Added: 12/20/2005 |
Styles and accessories of kimonoKimono in Japanese means "something to wear" and originally the word kimono was used to describe any type of clothing. Kimono styles have changed through the history and today there are many different types of kimono, worn by men, women and children. Designs, fabrics, colors and decorations of kimono may vary according to the sex, age and marital status of the owner, the season of the year and the occasion for which the Japanese wear kimono.
Kimono styles are different for various occasions, varying from extremely formal to very casual. The level of formality is expressed through the kimono's shape and fabric. Silk is the most formal fabric, while cotton is more casual.
A women's kimono is highly complicated clothing, consisting of twelve or more separate pieces that must be worn together. A complete kimono outfit consists of kimono, undergarments, obi, ties, socks, sandals and accessories, and most Japanese women are unable to properly put on a kimono without any help. Professional kimono dressers still help women put on kimono for special occasions.
Traditions, symbolism and some social background determine the type of kimono a woman should wear. For instance, a black kimono, patterned only below the waistline, called kurotomesode and is the most formal kimono for a married woman. It usually has five kamon (family crests), printed on the sleeves, chest and back of the kimono.
Furisode is the most formal kimono for unmarried woman. They have patterns, covering the entire garment and are worn for coming-of-age ceremonies and by unmarried female relatives of the bride at weddings and wedding receptions. For tea ceremonies, there is Iromuji or a single-colored kimono. The most informal summer kimono is yukata-the garment, made of cotton, linen or hemp. Either Japanese men or women can wear yukata to outdoor festivals and onsen (hot spring resorts).
Kimono accessories and related garments include: geta-wooden sandals, worn by both men and women with yukata; hakama-a divided or undivided skirt, resembling a very wide pair of pants, traditionally worn only by men, but now worn also by women; haori-a hip- or thigh-length kimono coat, which adds formality, and haori are now worn by both men and women, though women's kimono jackets are longer; haori-himo-a tasseled, woven string fastener for the haori; jûnihitoe-a twelve-layered-robe, today only worn during the most formal occasions at court (imperial weddings, enthronement ceremony, etc.) or can be seen in museums; kanzashi-hair ornaments, worn in the coiffured hairstyle, which often accompanies kimono; obi- a Japanese equivalent of a sash or belt, which is used for kimono or yukata, and they are usually more intricate and ornamented for women and generally worn differently, depending on the occasion; tabi-ankle high, divided-toe socks that are usually worn with sandals and come in a boot form; waraji-straw rope sandals, mostly used by monks; zôri-cloth, leather or grass-woven unisex sandals, which may be highly decorated with intricate stitching or with no decoration at all; tatami-casual Japanese sandals, the surface of which is made of woven straw like that of the tatami mats, used on the floors of Japanese homes.
Men's kimono outfits are simpler than women's are and primarily consist of five pieces, not including socks and sandals. The most formal style of a men's kimono is black with five kamon on the chest, shoulders and black. The other common colors are dark blue, dark green and brown. More casual kimonos are of brighter colors, such as light purple, green and blue. Children's kimonos are a smaller version of an adult's kimono that can be the same elaborated and worn with all the kimono accessories.
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