The Silk Kimono: a Short History
Though the kimono originally came from China, the Japanese have been wearing them for hundreds of years, and their great beauty is attributable to 17th and 18th century Japanese designers.
The combinations of color and cloth traditionally indicated the wearer’s political and social status and the kimono’s color changed according to the time of year. These days, the kimono is no longer a purely traditional robe.
Traditionally, all girls in Japan learned to master the arts of making clothes and sewing. But sewing was less difficult than in the west. The kimono, haori and girdle, and even the long hanging sleeves, had only parallel stitches. The clothes were, in fact, taken apart for cleaning, and each piece, after being slightly stiffened, was stretched on a board for drying, before being stitched back together.
There are many varieties of silk kimono: the long-sleeved, gorgeous types worn by geisha or young girls, the formal kimono stamped with the wearer’s family crest and worn on ceremonial occasions; kimono for men and children’s kimonos. A young woman wears a kimono with long sleeves and an Obi, a broad silk or brocade band about 12 feet long and 12 inches wide. As the girl gets older, the kimonos become smaller and the colors deeper and richer while the obi is worn lower and made narrower. Also, haori, a short knee length kimono, is often worn. In modern times, a kimono is usually only worn on special occasions and is primarily worn by women, but certain men still wear this garment. Both haori and kimono can be hung on a hard wood hanging bar as wall art.
As an ideal gift or indulgence, kimono clothing is extremely versatile, and makes a welcome addition to any wardrobe.
Possibly the most popular color for a kimono is red, derived from safflower. The yukata is similar to the kimono, only it is made of light weight cotton and is less formal.
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