The kimono, meaning clothing in Japanese, has been worn by Japanese men and women
from the Early Nara period (645–724) to the present. An ankle-length gown with long,
full sleeves it is wrapped left over right across the chest and secured at the waist
by a broad sash known as an obi. The style, colour, and fabric of a kimono vary
according to the sex, age, and marital status of the wearer, the occasion for which
the kimono is worn and the season of the year. For example, for a woman, a kimono
designed with butterflies or cherry blossoms would be worn in spring or summer;
a kimono with a maple leaf design would be worn in the autumn and a kimono designed
with bamboo, pine trees or plum blossoms would be worn in the winter.
Yukata, is an
informal lightweight kimono, made from cotton and often worn in the summer. The
word yukata comes from the words 'yu' (bath) and 'katabira' (underclothing). Linen
yukata were first worn by court nobles, hundreds of years ago, after taking
a bath. Today, Ryokan and other hotels in onsen (hot spring) resorts often provide
yukata for guests to wear after their spa bath. The fabric patterns of yukata vary
from the traditional plain cross hatch to more colourful floral/scenic designs.
Happi coats,
short waist-length kimonos, were traditionally worn by shopkeepers, but now are
worn for a variety of occasions including festivals. Japanya's happi coats, also
know as wrappers, are short knee-length kimono ideal for use as attractive robes.
Nemaki, meaning
"sleep" and "wear" in Japanese is a type of yukata lined with a thin layer of cotton
gauze. The gauze softens with washing making the nemaki very comfortable to wear.
Traditionally, women's nemaki were made with a floral often blue and white patterned
material whereas men's nemaki were usually of a geometric design, also in blue and
white.
Furisode, a long-sleeved kimono worn by unmarried women, literally translates as swinging
sleeves. They are usually worn at Seijinshiki (a coming-of-age day celebrated on
the 2nd Monday of January by 20 year olds) and by unmarried female relatives of
the bride at weddings.
Uchikake,
is a wedding gown that is worn as a bridal coat on top of another kimono. They are
generally very colourful often red and feature patterns with symbolic significance
such as cranes and pines. Uchikake are very long with padded hems which trail along
the floor.
Homongi,
worn at formal parties and also weddings by both married and unmarried women, literally
translates as visiting wear. They are characterised by large patterns that cover
shoulders, seams and sleeve.
Komon,
kimono with small repeated patterns, are used for every day wear. They are worn
by both unmarried and married women but married women wear slightly less colourful
komon.
Tomesode,
the most formal kimono for married women, are plain often black with patterns below
the waistline. They are often worn by the mothers of the bride and groom at weddings.
A kimono is not only a beautiful garment to wear, it can make a stunning wall hanging.
Japanya sells
extendable hangers specially designed for hanging kimono and will allow
the full beauty of a kimono to be displayed. The back or front can be displayed
with the front edges of the garment pulled out to the sides.
For both men and women, always wrap the right side of the kimono over the body,
then overlap it with the left side. (Right on top of the left is only used to
dress a corpse for burial.)
(1) Lay your garment flat and fold the left side of the shoulder section out to
the right. (2) Similarly fold the right side of the shoulder out to the left.
(3) Fold the entire garment in half, lengthwise. (4) Fold sleeves into centre.
(5) Fold in half as shown in picture (or in thirds or as preferred).