clothing comes with a story. Whether you know the story or not, or just have a general idea and time frame, the imagination of that story that comes along with the garment is half the fun. And it certainly feels exotic to wear something so nice – handmade all the way across the globe – even if I am just running errands in it!
Do you have any unique pieces in your wardrobe that tell a fun story too? Do you save them for special occasions or try to wear them any chance you get? I would love to hear! And as always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
—
xo, alice
—
photos by Ban Avenue
