Measurements & Sizing Guide

How we measure our items and how to determine garment fit…

This guide will help you understand how we measure garments and accessories in order to provide measurement information on product listings. We also provide a simplified guide for how to measure your body and determine the fit of certain products we sell.

Garment Measurements

All of our items are measured in inches (in) {rounded up to the nearest 1/8 inch}, then converted into centimeters (cm) or millimeters (mm).

Kimono (& Juban)

Illustration for kimono garment measurements: mitake, kitake, yuki, sodetake, ushirohaba, maehaba, okumihaba, suso, tsumashitatake

All of the following measurements are used for kimono and many of them are also used for juban.

Mi-take/Ki-take (Garment Length): Measured vertically along center back seam (senui) from where the collar (eri) meets the garment to the hem (suso). For female-tailored kimono, this may also be referred to as se-mitake (back seam length).

Yuki (Middle Back to Wrist Width): Measured horizontally from center back seam (senui) to sleeve opening at wrist (sode-guchi) near the top of the garment.

Sode-take (Sleeve Length): Measured vertically from top of sleeve (sode-yama) to bottom of sleeve (sode-shita).

Ushiro-haba (Back Panel Width): Measured horizontally from center back seam (senui) to side seam (waki-sen).

Mae-haba + Okumi-haba (Front Panel Width): Measured horizontally from side seam (wakisen) to edge of front panel (tsumashita).

Suso (Hemline Width): Calculated adding back panel width multiplied by two and front panel width multiplied by two.

Tsumashita-take (End of Collar to Hem Length): Measured vertically from end of collar (eri) to hem (suso).

Haori & Michiyuki

Illustration for haori garment measurements: kitake, yuki, sodetake, ushirohaba

Ki-take (Garment Length): Measured vertically along center back seam (senui) from where the collar (eri) meets the garment to the hem (suso).

Yuki (Middle Back to Wrist Width): Measured horizontally from center back seam (senui) to sleeve opening at wrist (sode-guchi) near the top of the garment.

Sode-take (Sleeve Length):Measured vertically from top of sleeve (sode-yama) to bottom of sleeve (sode-shita).

Ushiro-haba (Back Panel Width): Measured horizontally from center back seam (senui) to side seam (waki-sen).

Obi

Illustration for obi accessory measurements: taresaki, tesaki, tare, te, length, width

Length: Measured end to end from tare-saki to te-saki.

Width: Measured side to side at tare-saki. Nagoya obi may also include a second measurement taken at te-saki, depending on tailoring (shitate).

The following illustration shows the different types of obi.

OBI types and tailoring: fukuro, maru, nagoya, hanhaba, heko, kaku, nagoya shitate, matsuba shitate, hiraki shitate

Obijime

Illustration for obijime measurements: length, width, diameter

Length: Measured from end to end not including tassels or other end embellishments.

Width/Diameter: Measured side to side if flat or estimated diameter if round.

Obiage, Shigoki, & other rectangular items

Illustration Coming Soon

Length: Measured from end to end.

Width: Measured side to side.

Body Measurements

Body Measurements Illustration: body outline with measurements indicated (shincho, kitake, yuki, koshimawari)
All of the following measurements are used for determining if a garment will fit. Shincho (Height): Measured from top of head to soles of feet. Kitake (Body Length): Measured from the protruding bone in the neck down to the ankle bone. Yuki (Middle Back to Wrist Width): While holding arm at a 45° angle, measured from the protruding bone in the neck, over the shoulder bone, and down to the wrist bone. Koshimawari (Hip Circumference): Measured at widest part of hips and buttocks. It is highly recommended you have someone assist in taking your measurements, as they will be more accurate. Kimono Kitsune offers Measurement and Sizing Assistance. See our Services page for details.

Kimono Sizing Guide

These are very basic guidelines and generally will result in a decent fit. In order to better understand your measurements and sizing requirements, see a kimono professional to be measured and consult with. Kimono Kitsune offers Measurement and Sizing Assistance. See our Services page for details.

