Modern Day
Contemporary Kimono
In modern day Japan, the kimono has taken on a different form. It's no longer worn as everyday garb and instead is reserved for special occasions and formal affairs. Even then, these kimonos are the less formal, more casual types such as Yukatas. As Goldstein-Gidoni writes in his paper, "In contemporary Japan, kimono has become so separated from everyday life that kimono dressing itself has become the esoteric knowledge of a few."(2). Although the kimono is used mainly in ceremonies and festivals nowadays it still is considered an important piece in the rites of passage for young adults in Japanese society. The kimono worn during the coming-of-age ceremony for example, also called a Furisode may be the first and only time that certain individuals get the opportunity to wear such an expensive and ornate kimono.
Second-Hand Kimono
As time has gone on, the Japanese have begun to adopt more western-style clothing and the formal kimono has become something only worn on special occasions such as weddings, funerals or during festivals. Even then, most of these kimonos are more casual than their ornate counterparts. As Falk writes in her paper "So their mothers keep their daughters’ (often unworn) kimonos at home, and at the same time their own mothers, now elderly and rarely in need of a kimono, give them their own kimonos... This could mean anywhere between 10 and 300 or more kimonos under one roof."(3). Due to the disuse of these kimonos, many end up donated to second-hand stores. Valk states that it is often for much less than the expensive purchase prices. Often around "500 yen (which is less than 5 dollars"(3). Whereas new kimonos can sell for around "10 million yen - almost 100,000 dollars..."(3).