KIMONO

Kimono: Over 55 pages of kimono pictures, kimono style descriptions, kimono history, kimono fashion competitions, places to buy kimonos and articles relating to kimonos.

The kimono is a traditional form of clothing worn by Japanese women and men. There are many different kimono styles. We detail all the different forms of Japanese kimonos here.

Kimono Picture:
Traditional Japanese dancer Michiko Moriguchi appearing in a traditional Japanese kimono at the Japan Festival Melbourne.

KIMONO HISTORY

Traditional clothing of the Edo period, (1600-1868), included the kimono and obi as we know them today. The obi did not, however, become a prominent part of a woman’s ensemble until the mid Edo period. It was then that designers, weavers and dyers all focused their talent on creating a longer, wider and more elaborate obi. Obi measurement was then standardised to 360cm long by 30cm wide.

Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosode kimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaborate kimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.

For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.

The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.

HOW TO WEAR KIMONO

The first part on how to wear a yukata - the casual Japanese kimono.

	Step 1: Hold the two collar ends (‘erisaki’) with the right hand. Place the yukata to the right side and take a step forward.
	Step 2: Bring the yukata over the back of the body. Open it up.
	Step 3: Wear the yukata over the shoulders. Hold both overlaps with both hands away from the body. Step 4: Hold the yukata tightly and lift it off the floor. Lower the yukata slowly to adjust its length. The skirting of the yukata is worn just above the ankles.
The second part on how to wear a yukata - the casual Japanese kimono. Step 5: Continue to hold the yukata tightly. Bring the left overlap over the body and adjust its width such that its edge runs along the right point of the hipbone. Step 6: Continue to hold the yukata tightly. Open up the left overlap and bring the right overlap over the body. Lift the end of the right overlap by about 3-5cm. Step 7: Continue to hold the yukata tightly. Bring the left overlap over the right overlap and hold its end with the right hand. Take the first waist sash (‘koshi himo’ sash) with the left hand. Step 8: Remove any creases around the stomach, waist and back with the left hand. Tie the ‘koshi himo’ sash around the waist. The third part on how to wear a yukata - the casual Japanese kimono. Step 9: Insert both hands into the openings under the arm (‘miyatsuguchi’). Use both hands to remove any creases around the waist on both the back and front of the body. Step 10: Hold the ‘centre’ line on the back with the left hand and adjust the distance between the collar and neck by pulling the collar ends with the right hand. Please note that the distance between the collar and the neck should be the size of a clenched fist. Step 11: Fold the top right overlap to make a triangle shape. Step 12: Bring the upper left overlap over the upper right overlap. Tie the upper overlaps with a second ‘koshi himo’ sash. he fourth part on how to wear a yukata - the casual Japanese kimono. Step 13: Check that the top and bottom parts are aligned. Step 14: Check the centre line on the back. Step 15: Hold the obi board (‘obi ita’) with the left hand. Please note that ‘obi ita’ is used to maintain the shape of the obi tie. Step 16: Wear the ‘obi ita’ on the front of the body.