The Kimono: a Short History

Though the kimono originated in China, the Japanese have been wearing them for hundreds of years, and their great beauty is attributable to 17th and 18th century Japanese designers.

The cloth and color combinations often indicated the social or political status of the wearer and the kimono’s color varied with the season. These days, the kimono is no longer a purely traditional garment.

Traditionally, all girls in Japan learned to make their own clothes and sew. But sewing was less difficult than in the west. The haori, girdle and kimono, and even the long-hanging sleeves, used only parallel stitches. The garments were, in fact, taken apart for cleaning, and each piece, after being mildly starched, was stretched on a board for drying, before being stitched back together again.

There are many different kinds of silk kimono: the long-sleeved, beautiful types worn by young girls or geisha, the formal kimono stamped with the wearer’s emblem and worn on ceremonial occasions; men’s kimonos and kimono for children. A young girl would wear a kimono with long sleeves and an Obi, a broad silk or brocade band about 12 feet long and 12 inches wide. As the girl grows older, her kimono designs become smaller and the colors deeper and richer while the obi is worn lower and made narrower. In addition, haori, a short knee-length kimono, is often worn. In modern times, a kimono is usually only worn for special occasions and is primarily worn by women, but certain men do still wear this garb. Both haori and kimono can be hung on a hardwood frame as wall art.

As an indulgence or ideal gift, kimono clothing is extremely versatile, a welcome addition to anyone’s wardrobe.

Possibly the most popular color for a kimono is red, derived from safflower. The yukata is related to the kimono, except it is made of light weight cotton and is less formal.