In Old Times Were Kimonos Taken Apart to Wash Them Then Sewn Again?
The kimono may be a cultural marker as familiar every bit the baseball cap, and it has been adapted for continued use in a state that long ago adopted Western wear by Purple edict. The kimono is a simple visual shorthand that says "Japan" every bit strongly as do sushi or anime.
But the actual kimono, whether casual or formal, silk or polyester, is a much more complicated thing. It has the usual array of precise rules for wearing, storing and cleaning it, as well as a millennium's worth of history of these deceptively unproblematic pieces of clothing. The kimono is anything but unproblematic.
The kimono – the discussion means only "a matter to wear" – is besides anything but inexpensive. 1 tin buy an inexpensive kimono in whatsoever number of different fabrics, merely a real kimono – made with hand dyed silk and painstakingly sewn together by manus – can cost upwards of $10,000, making a formal kimono 1 of the larger investments a Japanese woman or homo is likely to make during a lifetime.
That's but for the kimono itself. To properly wear a kimono is also to have a beautiful, wide belt (obi), the traditional footwear (zori or geta), with special, split-toe socks (tabi), as well every bit a dozen other undergarments and accessories that tin can easily double the price to well over $20,000.
On top of that, the actual upkeep of a fine kimono is an ongoing investment: Traditional silk kimono must be completely disassembled into their constituent parts – large panels cut from one original bolt of textile – and so cleaned by paw (a procedure called arai hari) then re-sewn in a process that can take days.
The variety of styles of women'due south kimono is wide, and can exist specific to a detail social status. Those in the know tin tell a adult female's social status and even marital status by the cutting of her kimono. Examples include furisode kimonos, which feature long, swinging sleeves that announce an single young woman, while a susohiki kimono is usually worn by geisha or other performers. The junihitoe is an elegant kimono worn by ladies of the Imperial courtroom, and the uchikake kimono is a bridal costume. Other kimono are the less-formal homongi, which are meant specifically for visiting.
Kimonos are distinguished not just by function, but also by the materials used. The komon style features delicately patterned material, while the iromuji is a solid colored kimono worn mainly to tea ceremonies. The Edo komon type features tiny dots that create sweeping, pixelated patterns.
The kimono goes far dorsum in Nihon's history, back a thou years or more, but information technology came to be what it is now during the Edo period (1603-1867), and was mutual dress well into the 20th century. The transition to Western dress that began in the belatedly 19th century, during the Meiji Restoration, with its conscious cover of modernity in the form of Western styles, began the kimono's long decline.
But subsequent attempts to preserve traditional Japanese civilization, and the kimono's place in such formalism traditions every bit weddings, funerals and diverse religious events has assured that a kimono is still standard to any Japanese adult female's (or man'south) wardrobe.
Even during a walk around Kyoto, a visitor will likely run across many young women sporting kimono and traditional wigs and make up. Even so, an observant visitor volition quickly discover that these are, in fact, other tourists, playing at being Japanese ladies. Any well-educated Japanese will be able to point out a six flaws in these costumes.
Men's kimono are much simpler, in lower-central fabrics and colors, and are considerably easier to coordinate and care for. On the other hand, women's kimono come in a broad variety of fabrics, patterns and cuts, and are worn with a number of accompanying accessories. The finest kimono, fabricated of fine silk with paw painted decoration, require smashing intendance.
Kimono are also, conversely, put together in such a way that they tin can non only exist taken apart to make clean, they tin also be taken autonomously to repair a damaged panel, or to add material from some other, older kimono. Each part, whether the eri (collar) or a sode (sleeve) or a maemigoro (front end console) can exist removed and repaired or replaced.
Thus, a kimono tin can be maintained for many years, even down through generations. While their use has become somewhat constrained in recent years, as the country goes increasingly modern and international in its tastes, the kimono remains an ingenious invention of the Japanese creative mind, beautiful and applied at the same fourth dimension.
Wearing the proper kimono, in the right material, of the right cutting, for the right occasion, can be a daunting prospect even for Japanese women. But it also makes getting it right such an impressive accomplishment. The famous Japanese attending to detail, also as a conscious desire to perpetuate timeless Japanese fashion, finds full expression in the kimono.
By DAVID WATTS BARTON
In Old Times Were Kimonos Taken Apart to Wash Them Then Sewn Again?
Source: https://japanology.org/2017/03/the-kimono-japans-traditional-garment/