In Japan, the traditional costume is, of course, the kimono. This thing symbolizes the sun and its rising, and the country is famous for the strict observance of all traditions. There are two types of national costume: official and casual. Every Japanese should have at least one kimono in their wardrobe.
Japanese costume feature
Outwardly, the Japanese costume looks like a regular robe, the length of which varies. In this case, the belt is an obi - a special bandage that ties the kimono around the waist. There are no buttons, only strings and straps. The Japanese national costume differs from the robe in that its sleeves are much wider than the arm.
Kimono fabrics don't stretch well. Cloth is used to make obi.
The Japanese make rectangular patterns, unlike the Europeans who like rounded shapes. This helps save material, as leftovers can be reused on the farm.
Historical perspective
Modern Japanese Traditionalcostume can be designated by one of three words:
- kimono, or just an outfit;
- wafuku, or Japanese clothing;
- gofuku, or Chinese clothing.
Kimono is the oldest version. This word denoted any attribute of the wardrobe in the middle of the 19th century in Japan. In the 16th century, the Portuguese in their reports reported that the Japanese used the word "kimono" to refer to clothing. And they began to use it in many countries. In the Land of the Rising Sun, kimono is a universal concept of clothing. Europeans used this word to mean exactly Japanese.
By the end of the 19th century, most of the Japanese adopted the Western style of dress. But the Japanese costume was significantly different from the European one, so people had to separate this attribute from the designation "kimono". As a result, the term "wafuku" was born.
Modern residents of the Land of the Rising Sun wear Japanese costume most often on holidays and special days.
Aesthetic question
A distinctive feature of a kimono is that it hides the imperfections of a human figure. In Europe, clothing emphasizes parts of the body, while in Japan, only the waist and shoulders stand out. The European style is characterized by relief in clothes, and the Japanese style is uniformity. Such a love for planar forms is due to the fact that the Japanese follow the rule that speaks of the unattractiveness of bulges and the beauty of the plane.
For example, European women wore a corset to narrow the waist, but for a kimono, the ideal figure is not essential. Whereit is more important to have well-groomed skin on the face, because the beauty of the body is not visible anyway.
Style
Japanese costume can be casual and festive. The formality of the clothes lies in the colors. Young ladies can wear long-sleeved kimonos in bright colors with many prints every day, but for older ladies, more restrained models are provided.
Japanese costume for men is presented in a single uniform and in dark colors. In addition, the formality of a kimono can be judged by accessories and family crests. On the most formal costume, you can see 5 family crests. Festive kimonos are made from silk, while casual kimonos are made from cotton fabrics.
Women's suit
Now it is difficult for Japanese women to put on a Japanese women's costume on their own, because they do not have the proper knowledge. A standard kimono consists of 12-15 parts, hence the difficulty. Even geisha, strictly following all the rules and traditions, cannot do without the help of third parties. Specialists in the field of "dressing" people can be called at home or found in beauty salons.
There are several types of women's kimonos in Japan. Each costume has its own name.
- A woman's suit that has a pattern below the waist is called kurotomesode. Most often, this is a black kimono - the official dress of married Japanese women. Often such a robe can be seen at wedding ceremonies, adult women are dressed in it. Sleeves, back are decorated with family coats of arms.
- Kimono with very long sleeves is calledfurisode. For unmarried girls, this is the most suitable option for formal wear.
- The traditional plain suit of Japanese women with a pattern below the waist is called irotomesode. A less formal variant with three to five family crests.
- Kimono for official receptions is called homongi. The shoulder part is painted. Every woman is allowed to wear such clothes, regardless of position.
- Tsukesage, or kimono with little ornamentation below the waist.
- The costume for the traditional tea ceremony was called iromuji. Often the dress is decorated with a jacquard pattern, and the dress itself is plain.
- Komon, or costume, painted with small patterns. This outfit can be worn at least every day on a walk, in a restaurant and even at an official meeting, you just need to tie a suitable obi.
- Kimono with peas is called komon edo. In past centuries, this was the traditional attire of the Japanese samurai. Now this outfit can be compared with homongi, where there are family crests.
Kimonos for men
Unlike women's, Japanese men's suit looks much more modest and simple: it includes 5 parts, which includes shoes. The men's kimono has sleeves sewn to the side seam. As a result, only 10 cm of sleeves remain free.
The main difference between a men's suit and a women's suit is the color. For sewing kimonos, fabrics of green, black, brown and blue are used, that is, dark. Most often, a matte material is selected. Light kimonowith a regular or printed pattern, they are worn only on weekdays. In a sports environment, a burgundy-purple suit is worn by sumo wrestlers.
Age and gender differences
Every woman wears a certain version of kimono, it all depends on age and status. This also applies to men whose suit has short sleeves with sharp corners. Married ladies dress in robes with long sleeves and rounded corners. Young Japanese women should wear long sleeves and round corners. And the children dress in a kimono like a man's. By the sharpness of the corners, one can judge the status of a person. Men have the highest status, while girls have the lowest.
It turns out that in Japan even children have a higher status than teenagers. Children can be forgiven a lot, which cannot be said about young girls.
The obi is also different. Men tie the outfit with a narrow belt, but women, on the contrary, with a wide one. And the tie method is different.
To sew a women's suit, you have to use more fabric, and all because it is not sewn in height, but much longer. In the case of the male version, everything is simpler: all sizes correspond to the parameters of the owner.
Kimono DIY
Kimono - clothes that do not have a certain size, so only the length of the product is important when sewing. If you want to hide a fold of fabric under the belt, then it is advisable to choose an obi wider. To create a collar, you need to use rectangular strips of fabric. The collar can be hidden under the belt or left hanging down. Sleeve length must be at least54 cm and width up to 75 cm.
So, how to make a Japanese costume with your own hands? First you need to cut a rectangular strip for the back. First of all, cut out the "back" - a rectangle. For the front, you need the same strip, but cut in half. On the workpiece for the back, cut out a neck with a diameter equal to the half-girth of the neck. To create sleeves, you need to take 4 long rectangular parts and sew them into two wide pipes (2 parts each). The front strips are sewn to the back along the line of the shoulder edge - the neckline. Sleeves must be attached to the resulting side seams. To the back and apron of the costume you need to sew "pipes" that fold in half. Then you can sew under the sleeves back and front. The result is a robe, the same as shown in the sketch of the Japanese national costume below.
Extensions with rectangular cuts are attached to the front to pass the collar. This piece of kimono can be made from two strips that are sewn together (6 cm is the optimal width). The middle of the collar is sewn to the neck, and then to the sections on the extensions. The width of the belt must be at least 70 cm.
Even Europeans appreciated the practicality and convenience of the Japanese national costume.
