Why are Kimonos so Expensive? Kimonos are very expensive and elegant but why? Depending on how extravagent they are they can be very expensive some up to 1000 yen! (Lin, 2012) They are so expensive because it takes so much time to make and decorate a kimono and there are not as many people who are able to make them anymore.There are also so many layers that they cost more for each layer.