Guidance for Female-tailored Kimono

This guide uses inches (in). This is a simplistic guide to assist in kimono fit.

» Is the kimono long enough?

Take the kimono garment length (garment MITAKE) and subtract your body length (body KITAKE). If the resulting number is…

12in or moreKimono may be too long and have a lot of fabric at the waist, so ohashori may be very large.
between 8in to 12inKimono may have an average amount of fabric at the waist for ohashori and should fit well.
between 4in to 8inKimono may have a small amount of fabric at the waist for ohashori and may fit well enough.
between 0in to 4inKimono may not have enough fabric at the waist for ohashori, so wear without ohashori.
less than 0inKimono may be too short, but can wear with hakama, a homsue-hem, or non-traditionally.

» Is the kimono wide enough to wrap around my body?

Take the kimono garment hemline width (SUSO) and subtract your hip circumference (KOSHIMAWARI). If the resulting number is…

22in or moreKimono may be too large.
between 16in and 22inKimono should fit well.
between 10in and 16inKimono may fit tightly. May need to add a panel to the okumi so kimono covers legs correctly.
less than 10inKimono will not fit properly, but can wear it non-traditionally.

» Is the kimono sleeve length long enough?

Compare garment YUKI and body YUKI.

Sleeves should end anywhere below the elbow and above the wrist bone. Length is a personal style preference in most cases except for formal wear (which should be to the wrist bone). A suitable range would be Body YUKI measurement (the longest you would wear) minus 5 inches (the shortest you would probably wear).

Guidance for Male-tailored Kimono

This guide uses inches (in). This is a simplistic guide to assist in kimono fit.

» Is the kimono long enough?

Compare kimono garment length (garment KITAKE) and your body length (body KITAKE).

Length measurements should be very close to the same measurement. Masculine-styling does not have an oshahori. The length can be adjusted using a himo if too long, so it is better to select a length longer than KITAKE if you cannot get exactly.

» Is the kimono wide enough to wrap around my body?

Take the kimono garment hemline width (SUSO) and subtract your hip circumference (KOSHIMAWARI). If the resulting number is…

22in or moreKimono may be too large.
between 16in and 22inKimono should fit well.
between 10in and 16inKimono may fit tightly. May need to add a panel to the okumi so kimono covers legs correctly.
less than 10inKimono will not fit properly, but can wear it non-traditionally.

» Is the kimono sleeve length long enough?

Compare garment YUKI and body YUKI.

Sleeves should end anywhere below the elbow and above the wrist bone. Length is a personal style preference in most cases except for formal wear (which should be to the wrist bone). A suitable range would be Body YUKI measurement (the longest you would wear) minus 5 inches (the shortest you would probably wear).

Himo Sizing Guide

This is a very general guide to ensure your himo is long enough to use for dressing. This guide uses inches (in).

Take your Koshimawari (Hip Circumference), multiply it by two (2), and then add 15.

This will give you sufficient length to wrap around your body twice and tie a bow. It is also more than enough for using it as a tasuki, for tying an obi musubi such as otaiko/nijudaiko, etc. If you wish to have a shorter one specifically for obi musubi, then simply don’t multiply by two (hip circumference plus 15).

Most people will use the same length of himo for everything. If dressing in female-tailored kimono (and only using himo), you may need three (3) or more himo. You may need one for your juban tied under the bust to hold the collar in place, one around waist for adjusting length of the kimono thus creating an ohashori, one tied around at the under-bust for holding the kimono collar in place, and sometimes one is used while tying a musubi. If dressing in male-tailored kimono, you will most likely only use two (2); one for the juban and one for the kimono (since there is no need to adjust for length typically).

Kimono Kitsune brand himo come in three (3) lengths: Standard [S] “Tanuki” (88 inches), Long [L] “Kitsune” (110 inches), and Extra Long [X] “Kuma” (135 inches). We also offer custom length himo as a special order.