Styling Kimonos for Summer with Some of My Favorite Bloggers

Happy Friday, dear reader. I’m so pleased that you’ve stopped in for a little summer style inspiration. I’ve had a few requests recently for styling kimonos, ruanas, toppers and such. But, while I’m still enjoying the ones in my closet, I haven’t purchased a new one this summer. Nor have I been able to find one in a local store the few times I’ve been out.

So I decided that instead of featuring an outfit with a new kimono, I would just share some styling tips. But to keep the post more interesting, I invited some of my favorite style bloggers to send me photos of their kimono styles, too. While I’m sharing my tips for styling kimonos this summer I’ll also be introducing to you some of the beautiful style bloggers I follow and enjoy working with. I’m sure you know most of them. But maybe you’ll meet someone new today, too. Let the party begin!

Now keep in mind that none of the kimonos we’re showing you are still available…that we know of. But I’ve gathered a shopping widget full of gorgeous kimonos for you to try if the bug bites. Ha! And I bet it will after you see how beautifully these women have styled their wraps.

What is a Kimono?

Strictly speaking, a kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, but in recent years it has become the name we give to several styles of accessorizing toppers that softly wrap the shoulders and upper body in loose fashion, usually over another piece of clothing. But you could also call this garment a topper, a ruana or wrap, depending on the lines of the piece of clothing.

In truth, ruanas, toppers and kimonos are constructed a little differently. But for the purpose of this post, we’re just grouping them all together. Most brands and retailers certainly do. So in the photos below you’ll see “kimonos” with and without sleeve opening, with and without front ties and short, mid length and long.

Bottom line? A kimono {wrap, topper or ruana} is a lovely lightweight, draping garment that serves as an especially smart choice for accessorizing summer outfits. But of course, you’ll find kimonos that are perfectly appropriate all year long.

Kimono Styling Tip #1 – Choose a kimono that works best for your frame and height. Many kimonos come in petite sizes. If you’re petite, look for one that is constructed for the petite frame.

The beauty of me sharing photos from other bloggers is that you can see the styles worn by women with different body types from mine. I know, for instance, that Tania Stephens, who blogs at 50 Is Not Old, is a couple of inches shorter than me. But look how beautifully she rocks this multicolored fringed kimono.

Kimono Styling Tip #2 – You can also wear many of the kimonos as wraps, dropping them behind your shoulders and letting them hang loosely from your arms.

Above Tania has created a column of color underneath her kimono with what looks like tan linen or gauze separates. What a lovely summer choice! Below, you’ll see that Susanne Thomspon of Thompson Hill Blog created a striking and ultra slenderizing column of black under her long sleeveless kimono. What a chic look!

Kimono Styling Tip #3 – Create a column of color underneath your kimono with the color of your choice, either a color that you pull from the kimono, black, white or any other neutral. This is such a slimming look and perhaps the most classic way to style a kimono.

Below you’ll see that Debora Boland created a column of white under her colorful kimono. Deborah blogs at Fabulous After 40 and is Canadian. I also love the way Deborah has accessorized her look with fun jewelry in the colors of her wrap.

Kimono Styling Tip #4 – To make your kimono look more like an intentional choice, pull your look together with additional accessories in the colors from your wrap. You could pull from the colors in your kimono for your earrings, bracelet, necklace, shoes, belt or handbag.

I frequently see Deborah style color masterfully. Because I recognize her hat (and have it myself!), I’m pretty sure her whole look is from Chico’s last year. You’ll find kimonos at Chico’s now right here. They have some lovely choices, and many of them are on sale.

Below, Jo-Lynne Shane also created a column of color under her kimono, but the notable difference is that her wrap and the column of color are both pale shades. This combination creates a beautifully soft look that’s perfect for summer.

Kimono Styling Tip #5 – Use a kimono to create a more monotone look by choosing one in the same tone as your other clothing. In this case, it’s smart to add a variety of textures to your outfit to make the look more interesting.

Jo-Lynne’s column of white is definitely elegant under her soft, sheer kimono. I love how she kept her shoes and handbag in soft neutrals, too. But Jo-Lynne has used this same coral and ivory kimono to create a more casual look over denim shorts below.

Kimono Styling Tip #6 – You absolutely can wear a kimono with shorts. You can also wear one with a skirt or dress. And there really are no rules as to which should be longer. Do what works for your proportions and height.

I think kimonos are a great accent piece to wear with blue jean shorts, as Jo-Lynne has done here. The combination creates such a casual but decidedly pulled together look for summer.

