Ask five brides what they pictured when they imagined a wedding kimono robe, and you may hear just one color: white. But at KIM+ONO, we know the color palette for your wedding day is as unique and original as you are. Some brides love a classic black and white, some opt for jewel tones pulled straight from a fall bouquet. There's no single "bridal palette" the way there's no single wedding dress silhouette everyone can agree on.
A wedding kimono robe gets to be further personalization of your style, and the color combination a bride lands on usually says something about the wedding itself, the season it’s in, and the woman wearing it.A beachside ceremony in June inspires a different feel than a candlelit reception in November, and the robe a bride chooses often ends up bringing another layer of meaning and symbolism that heightens the overall atmosphere. So while there are no wrong answers when it comes to your wedding day palette, here are five of our favorite pairings and why we love them:
A Classic Black and White Palette
Black and white is the pairing brides reach for when they want the getting-ready photos to feel sophisticated and classic. Those colors photograph like an old film still, which is exactly the appeal for a bride marrying in a city, at night, or even just somewhere special with marble floors and low lighting. Our Handpainted Silk Kimono Robe suits this combination especially well, since the contrast reads sharp against skin. Black and white also happens to be the easiest palette to wear again at any time of the year, whether you’re going to a holiday party or a poolside cookout.
Photo by @thekatiestevens
Velvet Black, Trimming Earth Tones
Velvet-trimmed black complementing earth tones like olive and rosewood are a beautifully elegant look. The trim is a signature from our Kimono Wraps collection. The velvet fabric gives the black a bit of weight and formality, while the earth tones ground it to bring some more subtlety to the look. Brides marrying in the fall or winter gravitate toward this combination because velvet tends to be a part of the season already. The accent colors, black and a vibrant green, give your bridal party a beautiful getting ready robe plus something they’ll want to wear beyond your wedding day. It's a palette that transitions straight into holiday mornings the following winter, worn over sweaters instead of slip dresses.
Photo by @sunandsparrow
The Softness of a Pastel Palette
Pastel tones paired with white are the softest combination on this list, and the one most associated with spring and early summer ceremonies. Blush, lavender, and sage next to an ivory robe create a palette that feels like a beautiful botanical garden in bloom. This is also where our floral kimono robe prints get the most use, since a soft floral pattern featuring pastel tones complements almost every wedding day style. A bride marrying in April can expect to keep wearing this exact palette straight through her first anniversary trip, since pastels and florals don't have a seasonal expiration date.
A deep ink blue is a color for the bride who wants something coastal without leaning too literally into anchors and stripes. It nods to a subtle nautical feel while still acting similarly to classic black. It’s a classic color that conveys the aesthetics of sophistication and elegance. It's the color we hear about most from brides who honeymoon somewhere near water, since it never feels out of place packed next to swimsuits and sandals in a carry-on. It’s a strong choice when you want to stick with a traditional feel without choosing something as stark as black.
Whichever combination a bride chooses, the details underneath matter just as much as the color on top. Every KIM+ONO robe includes the same kimono details: a removable waist tie, inner ties, and a fluid drape that can be worn open over a slip or cinched at the waist for a more finished look. That's part of what makes the "what to wear under a kimono" question so easy to answer. A slip dress works. A swimsuit works. Nothing at all works too, when you’re wearing it to get ready before the ceremony itself. The wedding kimono robe adapts to however you’d like to wear it, which is the whole reason it stays in your daily rotation for years to come after the wedding.
Renee and Tiffany, sisters and co-founders of KIM+ONO designed these palettes with exactly this kind of range in mind. They know that every bride is different, so her vision for her wedding kimono robe will be different too. A robe should be able to hold its own in a wedding photo and then fit right back into a normal week when you’re giving yourself a little self care morning meditation routine. Whether a bride ends up in black and white, jewel tones, or pastel and white, the goal is the same: a color combination that will make her feel like the best version of herself on the biggest day of her life.
