Made to order
Almost everything we make is made to order. Nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for a buyer. When your order arrives, we choose the cloth, cut it, and sew it — for you.
Why we work this way
Every year a great deal of kimono and obi is discarded in Japan. We buy that cloth before it is thrown away. Because each piece of cloth is different, we cannot mass-produce from it — so we make one piece at a time, after someone has decided they want it. Nothing is made speculatively, and nothing is left over.
The sewing is done in partnership with Type B employment support facilities in Hiroshima, by people with disabilities. Metal fittings are made with engraving techniques from Hiroshima Buddhist altar craftsmanship. Waiting is what makes that possible.
What happens during the 12 weeks
- Week 0 — Your order
Production begins once your payment is confirmed. This is the day the clock starts. - Weeks 1–3 — Choosing the cloth
We select an obi or kimono that matches the colour family you chose. This is the step that cannot be rushed: the right piece has to exist. - Weeks 4–9 — Cutting and sewing
Cut by hand, sewn by hand, at our partner workshops. - Weeks 10–12 — Finishing and inspection
Fittings attached, finished, checked, and packed. - After that — Shipping
Japan: 2–7 business days. International: 7–21 business days. Shipping is free within Japan; international shipping, duties and import taxes are paid at checkout.
You choose the colour, we choose the pattern
No two obi carry the same pattern, and where the cloth is cut changes how the pattern falls. We cannot reproduce the piece in a photograph. What you choose is the colour family; the pattern is a surprise that arrives with the bag. Photographs on our product pages are examples of what we have made before.
Cancelling
Cancellation is possible before production begins — please email info@readyb.store as soon as you can. Once we have started, the cloth has been cut and cannot be returned to what it was, so cancellation is no longer possible.
If we cannot secure cloth suitable for the colour family you chose, we will decline the order and refund you in full.
Tailoring vouchers
If you send us a kimono of your own, the 12 weeks are counted from the day your cloth reaches our workshop, not from the day you order. We will check first whether the cloth is suitable and whether there is enough of it.