A Quick Look at the Japanese Kimono

Most people can visualize what a kimono looks like when you hear the word. Kimono literally translated means “things to wear.” Over the centuries, the kimono has changed to meet the needs of those who wear them and the changes that were happening in society.

Today, kimono are only worn on special occasions, and a typical Japanese woman will own only one. Sometimes in smaller communities, older people may be seen wearing everyday kimono, but most people choose to wear westernized clothing.

Kimono are different depending on the season in which they will be worn, the age of the wearer and what event is being attended that requires a kimono. Spring and fall kimono are usually in corresponding colors and patterns that match the season. You may have leaf patterns in the fall, and blossoms in the spring. Winter wear, especially near the holidays, feature bamboo, pine trees and plum blossoms, since these all represent good luck and prosperity. Winter kimono are made of heavier fabric or feature linings for warmth, while those worn in the summer are made of light cotton fabric.

Casual events may call for a kimono made of patterned or dyed fabrics, like the casual yukata worn at summer festivals. More formal events would require a very elaborate design, like the typical wedding kimono, or a simple elegant design, which would be worn at a funeral or by married women at formal events.

Children wear kimono on special occasions, like 3-5-7 day in November, or Boys’ Day and Girls’ Day. Unmarried women wear kimono that are vibrantly colored with lots of patterns and long sleeves called a furisode. The sleeves can vary from slightly long to ankle length. Married women and older women would wear simpler patterns and more subdued colors. This kimono is called a tomesode.

The traditional kimono begins with tabi socks. These are socks that have a division between the big toe and the others so that traditional Japanese shoes can be worn. Next comes the undergarments, or nagajugan. Next would come the kimono garment. Wedding kimono are known as shiro-maku, and formal kimono are known as uchikake. Women’s kimono are belted by an obi, which can be tied in the back in an ornate design, like a rose or a butterfly.

Early kimono fabrics were made of woven hemp. Once the Japanese were introduced to silk culture, they began weaving incredibly fine silk fabrics. They learned to dye this new fabric, and to create beautiful patterns in it. A bolt of woven fabric in Japan is 9 meters in length and 30 centimeters wide… just enough fabric to make a single kimono. A kimono is made from four strips of this fabric. Two make up the body of the kimono, while two more cover the arms. With today’s demand for easy care fabrics, what was once silk and silk brocade are now mostly rayon, cotton, cotton sateen and polyester blends.

Men also wear kimono on special occasions. Men’s kimono less complex than women’s. Adorned with masculine patterns like dragons, kanji and bamboo, these kimono have closed sleeves, unlike the women’s open sleeved pattern.