A shiro-maku

This is a wedding kimono. It is called shiro-maku, shiro meaning white and maku meaning pure.

The functions and representations of kimono

Kimono is worn for both formal and informal occasions

• Often worn in weddings, graduations, festivals and the age ceremonies. Wrap the right side of the kimono over the body, then overlap it with the left side. Right on top of the left is only used to dress a corpse for burial.
• Its fabric reflects its formality: silk being formal and cotton being casual.
• Today, a Japanese woman usually owns only one kimono typically a furosode kimono which is worn for the coming of age ceremony on her 19th birthday. Women wear kimono when they attend traditional arts, such as a tea ceremony or ikebana class. For weddings, the complete bridal kimono and kimono apparel is usually rented. For funerals, both men and women wear plain black kimono. Kimono are also very rarely worn as every day clothing anymore. Occasionally, if you go to a small rural town in Japan or one of small islands like Okinawa, you will see the traditional every day kimono worn by elders.

Kimono reflects the marital status

• Similar to the hanbok, kimonos also reflects the marital staus of women. Young unmarried women wear kimono with long sleeves called furisode. The sleeve length can vary from slightly long to very long reaching the ankle. Young women's kimono are very vibrant, colorful and rich with patterns. Older women or those who have married, wear a kimono with short sleeves called tomesode. The kimono designs are smaller or solid and the colors are more subdued.

It embodies the culture and the image of the nation

• The kimono has had a long history in Japan and the kimono has changed over time to reflect the society and culture of that period. The Japanese word kimono means "something one wears" and they are the traditional garments of Japan. Originally, the word kimono was used for all types of clothing, but eventually, it came to refer specifically to the full-length garment also known as the naga-gi, meaning "long-wear", that is still worn today on special occasions by women, men, and children. It is often known as wafuku which means "Japanese clothes". Traditionally, the art of putting on a kimono was passed from mother to daughter. It reflects its culture of passing valuable things to the next generation. The image of the nation is also reflected in its national costume. Similar to hanbok, kimono also displays beauty, gracefulness and modesty. It is still highly valued and appreciated in the Japanese society.
  

The different parts of a kimono

Examples of kimonos

These are two young ladies wearing kimonos. Pay attention to the sleeves. They can be long to the wrist (the left one) or even to the ankle (the right one). The colours are often more vibrant.

This is a married woman wearing a kimono with shorter sleeves and more subdued colour.
















This is a pair of geta sandals.

Special features of kimono

• There are many types of kimono, each worn according to the persons age, season or the event. However, the formal kimono can be basically broken down into two main categories based on the persons age and marital status. Young unmarried women wear kimono with long sleeves called furisode. The sleeve length can vary from slightly long to very long reaching the ankle. Young women's kimono are very vibrant, colorful and rich with patterns. Older women or those who have married, wear a kimono with short sleeves called tomesode. The kimono designs are smaller or solid and the colors are more subdued.
• There are also special kimono made for ceremonies and paying respect called the tsukesage, komon and the homongi. In the spring, bright colors and spring floral kimono patterns are worn. In autumn, fall colors and fall kimono patterns are worn. In the winter, especially near the holidays, kimono patterns with designs such as the bamboo, pine trees or plum blossoms or worn for they signify good luck and prosperity.
• The kimono pattern consists of four main strips of fabric. Two patterns form the panels covering the body and two panels for the sleeves. Additional smaller strips form the narrow front panel and collar. The formal kimono and obi belts were traditionally made of silk, silk brocade, silk crepes such as cherimen and satin weaves such as rinzu.Customarily, woven patterns and dyed repeat patterns are considered informal. Formal kimono have free-style designs dyed over the whole surface or along the hem. Originally, the kimono were worn in multiple layers of different colors. Up to a dozen or more colorful layers of contrasting colored kimono would be worn. Today, the kimono is normally worn with a single layer on top of a slip style undergarment.
• Kimonos are worn with geta scandals, which are any sandal with a separate heel. Wooden geta have a slightly tapered front heal, making the person lean forward with each step. Geta sandals are not easy for some people to walk on and takes practice to walk correctly.
  

Kimono

The history of Kimono

The kimono has had a long history in Japan and the kimono has changed over time to reflect the society and culture of that period. It is Influenced by a traditional clothing of China called Hanfu through extensive cultural exchange between China and Japan in the 5th century BC. During the Heian period 794-1185, the custom of elaborate layers of colored kimono robes became popular with Japanese women. Jun-hitoe, twelve unlined robes were frequently worn with the sleeve edges and collars showing the shades of each kimono. Persons of the royal court sometimes wore up to sixteen kimono layers. During the Kamakura period of 1185-1133 with the rising influence of the military class and warriors, people had no patience or need for elaborate kimono. Practicality prevailed and during this period the kosode meaning small sleeve was introduced into the kimono. In 1615, military leader Tokugawa moved the capital of Japan from Kyoto, where the emperor resided to Edo, the present day Tokyo. Confucianism was adopted and hierarchy became the guiding principle where citizens were ranked based on their class. During the Edo period, people began to define their status by their kimono clothing. During this time the greatest artistic accomplishments were made with the kimono. After 1853, the US Navy sailed to Tokyo and the beginning of Japan's commercial industry was opened to the Western world. Although Japanese people continued to wear the kimono for another hundred years, the beginning of the end of this practice was near. During the Meiji period of 1868-1912, women began working outside their homes and required different clothing to accommodate their work. The Japanese people developed techniques to compete with the machine woven cloth available from the West. Cloth from other parts of the world were bought to make the kimono and the clothing. During the Taisho period of 1912-1926, Tokyo suffered a devastating earthquake which leveled most of the homes. Many of the old kimono were lost at this time. During the Showa period 1926-1989, the japanese government curtailed silk production by taxing it to support the military buildup. Kimono designs became less complex and material was conserved. After World War II, as Japan's economy gradually recovered, kimono became even more affordable and were produced in greater quantities. Europe and America fashion ideas affected the kimono designs and motifs, but their shape remained the same. Kimono and obi colors changed with the season and with the age and status of the wearer. (The picture is the movie poster for Memoir of a Geshia, starring Zhang Ziyi).