Japanese Kimonos

 

Kimonos are Traditional Japanese clothes. Originally, "kimono" (着物) was the Japanese word for clothing. But in more recent years, the word has been used to refer specifically to traditional Japanese clothing. While commonly worn by women, kimonos are also worn by men, most notably are the Samurai, who wear it under their armour into battle.

Women’s kimonos are traditionally made from silk, but in recent years have also been made from polyester. Decoration techniques on kimonos include embroidery, yuzen painting and dyeing. Men's kimonos are made typically from matt fabrics giving them more subdued colors. Part of the reason is the women's kimonos that generate more interest because their beautiful designs make them art pieces as much as they are garments.

Kimonos are fairly expensive, with prices ranging from around 10,000 yen for a simple set made of cheap fabric to millions of yen for a luxurious silk outfit with intricate embroidery or yuzen designs.

Kimonos as we know them today originated during the Heian period (794-1192). In the Kamakura period (1192-1338) and the Muromachi period (1338-1573), both men and women wore brightly colored kimonos and Samurai dressed in colors representing their leaders. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the samurais of different feudal domains were identified by the colors and patterns of their "uniforms." They consisted of three parts: a kimono, a kamishimo and a hakama. During this time kimonos became more valuable, as kimono crafting grew into an art form, and parents handed them down to their children as family heirlooms. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan, being heavily influenced by foreign cultures, adopted Western clothing and habits eventually leading to the lack of use of the kimono. 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.

References:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2101.html
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kimono/kimono01.html