History Of The Kimono

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A History of the Kimono
The kimono is a traditional piece of clothing worn by the Japanese for centuries. What many may not realize is that the Kimono is more than a functional or even decorative type of garment. It goes beyond the obvious to an art form, as well as Japan’s national costume. According to Takayoshi Mizushima, the chairman of the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan and the president of Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Schools, "Japanese people in their everyday life developed the art of kimono, which has a rich history that evolved through many centuries.”
Kimono, the word literally translates to “things to wear” and historically it was used when generally describing clothing. The term has since evolved into meaning the traditional garb of the Japanese people. There are many different types of kimono, all of them designed for specific purposes. Some of the determining factors in the type of kimono that should be worn on a particular day are: the person’s age, the season, or the type of event that one will be attending.
The Heian Period (794-1185) of Japan is when the kimono first became popular. The elaborate layers of kimono robe first attracted the attention of women during that time. It has been said that persons of the royal court wore up to 16 layers of robes. During the Kamakura period, soon after the Heian period, people soon lost patience with the elaborateness of the layered long sleeve of the kimono and saw no need for it anymore. Out of this developed the small sleeved kimono, or the kosode kimono. During the Edo period in 1615, people began to define their status with the kimono. During this time the greatest artistic accomplishments were made.
In the mid 1800’s the U.S. Navy sailed to Japan, introducing western thought, dress, and culture. With their arrival they also opened up Japan to western commercial industry. While the Japanese continued to wear the kimo...