What is a Kimono ?

Kimono is a traditional garment worn by the Japanese. Kimono literally translated means “something worn” referring to all types of clothing in Japan but today, it specifically means the full-length garment worn by the Japanese on formal occasions. Kimono is both the singular and plural form of the word.

Kimono are ankle-length robes with collars and full length wide sleeves. The robe is wrapped around the body usually from left to right and held in pace by a wide belt called Obi tied at the back. Traditional footwear like geta a thonged wood-platform footwear or zori, a type of thong-like footwear and split-toe socks called tabi are usually worn with kimonos. Beneath the outer kimono, another shorter kimono called nagajuban is worn as underwear.Kimono styles have undergone many changes through Japanese history and the modern kimono owes its design to the Heian period when the Chinese influence was at its peak. Today, kimono are worn only on special occasions, and mostly by women. Men are likely to wear kimono most at weddings. Professional Sumo wrestlers wear kimono as they are required to wear traditional Japanese dress when appearing in public outside the ring.

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The standard kimono length is 158 cm and includes the following parts • Eri - collar • Erisaki - collar end • Erishita - collar underside • Furi - sleeve portion below the arm hole • Mae sode - sleeve front • Mae migoro - body front • Suso - hem • Senui - back middle seam • Ushiro migoro - body back • Tomoeri - collar topside • Ushiro sode - sleeve back • Sodeguchi - sleeve opening • Sode haba - sleeve width • Kata haba - shoulder width • Yuki - sleeve and shoulder width • Sodetsuke - armhole seam • Sodetake - sleeve depth • Miyatsuguchi - opening under armhole
Kimono are made from a single bolt of fabric. The fabric can be silk, wool, cotton, linen, or synthetic. Silk is the most desired fabric for kimonos. Patterns are created by weaving, hand painting, embroidery, or use of stencils. If a kimono is dyed before the weaving process, it is categorized as a sakizome kimono. If a kimono is dyed after weaving, it is categorized as an atozome kimono. There are many types of kimono depending on the occasion. Some of them are • Kuro tomesode a formal kimono for married women. Kuro means black, and tomesode implies sleeves of short width. Kuro tomesode typically have five family crests as well. • Iro tomesode another formal kimono for married women, though less formal than the kuro tomesode: It too has five crests and sleeves of short width. The word iro implies color, which differentiates this formal kimono from the kuro tomesode. • Shiromuku another traditional bridal robe. The shiromuku is white. • Uchikake a long robe that is an integral part of the traditional Japanese bridal costume. features no design or pattern. • Furisode a kimono with wide, flowing sleeves. Furisode are worn by single women, and are very colorful and feature ornate designs. • Houmongi a modified version of the furisode or tomesode. Houmongi are meant for formal visits and literally means visiting wear. • Yukata an informal summer kimono made of cotton or linen. • Mofuku a kimono for mourning. The mofuku
A Woman’s Kimono: Most kimono are of standard length and size and can be tucked and folded to fit all sizes. Pieces of rectangular panels of fabric are sewn together to create the robe. This enables it to be neatly folded without bunching and wrinkling. A woman’s obi can be very elaborate. An obi may be as wide as one foot and as long as 13 feet. Some complicated styles may take as long as half an hour to tie. The sleeves indicate the age and marital status of a woman. A young unmarried woman would wear flowing sleeves that hang almost to the ankles while a married woman wears a kimono with a short sleeve. Wearing a Kimono: Traditionally, the art of putting on a kimono was passed from mother to daughter but today, there are special schools that teach the necessary techniques.

You begin with the tabi – split-toe socks followed by the undergarments – a top and wraparound skirt. The next step is to put on the the nagajuban, the inner-kimono which is tied with a datemaki belt and finally the kimono, with the left side over the right and tied with the obi. The kimono should always be wrapped around with left side over the right; right on top of left is only used when dressing a corpse for burial. About an inch of the haneri (collar) of the nagajuban shows inside the collar of the kimono.

A Man’s Kimono: Men usually wear conservatively styled in one basic shape in muted colors of black, grey, brown, blue or white. A man’s obi is narrow and is tied in a simple knot at the back. Hakama are pleated pants worn over a kimono for formal occasions and martial arts. In martial arts, the pleats of the hakama represent the seven virtues. A haori is a jacket worn over the kimono and held in place with a braided cord knotted decoratively. Today, the haori is usually worn by bridegrooms on their wedding.

A Child’s Kimono: A child’s kimono is usually like the adults except that they are in bright colors and patterns. Children wear the kimonos on festival days and visits to the temples. Kimono can be very expensive. A single woman’s kimono can cost up to $10,000. Most people make their own kimono since the pattern is standard and very simple to follow. The most expensive part of the kimono is the obi which can cost thousands of dollars.

Article Contributed By: Jaya Suresh


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