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Kimono


     Kimonos are the national dress of Japan. They are the more ceremoninal robes once worn on the daily now worn primarily for official occasions by most individuals or on the daily by some elder members of the population. In my experience in Japan I have most often saw kimonos worn by elderly ladies downtown especially when going to or from Kyoto. I saw some more full black kimonos worn at a funeral, and at the coming of age ceremony where all the women coming of age and some of the men wore beautiful bright and highly decorated kimono complete with extravagant hair styles and makeup.

     The construction of the kimono is fundamentally simple. Because the kimono is constructed primarily of large rectangular cuts of fabric, unlike most western garments, the highlight of a kimono has less to do with complicated construction and extensive tailoring and more to do with the fabric. Therefore, kimonos vary very little in style and far more in the choice and design of the fabric.
There are five types of kimono as explained by the Nishijin textile center. The furisode, or long sleeve kimono, iromugi, or monotome kimono, the Homongi, or formal kimono, the Tsukesage, or semi-formal kimono, and the Komon, or finely patterned kimono. Of these five types of kimono only the Furisode is differentiated by a change in the construction of the garment. All others are distinguished by the type of fabric used.

     The Furisode type of kimono is ceremonial and worn only by unmarried women. It is generally made with a very brightly designed colorful fabric and is further sub-catagorized into three types depending upon the length of the sleeve. This is the style of kimono worn by women at the coming of age ceremony and is also worn to weddings.


     Iromuji is a non-black monotone kimono with short sleeves that can be worn semi-formal or casually or, with a crest added, as ceremonial wear. This is the most casual style of kimono and is the kind seen most frequently on those who wear their kimono daily. Although the fabric of the kimono is monotone, it is often worn with decorated obi, though the decorations of the obi and all other pieces of the kimono are generally fairly done in fairly neutral colors.


     The Homongi is a forma kimono for both married and unmarried women. It features a single design that can run across the shoulder, chest and down to the hem. The designs on the homongi are connected and generally made with dye after the fabric has been woven making a clean and often detailed design.

     The Tsukesage is a style featuring fewer designs than the homongi that are not interconnected. It has a wide range of functions and can be worn for semi-formal occasions and more lively events.

     The fifth type is the Komon style. It is made with finely patterned fabric. The fabric can be dyed after being woven, but this is also the style best suited to fabric styles in which the thread for the yarn is dyed prior to weaving and the pattern is then planned out and woven into the fabric.

All photos were taken at the kimono fashion show at the Nishijin textile center

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