Japanese Traditional Clothing.doc

Ancient Japanese Dress

In ancient times in Japan, the Japanese Court copied Chinese court dress. Japanese clothing from as far back as the Han Dynasty (200 bce – 200 ce) in China greatly resembled Chinese dress. This is not surprizing since the Japanese were known to have established a vigorous trade with their continental neighbours.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties (late 6th to early 10th

centuries), Chinese culture provided a model for civilization

throughout the Far East. In the seventh century, Japan aspired to empirehood. Previously, Japan had been a loose collection of clans. Now it strived to become like its big sister to the West. Clan leaders were gradually persuaded to declare fealty to a central figure in exchange for the coloured caps and gowns of royal rank. Clothing, shoes, hairstyles and paintings of the period all reflect Sui and Tang styles.

The Nara Period

During the eighth century, Chinese civility was not only assimilated, it was reproduced in toto. Japanese tomb murals of the late seventh century could have been Chinese. In 718, the Yoro Clothing Code instituted clothing restrictions wholly influenced by China and explicitly based upon the official Tang codes. (China could not have Sinified Japan more completely had it conquered it by military force!) The Yoro Code specified that all robes should be crossed left over right, like the Chinese. The Chinese considered right over left a sign of barbarism because it is easier for right-handed people to wrap them this way. Easy, apparently, was not chic. This left over right rule has been the convention of kimono wrapping ever since

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The Heian Period

Later during the early Heian Period, 894, when the diplomatic relations between Japan and China were ended, Japan began to create its own native style of clothing. It was then that much detail was provided to the Japanese clothing

fashion in terms of color, combination and

textures of the varied fabrics that was used to create the fine clothes worn by the men and women, alike

Post the Heian Period came the Kamakura Period. This was a stark era, clouded mainly in functionality, as against the previous era of excesses in court life. The many layers of the Heian period were done away with, and were replaced by the more functional garments for the men and women of Japan. The next era, the Muromachi Period, heralded a return to decadence in the form of more elaborate robes.

The Momoyama Period

With the Momoyama Period, Japan witnessed a return to Heian style of traditional Japanese fashion. This period has been termed as the age of decadence. The fashion of this period was largely gaudy in color, with clashing fabric ensembles. There was an abundance of gold leaf and embroidery. The Tale of Genji became the popular garment-motif decoration

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Japanese Traditional Clothing

The Japanese traditional clothing can be seen in many forms and interesting patterns which have evolved over the years. Here’s a look at some of the various forms of Japanese traditional clothing.

Japanese people wear normal western clothes like shirts and trousers in ordinary day-to-day life and they look quite suave in their western outfit. The interesting aspect of Japanese clothing which attracts the attention of

everyone is their traditional wear. People around the world find their clothing interesting and very unique, due to its entirely different look from clothes of other countries.

Some of the traditional clothing worn by Japanese people is Kimono, Jonihitoe, Yukata etc. Kimono is the most definitive Japanese clothing, which can be worn by both men and women. The difference between men ad women kimonos is that the men kimonos are not very flashy and elaborate and they are just loosely seamed and have narrower sleeves. Women wore dazzling styles of kimonos and they feel pride to possess as it is expensive. It is made up of silk and is available in unique designs, making them different from one another. Kimonos have various parts and each part has a name of its own. This shows that Japanese are very methodical with their clothes also. Japanese women look charming in kimono but it is difficult to wear as it requires help of another person in wearing this kimono.

Another traditional clothing of Japanese women is junihitoe, which is an

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advance form of kimono. Jonihitoe is a robe of twelve layers and traditionally it was worn by high born Japanese ladies. This clothing is made of silk and the innermost layer is of the pure white silk. All the other layers drape one after the other over this innermost layer. The outermost layer is designed like a coat and lends the colorful and artistic appeal to the garment. This is a very expensive clothing of Japanese women and is rarely available outside Japan

Japanese traditional clothing can be seen in many varieties. Some of these are worn even today. The Japanese kimono and the yukata remain to be the most popular kinds. Formal Japanese clothing can be very elaborate in their design or simple and elegant as well. Let us read about the finer nuances of traditional Japanese clothing.

Japanese Traditional Clothing:

History of Kimono Dresses

History of Kimono Dresses

Most people have seen a kimono and know that it is Japan's traditional dress.

However, most have not heard of the other word for kimono, gofuku. This word means \"clothing of Wu.\" The kimono is worn by, both men and women, although the styles are different and the number of pieces to make up the complete kimono dress are less for men. The layering of traditional kimonos is rarely done by the modern Japanese wearer, except by maiko (apprentice geisha) and geisha (a female entertainer). The occasional bride will want the look of the traditional layering, but there are kimonos that are made to offer the appearance without all the work and layers of fabric required.

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History

Han Chinese clothing (silk robes) was the great influence for the first kimonos of Japan. It was an ancient form of dress, worn before the Chinese Quing Dynasty came into

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power, during the mid 1600s. It is thought that the Japanese kimono dress goes back to the 5th century. It is not until the 8th century, however, that certain styles and gender differences, in the kimono, became obvious. As time moved on and new rulers

changed, so did the kimono. Dress changes would distinguish between married and unmarried women, sleeves became longer, hakama pants were removed and the obi (belt) became wider. However, through all these changes, the basic kimono shape and style remained the same.

