Where can I buy a Kimono or Yukata?

Is there an internet shop where I can buy an averge Kimono or Yukata?

Can you read Japanese and live in Japan? If so, try this website:

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/asakusa1393/

Most English sites have rip-off prices.

Also, there is a whole list of kimono online stores here:
http://www.japan-shop.com

Why dose it cost over 100 at one shop and then 43 at another 0.o. This stuff is made of cotton, why so expensive?

To me they seem to be fairly priced depending on the indicated "condition" (poor/good vintage etc.). Also as indicated, most kimonos are made from silk and is often hand-printed, hand-embroidered and hand-sawn. It will be much more expensive if it were brand new. Yukata on the other hand is cotton. If you can show us specific items, it will be easier to judge the price.

Prices on kimono differ hugely depending on worksmanship (amount of embroidery, hand painting, silver or gold thread woven into fabric, intricacy of tie-dyed pattern, etc.)

Yukata price is mainly due to fabric and sewing. A hand-sewn, order-made one is obviously going to cost you a lot more than ready to wear. Also, based on my own experience, the more expensive yukata fabric are somewhat cooler than the ones you can get for about 4000yen. But is it worth it to pay that much more if you are only going to wear it once a year? Frankly, I think the pattern is the most important. I went to a festival once with two other girls who were wearing hand-sewn, order-made yukatas but so many people asked me to pose for pictures because my 4000yen yukata had a more interesting pattern.

If you are going to splash out, splash out on kimono. Yukata is casual wear anyway and the difference is not so obvious.

Also note that valuable kimono is difficult to take care of. You need to keep it in perfect condition, occasionally hanging it in the air even if you don't wear it, and in order to wash it properly you have to have it un-sewn completely and saw it back again after being washed. This requires special skill that will cost you a lot.

The cheaper kimono can be dry-cleaned. Cotton kimono or yukata can be machine washed at home.

All I want is something I can lounde around in and machine wash.

Ray,
You are in Japan now? Just go to your nearest department store (Ito Yokado, Olympic, Jusco, or whatever you have near you). With summer approaching, the shops are full of yukatas right now. OK, so 90% are for girls, but you should be able to find men's ones too. I've never looked at the prices, but I guess they will be under 10,000 yen.

you just wanted something to lounge around the house. If you are bigger than the average size, I suggest you go to Oriental Bazaar, the store targeting tourists on Omotesando, next to Kiddie Land. They have large size "yukata" that fit all sizes.

A friend of mine also got a "jimbe" the two piece type for guys in Akihabara, for around 3000yen.

Last year I bought a "samui", that is short jacket and shorts or trousers all in cotton. Very comfortable to lounge around in at home or in the hotel.
It is the traditional Japanese clothing worn, I believe, by people working with their hands and buddhist monks.

I always have problems wearing yukata's as they are always too small. I could buy my samui in LL (extra large) and it came with shorts and trousers.

I am not in Japan, but I greatly appreciate the replys (^.^). That will be very helpfull for when I GO go to Japan (^.^).

Lynn, do you know if Oriental Bazaar has a shop in Kyoto selling large-size men's yukata, or do you know of any other shop in Kyoto for large-size yukata for men? Thanks,

I live in Tokyo and have only been to Kyoto once, so I cannot answer this question, but I would assume being such a touristy place, Kyoto should have some shops tailored towards foreign clientele. Good luck in your search!

The previous message was by Lynn, addressed to Ivan.

Im not in japan.

I think it's faster if you Google.

Huge sumo wrestlers wear their yukata or kimono, but they are all tailor-made yukata. And it must be very expensive.
If you go to Uniqlo, you can buy very inexpensive yukata for 3,800yen. There's one in front of Kyoto St.
Large sized men's yukata of Uniqulo is for men with their height 170-175cm, but I suppose you can wear them even you are 180-185cm tall. No one knows how to wear yukata properly in your country, right?
You can find 3 men's yukata in folowing Uniqlo site:
http://www.uniqlo.com/check/yukata.asp

No, everybody in any country knows how to wear anything properly, i take great offense to that.

I don't think pacman meant to offend anyone by saying "nobody in your country knows how to wear yukata properly."

Fact is, most Japanese people don't even know how to wear kimono/yukata properly. It's just a fact. Sure, you can just wrap it around you and tie a belt so it doesn't open up, but that are rules on how long the sleeves are really supposed to be and how much fabric you are supposed to fold up around your waist, and how wide you leave the collars open. It's an art form - wearing kimono. So very few people know how to wear it properly.