A Kimono's Tale

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   In January 2010, I visited Japan for the first time. I've always been fascinated by that country because it is a subtle mix of tradition and modernity. I wasn't expecting to see so much creativity everywhere around me. Japenese people are so inventive. Walking downtown Tokyo was like attending a huge fashion Week ! 

   

 

   Both modernity and traditions seems to caracterise Japan. If we're more acquainted with the modern side of Japan, you can easily have a hint of the traditional side of the country by listening to the people talking, observing with how much respect Japanese people treat their elder, clients or superiors. One could say it is only a question of étiquette, but to me, it is way more profound than an étiquette. It is a part of the everyday japanese life. 

   Kimonos seem to be keeping the past materially alive. And it caught my attention because I could see women actually wearing kimonos in the street. But in France, people don't wear traditional clothes anymore.

  I think that when visiting a country, it is also very important to see what people used to wear in the past. After all, fashion is also part of History. So I went to a kimonoya : a kimono shop. This shop was held by an entire family and I thought it was very significant to see three generations (the grand-parents, their daughter and their grand-daughter), gathered around something that has always had an impact on the Japanese society : the kimono. 

   I don't understand Japanese enough to have a real conversation. Fortunately, my japanese friend was my translator that day. Thanks to her, I got very interesting information about the kimono. Did you know that Japanese people could know a woman's age or situation thanks to the kimono she was wearing ? At first, I was very surprised, but then, I remembered what I had read about the Japanese society:  it has always been a very codified society with casts. It then seems normal that before two persons introduce themselves to each other, they both knew to which social class the other one belongs to. The clothing appeared to be the best way to represent one's social class.

                   

“ If everything seems so neat on the photograph, I am at least wearing 8 kilos of clothing.”

    












Having the opportuniy to wear a kimono was not only an unforgettable experience, but it also allowed me to understand how much a traditional outfit could tell about a society or a people. If everything seems so neat on the photograph, I am wearing with a seeming casualness at least 8 kilos of clothing. You cannot see it, but under the kimono, I am wearing 3 "under-kimonos" plus a large belt around my waist (that felt more like a corset) called the obi. I never stood that straight ! Walking was an art in itself because the kimono only allows you to take small steps and moving the upper part of my body was extremely difficult. It felt like the kimono was dictating me my moves when it should be the other way around. 

   Irotomesode is the name of this kimono that only married women can wear. You can recognize this type of kimono to its uniform color and because the motive are always below the waist. 

   There is another kimono I had the opportunity to wear :

   

“It felt like my clothing, the kimono, was dictating me my moves when usually, it is the other way around.” 

   This kimono is by far the one I enjoyed wearing the most. The motives are beautiful and the fabric is most precious, it's silk. It is called a  furisode and is worn by young women from noble families. It is caracterised by the length of its sleeves, between 75 and 125 cm. 
   Walking was even harder with this kimono than with the first one since it is way longer and way heavier. But I still felt very graceful and moving around wasn't at all awkward or unpleasant for me. The furisode definitely transformed me into a real Ojo-San (that is to say a noble young lady) for hours, and I would gladly experience it again if I could.