Kimono:

The word Kimono actually referred to all types of clothing. It also remains to be the national costume of Japan. Some of the earliest designs of the kimono were hugely influenced by the Hanfu, which is a part of Chinese clothing. During the 8th century, Chinese fashion trends gained popularity amongst the Japanese. The kimono turned into a stylish version during Japan’s Heian period. Over the years, one could see visible changes in the designs of the kimono.

This form of Japanese traditional clothing is always worn by women and particularly for special occasions. As per the Japanese tradition, unmarried women wear a specific style of the kimono, which is called the furisode. Today, kimonos come in a variety of styles and forms and one can see designs such as Kurotomesode (mostly for married women), Tsukesage (modest version of an elaborate kimono), Edo Komon (it has tiny dots all over), Susohiki (worn by the Geishas or stage performers) etc. .

Kimonos are typically worn with an obi, i.e. the sash that holds it in place. Unique shoes such as geta or zori are worn with the kimono. Women look charming in a kimono, but in today's times the tragedy is that most women cannot wear their own kimono. In times of yore, there were women who used to hire people especially to help them wear their kimonos. Today, that kind of frivolousness is not rampant, but women still look for assistance to get dressed up in kimonos. The direct result of this is that prominence of the kimonos themselves has effectively reduced in Japanese clothing

Hakama:

This type of Japanese traditional clothing consists of a wide pleated skirt. Today, men as well as women wear the hakama but in the earlier days, the hakama was worn only by men. In the ancient times, the hakama was worn by the samurai so that the opponent would not be able to see the footwork. A hakama has around 7 pleats, which are a representation of certain virtues. These are known to hold a lot of importance for the samurai. The men and women’s hakama are also found in many varieties today.

Yukata:

The yukata is also a part of Japanese traditional clothing and can be considered to be a casual version of the kimono. People generally wear the yukata after bathing and this is

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a common sight to see in traditional Japanese inns. These being garments that are meant to cool the body are made in fabrics like cotton.

Yukata is a thin garment that is worn by Japanese women in the hot summer months. This is a very simple garment worn in the kimono style, but it is not as elaborate as the kimono. Literally, yukata means 'bath clothes', but in reality these clothes are worn for several occasions and even some festivals and events like the fireworks displays.

The basic difference between the kimono and the yukata is that the kimono is necessarily made of silk, but the yukata is made of cotton. The structure of the dress is basically the same, but it is less complex. Today, you can find the yukata in several interesting colors, but the traditional yukatas were always made of indigo dyed cotton.

The way the women wear a yukata make them quite stylish, just like the manner in which a kimono is worn. The yukata is kept in place with an obi and they are almost always accessorized with a geta, which are traditional wooden sandals.

The yukata has some traditional and cultural significance too. Normally, the left end of the yukata is meant to be wrapped over the right side. The reverse is worn only for dead people who are leaving in their funerals. Even among the wrestlers, there's some significance. If a wrestler is wearing a yukata in the cold months, then you must understand this is a junior wrestler. It is mandatory for junior wrestlers to wear yukata all times of the year

Jūnihitoe:

The jūnihitoe was worn only the court ladies in Japan. This layered Japanese traditional clothing came onto the scene around the 10th century. This is an elegant garment that is considered to be a prized possession today. The jūnihitoe can also be considered as one of the most expensive of all Japanese traditional clothing.

The junihitoe is an advanced form of the kimono, if that were actually possible! In Japanese parlance, junihitoe literally translates to 'robe of twelve layers' and indeed the junihitoe is made to be such elaborate attire. In traditional times, it was worn only by highborn Japanese ladies. The robe is predominantly made of silk and the innermost layer is of the purest white silk. The other layers all drape one after the other over this innermost layer, and the outermost layer, which is designed like a coat is the one that lends the colorful and artistic appeal to the garment.

The junihitoe is a very expensive garment, and is rarely available outside Japan. Even within Japan, it is difficult to get a junihitoe nowadays. The garment is designed with the greatest of esthetic styles. When you see scenes of Japanese regal ladies with very detailed fans in their hands, you are probably seeing them dressed in a junihitoe

Uwangi:

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The uwangi consists of a jacket that is almost on similar lines as the kimono. This is worn with the hakama. One can witness the uwangi as a part of the martial arts uniform. An obi belt is used to tie the uwangi.

Japanese Traditional Clothing: Footwear and socks

Tabi:

The tabi are actually traditional Japanese socks. These are worn by men as well as women. The tabi is generally ankle high and has a separation between the toe areas. (Between the big toe and the rest of the toes) The jika-tabi are often worn by workmen because they are made of a stronger material.

Zori:

The zori formed a major part of Japanese traditional clothing. These were often worn with the kimono. The zori are open sandals that can be described as slip ons. Today, one can see many styles of the zori being used with modern fashion.

Geta:

The geta can be described as our regular flip-flops. These have a high wooden base and are worn with Japanese traditional clothing such as the Kimono or even the yukata.

Waragi:

A waragi is also a kind of footwear that is worn in different ways by different people. As per tradition, when the Japanese wore the waragi, the toes would extend over the front edge of the sandal. The waragi was worn by all the common people in Japan in the olden days; today it is only the Buddhist monks who prefer to wear the waragi.

Japanese Traditional Clothing: Sash

Obi:

The obi was worn with many types of Japanese traditional clothing such as the kimono. The obi is a kind of as sash that is used by men as well as women. Obi also remains to be the outermost sash worn by the Japanese; it can conceal several other sashes that are worn beneath this sash. One can see the obi also worn with martial arts uniform. The colors of the obi denote the rank of the individual.

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