Cyndi Spivey, who lives just below me in Kentucky, created an equally pulled together look by adding a sheer leopard print kimono over a classic black and white combo. She’s wearing black mid-length shorts and a white bodysuit beneath her kimono.

Cyndi, who is 5’6″, created the proportions she desired with the longer kimono by wearing nude heels. Nude shoes, specifically heels, can elongate the appearance of your legs so that you can wear longer pieces like this beautiful leopard print topper.

Below, Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life shares how she styled a colorful floral kimono over her classic black tee and beige linen pants. Note her beautiful use of a bright pink handbag and colorful stacked heel sandals to pull the look together.

Kimono Styling Tip #7 – Use a kimono to add a splash of color or interest or pattern to an otherwise basic outfit. It’s perhaps the easiest way to add a “third piece” to any classic summer outfit without adding heat or weight.

It’s also worth noting that Jennifer, a personal stylist and image consultant, is a petite 5’4″. But she’s wearing this “below the derriere” length kimono beautifully.

Beth Djalali, seen below, blogs at Style at a Certain Age and has a YouTube channel, too. I especially enjoy following her for her classy style but also because she lives in the town where I went to college, Athens, Georgia, so I love checking out her photos.

Beth has also created a column of white under her bright orange front-tie kimono. I love how she has pulled the look together with her orange shoes and splashes of gold in her jewelry and handbag.

Beth’s outfit demonstrates that you do not necessarily have to wear a kimono over a close-fitting outfit. As she pointed out in the post where she featured this style, “fashion isn’t always about looking slimmer. if that were the case, we’d be quite limited in our style choices.” Amen!

Kimono Styling Tip #8 – A kimono will add volume to your outfit’s silhouette. But that’s part of the beauty of this fresh accessory. Let it be! If you’d like to minimize some of the volume, you might be able to tie the kimono in the front.

Kimono Styling Tip #9 – Perhaps the easiest and most fail-proof way to wear a kimono is with jeans. Kimonos and jeans go together like peanut butter and jelly!

Whether your kimono is long or short and whether your jeans are blue, white, black or another color, you’ll look pulled together and just a little boho in this combo. Just have fun with it!

In the photo above, Susanne of Thompson Hill Blog added so much style to a simple white tee (or tank?) and blue jeans with this three-season kimono. I love how she used the pretty necklace to pull it all together.

Kimono Styling Tip #10 – For a kimono that helps you transition your wardrobe into fall, choose a topper in a woven fabric or one in colors of the season. But really, unless it’s pastel, tropical or especially beachy, most any kimono will work well into the fall.

Finally, let’s not forget that, while kimonos are the perfect summer topper, they also can transition your wardrobe into fall beautifully. I’ve included woven kimonos like the one above in my shopping widget below.

Bonus Kimono Styling Tip – Really, my biggest tip for styling a kimono is “just do it!” Many women say they can’t wear kimonos because of their height, size, weight, bosom, whatever. But the truth is that a kimono is one of those pieces that takes a little getting used to. Sure, pick one that works best for your frame (a smaller, less voluminous kimono for a petite frame or something more sweeping and grand for a taller silhouette). But you absolutely can wear a kimono.

Shop for Kimonos

I’ve created a shopping widget full of beautiful kimonos for you to peruse and shop. If you do click through these affiliate links and make a purchase, I potentially earn a commission, but at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work by shopping my affiliate links. I truly appreciate you.

A Special Thanks

I’d like to especially thank the dear bloggers who sent me their photos for today’s post. I just reached out to them Monday, and they were so sweet and gracious to send in their photos so that I could make this post as interesting and diverse as it is.

I hope you, dear reader, will maybe click through to visit one or two of these gals and check out their posts today. I think all of them post almost every day. They’re beautiful, stylish and gracious women to a tee.

Thank you to…

• Deborah Boland of Fabulous After 40
• Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life
• Beth Djalali of Style at a Certain Age
• Jo-Lynne Shane
• Cyndi Spivey
• Tania Stephens of 50 is Not Old
• Susanne Thompson of Thompson Hill Blog

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Blessed for My Day

There’s a difference between a discussion and a debate. If I enter into a conversation with someone and it turns into a debate, we’ve taken sides and set out to win at the loss of the other person. We’ll not come to a mutual understanding, nor will we learn anything about the other person.

But no one is won over in a debate. And really, nothing is gained at all…unless you’re on a debate team and a trophy is rewarded after the exercise.

Let’s choose instead to discuss. When we discuss things with another person we seek to understand, we relish the education we’re gaining by hearing what the person has to say. In a discussion, I ask relevant and honest questions so I can better grasp where the person is coming from and why they think the way they do. And I resist the drive to change their mind at all.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ~ James 1:19-20