What is a Kimono / Culture in Short

Hello! how are you? Welcome to RoYuMi if you are here it is probably because you want to know what a “kimono” is. (You can watch the video or continue reading below)

The technique for making a kimono dates back to the Heian period (794 -1185) and is created from a long piece of cloth approximately 36 cm by 12 meters. It is cut into several sections which are then sewn together in a pattern. It has a ‘T’ shape and the curious thing about this garment is that it does not have a size since the width of the kimono and the sleeves adjust thanks to the way it is sewn and thus there is no need to create sizes in the kimono. because it turns out to be a standard size for everyone.

It has very wide sleeves and is worn crossed from left to right. In many families the mother’s kimono is inherited by the daughter when she grows up, the kimono can continue to be worn by arranging it to fit the daughter’s size. In this way, the same kimono can be passed from generation to generation maintaining its beauty and almost its original state.

These kimono reach the lowest part of the body, practically touching the ground. It is traditionally worn with an ‘obi’ , which is a wide cloth sash that is worn over the kimono and tied at the back. There are many types of obi and ways to tie it, each one is used for different occasions but the most representative are:

Maru-obi is the most formal way to wear it.

Fukuro-obi is rather worn on formal and also semi-formal occasions.

Hanhaba-obi is the easiest to put on, it is also used in the ‘yukata’ and for this reason it is also used by children.

At one point in the history of Japan, to differentiate between traditional clothing and Western clothing, the kimono began to be called ‘ wafuku ‘, ‘ wa’ (it is the word that defines Japan (or everything related to Japan) and ‘ fuku ‘ is “ clothing .” Western clothing is called ‘ yofuku ‘, ‘ yo ‘ is western or outsider, and ‘ fuku ‘ is clothing .

The fabric with which kimonos are made varies from cotton, silk, linen. There are some that are even made of synthetic material because they are easier to wash, and that is that to wash a kimono you have to remove the seams to be able to wash the fabric and when you want to use it again you must redo the kimono.

The layers depend on the season and the weather, for example if it is cold you use more layers and if it is hot season you use fewer layers. They are several pieces of clothing to wear a kimono and carry various accessories. These are the ‘ tabi ‘ which are split toe socks and are worn with the traditional footwear which are the ‘ zori ‘ and ‘ geta ‘.

Currently the people who wear the kimono most often in Japanese society are, among others, ‘ geisha ‘ and ‘ maiko ‘ and sumo wrestlers who must always wear kimono in public.

And well, what did you know about the kimono?