Something truly beautiful has launched, and we’re so excited to share it with you. We are always striving to make improvements here at KIM+ONO. From design choices to materials to store events, we are continually on the search for how to make our offerings even better. And because each and every one of our kimono robes are designed with you in mind, your feedback has been integral in our latest collection.
We are thrilled to announce our first ever Curve & Plus Size Kimono Robe Collection! This is truly a beautiful group of women’s kimono robes that feature inclusive sizing with our most beloved designs and trend-setting colors. It’s just the beginning of the plus size kimono patterns we plan on bringing to you. So today in the journal, we’re featuring our newest maxi kimonos robes, the origin of the designs, the cut of these pieces, and why they will make you feel like the queen you are.
Our co-founders, sisters Tiffany and Renee Tam, were destined to open KIM+ONO from childhood. With their parents stores in Chinatown being such a huge part of their family, from a young age, the sisters were always running around the store and hanging in Chinatown when they weren’t in school. As they grew up, Renee and Tiffany helped out more and more at the stores and running the shops became a true family affair. Not only did this teach Tiffany and Renee how running a retail business in Chinatown worked, which they would later use to open the KIM+ONO kimono store in 2018, but their parents also took them on business trips to China as they worked with vendors and artisans to source the inventory for the stores.
This childhood experience of the process from sourcing to selling gave Tiffany and Renee a firsthand knowledge of what it would take to build their own branch of the family business. They had seen kimonos in their travels to Asia and, as adults, they were inspired by those pieces to the point where they finally asked themselves, “How could we make a traditional kimono work for the modern woman?”
One of the loveliest shapes of traditional Japanese kimono is expressed in the kimono sleeve. For our plus size kimono robes, we’ve honored that traditional cut in each design. Most of our kimono sleeves are cut to be three quarter length to fall above your wrists. But because we don’t use shoulder seams, those sleeves will fall slightly differently on everyone, making your maxi kimono robe an absolute original. It will accentuate your shoulders and flow down your arms to sway with you while you walk, making a beautiful silhouette on every body.
Our pieces like the black floral kimono robe above do not have shoulder seams. That gives the design a more fluid drape, uniquely falling on your body and fitting you like a glove. Whether you have broader or narrower shoulders, you can be sure that without the seams, you’ll be able to comfortably let the soft silk fall over your shoulders without squeezing into your plus size long kimono duster.
When deciding which plus size duster to add to your collection, you may be deciding between the short and long lengths. Our short kimono robes run about 35.5” in length from the shoulder to the bottom of the hem, typically falling above your knees. In addition to a luxurious kimono robe for home, they’re beautiful plus size kimono cover ups for the beach or a kimono cardigan for the office. If you’re on the hunt for a maxi kimono robe to add to your wardrobe, we get it! The sophistication and drama of a long length like in the above women’s kimono robe is a classic look. Each of our long kimono robes falls 54” from the shoulder to the bottom of the hem to drape your whole body in a little luxury.
Because the cut of all of our kimono robes is fluid, elegant, and loose, you should feel absolutely beautiful in every piece. Our plus size kimono cover ups will fit your body and accentuate your gorgeous and one-in-a-million shape. If you’re ever unsure of how each piece might fit, you can always visit the product page where we have all the measurement details to give you the most accurate of how each plus size long kimono duster might personally fit you. Our plus size women’s kimono robes fit up to 55” in chest and hips. No matter which maxi kimono robe you choose to add to your collection, you can be sure the fit will be as unique and beautiful as you are.
For the Tam sisters, the best parts of the traditional Japanese kimono were also elements they believe modern women craved: luxurious kimono patterns and fabrics, and the versatility of wearing them in and out of the home. Using the history of kimonos and inspiration from vintage Asian art, Tiffany and Renee designed kimono patterns that could work as a silk kimono jacket over jeans, a maxi kimono robe to pair with a dress, or simply a piece to lounge in around the house. As Tiffany and Renee considered the underlying question of their business, “How can we make a traditional kimono work for a modern woman?” they knew that the historical elements of versatility, quality fabrics, modern designs, and inclusive sizing, were the elements that could bring history into the present moment for something truly magical.
With these brand new plus size kimono robes, the value of handcrafted heritage lives in every piece we offer, from every lightweight kimono cover up to silk kimono jacket. So as you find and fall in love with your own modern kimono robe, you can be sure there was an origin story, intention, and decades of inspiration woven right into every piece, making it as unique as you.
