For Those Searching for a Visiting Kimono: Discovered a Store Where You Can Rent Formal Kimonos for 10,000 Yen with Free Dressing Services! (Experience Report Included)
2022.05.26 published
About Renting a Houmongi
When siblings or family members get married, it is common to wear a **houmongi** to attend the wedding.
Elegant, dignified, and perfect for attending events, it enhances the atmosphere and does not go out of style, making it a classic and glamorous choice even when looking back later.
I long for it♡
However, when you want to rent a houmongi for the first time, don't you find it difficult to know where to rent it...??
Recently, I wore a houmongi at a sibling's wedding,
At first, I thought,
💭 "If I go to a kimono store or a wedding venue, I can wear something nice, but it seems expensive..."
💭 "On the other hand, rental services without a physical store are cheap, but since I can't see the actual item, I'm a bit worried about the colors and sizes..."
I felt this way.
I Rented from Wargo♡
So, after researching a few shops, I decided to rent a houmongi for the wedding from a store called Wargo.
Visit their website here👘
Wargo is a rental shop that offers a wide range of kimono rentals, including yukata, furisode, houmongi, hakama, and tomesode.
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They have stylish kimonos that can be worn while sightseeing in Asakusa, Kyoto, and Kanazawa with friends or partners,
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And they also have a variety of formal kimonos suitable for weddings, graduation ceremonies, Shichi-Go-San, and baby celebrations.
For formal kimonos for celebrations like weddings, they have four specialized stores nationwide:
The Ginza flagship store, Meiji Jingu North Approach store, Shinsaibashi OPA store in Osaka, and Korinbo store in Kanazawa,
✅ You can choose to either receive a fitting at the store on the day or
✅ Have it delivered via rental.
The prices are divided into three plans, Matsuba, Take, and Ume, depending on the kimono,
【Matsuba】 33,000 yen (tax included)
【Take】 22,000 yen (tax included)
【Ume】 11,000 yen (tax included)
This price includes all necessary accessories for dressing (shoes and bags too!), which is considerably more economical than the average prices.
When using the shop, the fitting fee is also free (hair styling is an additional option).
It's both affordable and easy since you can go hands-free♡
Their website features 871 different kimonos, so please take a look.
➡Check out the houmongi here
It's Great That You Can Go for a Preview*
One of the reasons I liked Wargo is that you can go for a preview before renting, where you get to try on the actual outfit.
(The preview and fitting are free for 30 minutes, and of course, you can just go to look without making an order♩)
I visited the Meiji Jingu North Approach store a month before the wedding.
When I made a reservation on the website for the preview, there was a question about which color of kimono I was considering, so when I answered pink... on the day, the staff had beautifully picked out lovely pink kimonos and prepared them for me.
Additionally, of course, I was allowed to choose from those hanging on the rack, which was very satisfying.
Among about 5 to 6 kimonos that caught my interest, the one I chose was this one.
A calm pink fabric with cute floral patterns♡
This was the Take plan and cost 22,000 yen (tax included).
My sister, who came along, chose a yellow kimono (on the right).
This was the Ume plan and could be rented for 11,000 yen (tax included). The fact that you can get a formal houmongi for this price is amazing.
➡Check out Wargo for houmongi
The Accessories Were Cute Too♡
I left the visible accessories like the obi, haneri, and obiage up to the staff, and they combined them beautifully for me♡
The fit was also great, and I was very satisfied♡
Next Time I Wear a Kimono, I'll Ask Wargo Again♡
Isn't it amazing that you can rent a kimono for 10,000 yen and get a fitting too?
(Actually, I couldn’t time it well and had the delivery sent from Wargo without a fitting at the shop, but I thought it was still a good deal.)
When weddings keep happening, you don’t want to wear the same dress multiple times, so it’s easy to lean towards buying cheaper ones, but renting a kimono might be cheaper and more advantageous in the end, plus the bride and groom might be thrilled to see you in a kimono!
Moreover, it might be the best since it can hide body shapes, and you don’t have to worry about being cold or about stockings, shawls, or bags...
Renting the houmongi this time was really economical and easy since I could go for a preview and also reserve delivery online.
In future occasions like being invited to weddings or when I have children someday, I plan to rent a houmongi again from Wargo for Shinto ceremonies or Shichi-Go-San.
I highly recommend this kimono shop♡
(They also have tomesode for mothers, so brides might consider arranging that here too!)
➡Visit Wargo's website here