Vintage Valentine kimonos

If you're looking for something authentic and different to buy as a unique and unusual Valentine gift, a vintage Japanese kimono might be just the thing.

To us Westerners, kimonos are exotic and alluring enough for all manner of occasions and can serve as anything from original evening dress through to seductive nightwear - they are ideal as a romantic gift and have timeless appeal.



The funniest thing is that in Japan - a country of great tradition, where apparently the majority of marriages are still arranged - many Japanese brides are choosing to wear a modern Western-style wedding dress rather than the conventional kimono. Is this just a fashion fad? Surely the traditional silk kimono is far more steeped in history and romance than your average Berketex bridal number ... and is likely to be handcrafted from natural fibres too?







Take a look at the selection of stylish vintage silk kimonos at ShopCurious - if you're feeling really soppy, there's even one that's fittingly called 'bloom of love'.






And we've some delightfully quirky obi-style belts as well: truly unique accessories and curiously useful for kimono and non-kimono wearers alike.

According to my nose, there's been more than a hint of the Orient in international style trends so far this decade, but I wonder if the strongest whiff of the East is yet to come...

Do you?