Cloths

Japan has hot climate, so traditional clothes protects rather from summer heat and humidity than from winter frost. The best option in such conditions is a loose wrap over gown, and the best suitable material is silk – light, beautiful, cooling and hygienic. Kimono (lit. “clothes”) is a silk gown with a waistband called obi. There are numerous varieties of kimono, for example: avase – with a light silk lining; vataire – lined with cotton wool; dzyuban – underwear kimono; komon – a silk kimono covered with continues patterns; montsuki – official men’s and women’s kimonos with family emblems.

The traditional Japanese clothes are not reduced to the kimono only. At present the official male suit in traditional style consists of an over jacket haori, the inner and outer kimonos that are tucked in the hakama and a thin waistband obi. Kimono is worn with socks tabi designed for sandals: geta (on wooden soles), fabric dzori and varadzi sandals braided from rice straw. Women put a small purse komonoire in their bosom.

A woman’s costume is an outer kimono kosode, a wide waistband obi with an intricate bow, the inner kimono and an inner skirt. The underclothes kimono dzyuban (nagadzyuban) made of thin silk is worn by both men and women. Men’s clothes are usually formal and dark. Women’s clothes, on the contrary astonish with the diversity of pattern motifs and techniques. Richly decorated obi waistbands are the main adornment of women’s kimonos. A female costumes has a minimum of three waistbands – datemaki for the inner kimono, obi –for the outer one and obitori – a garter-cord for the big obi.

Lady's headdress. Japan. The Japanese. Late 19th cent.		Children in festive costumes. Japan. The Japanese. Late 19th cent.		Yamatonokama Koide Japan. The Japanese. Late 19th cent.
Shoe-maker. Japan. The Japanese, late 19th c.		Peasant in workaday costume. Japan. The Japanese, early 20th c.		Women playing with ball. Japan. The Japanese, early 20th c.
Ancient dance costume of Emperor's concubine. Japan. The Japanese, mid-to-late 19th c.		Women in traditional kimono. Japan. The Japanese, mid-to-late 19th c.		Wooden shoes "gatta", Japan
Japanese woman at weaver's loom. Japan. The Japanese, by 1949.		Heian lady in 12-layer dress. Costume performance at a festival of gloating scarlet autumn leaves of maple. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2006		Boating Heian aristocrats. Costume performance at a festival of gloating scarlet autumn leaves. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2006
Maiko dancers offer tea to guests.Festival of gloating plum flowers. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2006		Textile colouring by indigo. Japan. Shin-Kanaya. Shin-Kanaya Maykova N., 2006		Textile beating by wooden hummer to give it luster. Japan. Shin-Kanaya. Shin-Kanaya Maykova N., 2006
Silk painting. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2006		Putting gold powder on silk. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2005		Brushes to put gold powder on silk. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2005
Weaver's loom to produce 'obi' belts. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2005		Process of the 'obi' belt production. Japan. Kyoto. The Japanese. Maykova N., 2005