With the softness of our 100% silk, and the delicately crafted designs, it’s easy to see why our handcrafted silk kimono robes are our signature offering. We believe everyone deserves the luxury that comes with a beautifully handpainted silk kimono robe, and think it’s a perfect staple for any wardrobe. These pieces take the heritage and craftsmanship of the traditional Japanese kimono as inspiration for a modern kimono style that elevates your every day.
We love both the Handpainted Silk and Printed Silk collections because they are wearable works of art. They bring elegance, artistry, and sophistication to your style. They are the perfect way to bring a little extra luxury into your wardrobe, and allow the symbolism and meaning of the artistry influence your day. So this week on the journal, we’re breaking down all the elements of your Handpainted and Printed Silk Kimono Robes and how to care for them so they can be passed down from generation to generation as intended.
First of all, let’s dive into why it’s not recommended to wash our 100% Handpainted and Printed Silk Kimono Robes. We always recommend dry cleaning your silk kimono robes because there are a few things that can happen when washing with water. Because of some of the processes in creating the silk fabric, there can be rings that develop on the material when it comes in contact with water or moisture. Additionally, silk dyes give it an extra brightness and lustre, but washing it with water may result in dullness or a gray, lifeless color due to a dissolution of the dye on the fabric. Another issue when 100% silk comes in contact with moisture and water can be dye bleeding. Finally, the silk fabric can degenerate from contact with chloride salts from too much water, from sweating, or from spilling beverages, foods, or oils. For this reason, it’s strongly recommended that you dry clean these silks.
Your kimono style may be one you want to bring into your nightly routine, as well as your daywear, and we hope you do! We want you to find the right kind of silk that works for your particular style. The difference between our Handpainted and Printed Silks and our Washable Silk is the weave of the silk fiber itself. The Handpainted and Printed Silk Kimono Robes is one layer, lightweight, and incredibly breathable at 16mm. This is compared to our Washable Silk Kimono Robes which weigh in at 22mm. All of our silk collections use 100% Mulberry Silk harvested from silkworms. They are grade A, which means they are made of grade 6A raw silks. Our handpainted or printed floral kimono cardigans should be dry cleaned only.
And now the question at hand! How do you care for your handpainted and printed kimono styles? We strongly recommend dry clean only for these delicate works of art. As mentioned above, they should not come into contact with water, as much as it can be avoided. That being said, you can always lightly steam these pieces — holding the steamer at a distance and making sure to avoid splashing any water on the floral kimono cardigan. We do not have a hang loop on these delicate pieces to avoid accidental ripping or tearing at the tag. So our suggestion for storing this beautiful piece is to gently hang it on a hanger. One beautiful option is to also display your silk kimono jacket on the back of your door to make your wearable work of art something you can enjoy even when you’re not swaying around in silk!
Part of beautiful kimono style is the softness and sway of the silk. But when dry cleaning any material, it can sometimes feel a little bit rough or “crunchy” directly after treatment. That’s no problem! In fact, it’s very normal for this to happen and that feeling is only temporary. The best way to soften silk is to wear it. Because silk is a natural fiber, the natural oils from your body will help it get rid of any crunchiness that comes from dry cleaning and naturally add softness back into your piece without too much effort. Your dry cleaner will probably do this for you, but you can also always give it a light steam, held at a distance so water doesn’t get onto it, to help create immediate softness as well.
The truth is, you can’t avoid wrinkling silk. This delicate material is so luxurious and so it requires a little extra tender and love and care to release wrinkles that come from sitting, storing, or shipping. However, there are two very simple ways to get the wrinkles out of your favorite kimono style. First, you can simply hang up your kimono robe in the shower while you’re getting ready and let the steam from a hot shower release the wrinkles. Second, you can use a steamer. But make sure you keep some distance between the steamer and the silk kimono robe, as it doesn’t need to be pressed or heavily steamed. Avoid getting water on the piece, just a little bit will go a long way.
So now that you know how to care for your Handpainted and Printed Silk Kimono Robes, let us know which style is your favorite! We love to see your kimono style and can’t get enough of your unique looks on Instagram. Tag us @kimandono_ and #swaythisway and show us how you are adding a little bit of luxury to your every day! We hope each time you slip into your wearable work of art, you remember that you too are a work of art, you are beautiful, you are confident, and you deserve to feel like the queen you are.
