Kaede NYC

I heard about a sale that Kaede NYC was holding through social media. Since I was in the city for that day, I stopped by to see what was available.
The location is an office space, so it is possible to get confused upon entering; it doesn’t seem like a place selling traditional Japanese attire. Don’t judge by appearances though, they had a table stacked with yukata, kimono, and obi… as well as a small assortment of accessories. Some of the items were vintage and on sale for incredibly good prices.
The employees were a great help. They spoke English, though one could tell they are more at ease speaking Japanese. This did not harm my experience at all. When shopping anywhere, you have to help the employees help you in order the get the best experience. If you are in a rush, maybe you’ll feel inconvenienced, but I greatly enjoyed my time here. The employees explained the differences between fabrics, suggested color coordinations, and even suited me up in a kimono without my asking. They were really looking out for my satisfaction asa customer as opposed to making a profit.
From my understanding and impression, Kaede NYC focuses on the fashion community that enjoy the traditional clothing, and are aiming to create an identity for themselves amongst kimono enthusiasts. By following their social media, you should easily pick up dates for special sales, meet-​ups, and the like.

I was hunting around for obis and koshi-​himo for this past weekend’s Sakura Matsuri, and I thought I hit the jackpot with Kaede NYC. Akiko was very pleasant on the phone, but something must have gotten lost in translation since I specifically stated that I needed to BUY koshi-​himo and obis, but when I went to her location, everything was for rent only. The obis were also this strange rubbery/​foam fabric and had the clip on bows on them, so if you are looking for «real» obis, this is probably not the place for you.
She has quite the hopping Etsy page
and that will honestly be more than adequate for the average yukata wearer. Her «store» is a shared office space in Herald Square (a bit difficult to locate since the signage on the door doesn’t indicate Kaede NYC) and I don’t think she normally has customers go there.
Basically, if you are looking for an inexpensive and easy to wear yukata set, you found it. If you are looking for higher quality items that take more time to put on, Kimono House will probably be a better bet.
She also offers «how to put on yukata» classes for the yukata newbie as well :)