Trend: Kimonos

Remember my friend Liz, the one who made the cute Halloween witch a few weeks ago? She asked me to do a blog post on Kimonos! Since fall is unmistakably here (for everyone but Houstonians - it's 82 degrees here today), I thought it'd be an excellent idea. Kimonos are great for fall- they can be left open for a more casual look, wrapped tight against a chill, and feature sleeves at various lengths. 

I love kimono sleeves. They help balance my shoulders, which are decidedly... shouldery. A good kimono sleeve can make an arm look so slender and delicate, too. 

My personal love affair with kimonos began with this pullover, surprisingly. The Pull Kimono from Phildar:

I curse the French language and my inability to understand it, but I think this one could be reverse engineered. Anyone notice the spine cables?

Get kicked in the face with some awesome colorwork via Murasaki Akai by Vicki Square:

I love the simple casual Glitter Shrug by Lion Brand. Yeah, by LION BRAND. I can't believe it.

And Norah Gaughan brings us the Origami Cardi via IK:

Can I just stop us there for a second? The name bugs me. There's nothing about this cardigan that says "folded" to me, so the reference seems to be purely for the sake of the Japenese connection, which seems lazy to me.

Best thing ever: babies in kimonos. Here's Seamless Kimono by Carina Spencer:

And I'll point you in the direction of a sassy man kimono, if you're interested!

Post your favorites in the comments!
- YX