The Silk Kimono: a Short History

Though the kimono is originally of Chinese origin, Japanese people have been wearing kimonos for hundreds of years, and the most beautiful kimonos were produced in 17th and 18th century Japan.

Traditionally, the cloth and color combinations indicated the wearer’s social or political standing and the colors of kimonos varied according to the time of year. Nowadays, the kimono is no longer purely a traditional garment.

Traditionally, all Japanese girls learned to master the art of sewing and clothes making. But sewing was less difficult than in the west. The girdle, haori and kimono, and even the long hanging sleeves, used only parallel seams. The garments were, as a matter of fact, taken apart for washing, and each piece, after being mildly stiffened, was stretched out on a board for drying, before being stitched back together again.

There are many types of kimono clothing: the long-sleeved, beautiful types worn by geisha or young girls, the formal kimono stamped with the wearer’s family crest and worn on formal occasions; men’s kimonos and kimono for children. A young girl would wear a kimono with long sleeves and an Obi, a broad brocade or silk band about 12 feet long and 12 inches wide. As the girl grows older, the kimono designs become smaller and the colors deeper and richer while the obi is worn lower and made narrower. Also, haori, a short knee-length kimono, is frequently worn. Nowadays, a kimono is typically only worn for special occasions and is mostly worn by women, but some men also wear this garb. Both haori and kimono can be hung from a hard wood hanging bar as wall art.

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

Possibly the most popular color for a kimono is red, derived from safflower. The yukata has much in common with the kimono, only it is made of light weight cotton and is less formal.