The Heian period saw the birth of the earliest known ancestor of the kimono (794-1192). They combined straight cloth pieces to form a garment that suited all body types. It was incredibly versatile and simple to wear. Japanese fashion culture has always featured the kimono in a meaningful way. It perfectly embodies the traditional cultural values and also exhibits the Japanese aesthetic sense. The most distinguishing feature of kimonos is that they offer a basic design, single-piece garments with straight seams. The Japanese kimono has evolved to reflect changes in society, politics, and technology. A distinctly unifying cultural symbol was a kosode.
It was worn by every Japanese citizen, regardless of their age, gender, or socioeconomic standing. Nearly none of the kosode of the lower classes was still in good condition since they wore their clothes to rags. However, those from higher socioeconomic classes could maintain and preserve theirs as well as buy additional ones. Kosode also followed aesthetic canons, besides other art forms including painting, poetry, porcelain, and stoneware. They typically make traditional Japanese kimonos of silk, linen, cotton, wool, and polyester. Kimonos made of silk are stunning and incredibly shiny. For portraying the rank, age, gender, and refinement of the person wearing it, fabric quality, pattern choice, thread, paint, wood-block print, and color were crucial factors. In an era of rapid modernization and foreign influence, the kosode kimono helped preserve some aspects of Japanese heritage.
In Meiji, Japan, there was intense competition amongst clothing stores. The expanding middle class desired inexpensive silk kimonos in the newest Western-inspired patterns, while the wealthy and upper class preferred to wear expensive imported Western clothing. The kimono business responded by producing reasonably priced, fashionable silk kimonos used as uniforms for work and school, as well as for casual use. For spring, use light hues like pale green, whereas for summer, use cool hues like lavender or dark blue. Winter is the time for bold hues like crimson and black, while autumn calls for hues that mimic the colors of the changing leaves. Modern Kimono are widely available in less expensive easy-care fabrics such as rayon, cotton satIn, cotton, polyester and other synthetic fibers.
In the first two decades of the Meiji period, technology made rapid improvements that changed both the kimono and silk as export goods.Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint-Laurent, and Cristóbal Balenciaga are well-known designers that have investigated the artistic potential of the Japanese kimono. Women fell in love with the stunning and unique apparel and wore it while unwinding at home. Then, fashion designers in Paris and London made their own designs using kimono cloth. Fashion is now communicated globally. This connection in our daily lives is a sense of ease, but is also a source of tedium. The kimono, which was created within the particular tradition of Japanese culture, provides designers with new ideas and inspirations when there are increasing demands for more diversity in the clothing we wear. The kimono is definitely still relevant today and will continue to spark people’s interests, promote artistic endeavors, and serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
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