Originally,
"kimono" was the Japanese word for clothing.
But in more recent years, the word has been used to
refer specifically to traditional Japanese
clothing. Kimonos as we know them today came into being
during the Heian period (794-1192).
From
the Nara period (710-794) until then, Japanese people
typically wore either ensembles consisting of separate
upper and lower garments (trousers or skirts), or
one-piece garments. But in the Heian period, a new
kimono-making technique was developed. Known as the
straight-line-cut method, it involved cutting pieces of
fabric in straight lines and sewing them together. With
this technique, kimono makers did not have to concern
themselves with the shape of the wearer's body.
Straight-line-cut
kimonos offered many advantages. They were easy to fold.
They were also suitable for all weather: They could be
worn in layers to provide warmth in winter, and kimonos
made of breathable fabric such as linen were comfortable
in summer. These advantages helped kimonos become part
of Japanese people's everyday lives.
Over
time, as the practice of wearing kimonos in layers came
into fashion, Japanese people began paying attention to
how kimonos of different colors looked together, and
they developed a heightened sensitivity to color.
Typically, color combinations represented either
seasonal colors or the political class to which one
belonged. It was during this time that what we now think
of as traditional Japanese color combinations developed.
During
the Kamakura period (1192-1338) and the Muromachi period
(1338-1573), both men and women wore brightly colored
kimonos. Warriors dressed in colors representing their
leaders, and sometimes the battlefield was as gaudy as a
fashion show.
During
the Edo period (1603-1868), the Tokugawa warrior clan
ruled over Japan. The country was divided up into feudal
domains ruled by lords. The samurais of each domain wore
identified by the colors and patterns of their
"uniforms." They consisted of three parts: a
kimono; a sleeveless garment known as a kamishimo
worn over the kimono; and a hakama, a
trouser-like split skirt. The kamishimo was made
of linen, starched to make the shoulders stand out. With
so many samurai clothes to make, kimono makers got
better and better at their craft, and kimono making grew
into an art form. Kimonos became more valuable, and
parents handed them down to their children as family
heirlooms.
During
the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan was heavily
influenced by foreign cultures. The government
encouraged people to adopt Western clothing and habits.
Government officials and military personnel were
required by law to wear Western clothing for official
functions. (That law is no longer in effect today.) For
ordinary citizens, wearing kimonos on formal occasions
were required to use garments decorated with the
wearer's family crest, which identified his or her
family background.
Nowadays,
Japanese people rarely wear kimonos in everyday life,
reserving them for such occasions as weddings, funerals,
tea ceremonies, or other special events, such as summer
festivals.
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