Editing Kimono (section)

=== <span class="anchor" id="Formality"></span> Formality===
[[File:Shinto married couple.jpg|thumb|left|Couple being married in formal traditional dress]]

Kimono range in variation from extremely formal to very casual. For women, the formality is determined mostly by pattern placement, decoration style, fabric choice and colour. For men, whose kimono are generally monochromatic, formality is determined typically by fabric choice and colour. For both men and women, the accessories and {{transliteration|ja|obi}} worn with the kimono also determine formality.

The formality levels of different types of kimono are a relatively modern invention, having been developed between late Meiji- to post-war Japan, following the abolition of [[Edo period]] sumptuary clothing laws in 1868.<ref name="restoration">{{cite journal |last1=Fukatsu-Fukuoka |first1=Yuko |title=The Evolution of ''Yuzen''-dyeing Techniques and Designs after the Meiji Restoration |date=2004 |issue=475 |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1474&context=tsaconf |journal=Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings |publisher=DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007161552/https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1474&context=tsaconf |archive-date= Oct 7, 2023 }}</ref> These laws changed constantly, as did the strictness with which they were enforced, and were designed to keep the nouveau riche merchant classes from dressing above their station, and appearing better-dressed than monetarily-poor but status-rich [[samurai]] class.

====Colours and patterns====
Under feudal [[sumptuary laws]], colours were restricted by class; for instance, [[indigo]]-dyed clothing was allowed for all classes, and was commonly seen in hand-dyed cotton, linen or hemp {{transliteration|ja|[[kasuri]]}} fabrics, but other dyes, such as reds and purples, were forbidden to those below a certain class. Sometimes, for some classes, designs were restricted to below the belt, to the bottoms of the sleeves (for {{transliteration|ja|furisode}}) or to along the hem ({{transliteration|ja|suso-moyo}}); sometimes they were banned altogether,<ref name="mochi_furisode"/> and were transferred to the collar of the underkimono,<ref name="mochi_tomosode"/> or the inside of the hem, where only the faintest glimpse would be intermittently visible. This type of subtle ostentation became an aesthetic known as {{transliteration|ja|[[Iki (aesthetics)|iki]]}}, and outlasted the sumptuary laws.<ref name="mochi_furisode"/> Modern-day rules of formality, however, still echo clothing distinctions typically employed by the uppermost samurai classes.<ref name="mochi_furisode"/>

Aspects of men's kimono still follow this extreme of {{transliteration|ja|iki}}. Bright, elaborate decoration is used on the lining of the {{transliteration|ja|haori}} (jacket), and on men's {{transliteration|ja|juban}} (underkimono), which is not worn as an outer layer outside the home, and so only shows at the neck and inside the sleeves. Women's {{transliteration|ja|juban}} were once bright and boldly-patterned (and were often kimono too damaged to use as an outer layer, repurposed), but are now typically muted pastel shades.<ref name=mochi_juban/><ref name="mochi_komon"/> The outside of men's garments tended towards subtle patterns and colours even after the sumptuary laws lifted, with blues and blacks predominating, but designers later came to use browns, greens, purples, and other colours in increasingly bold patterns.

Older people generally wear more subtle patterns, and younger people brighter, bolder ones.

====Fabric type====
[[File:Craft x Tech exhibition at V&A 2024 - 23.jpg|thumb|Oitama [[Tsumugi]] kimono, ''Craft x Tech Tohoku Project'', [[Victoria and Albert museum]] (2024)]]

Kimono vary widely in fabric type, and are not all made of silk. Certain types of fabric, such as wool, cotton, linen and hemp, are always considered informal, and so are not seen on more formal varieties of kimono. Certain varieties of silk, such as {{transliteration|ja|[[tsumugi]]}}, are considered informal,<ref name="mimi_men"/> having once been woven only by silk farmers out of unusable cocoons for their own use; other, more modern varieties, such as {{transliteration|ja|[[meisen]]}}, were designed to be used as casual, cheap daywear, and are machine-spun and -woven using brightly-patterned yarns. Some varieties of crêpe are on the lowest end of formal, with their rougher texture considered unsuitable for formal use;<ref name="mimi_men"/> other varieties, such as smooth crêpe, are used for all varieties of formal kimono. The most formal kimono are only ever made of smooth, fine silks, such as glossy silk fabrics like [[habutai]].

Some fabrics are also worn only at certain times of year; {{transliteration|ja|[[leno weave#karamiori|ro]]}}, for instance, is a plain-weave fabric with [[leno weave]] stripes only worn in high summer (July and August), but is used for all types of kimono and for other garments, such as under-kimono and {{transliteration|ja|obi}}.<ref name="mochi_tomosode"/><ref name=mochi_juban/> Some fabrics – such as certain types of crêpe – are never seen in certain varieties of kimono,{{efn|Rough crêpe fabrics are not used for {{transliteration|ja|iromuji}}, whereas smooth crêpe fabrics are.}} and some fabrics such as {{transliteration|ja|shusu}} (heavy satin) silk are barely ever seen in modern kimono or {{transliteration|ja|obi}} altogether, having been more popular in previous eras than in the present-day.

Despite their informal nature, many types of traditional, informal kimono fabrics are highly-prized for their craftsmanship. Varieties of {{transliteration|ja|tsumugi}}, {{transliteration|ja|[[kasuri]]}}, and fabrics woven from ''[[Musa basjoo#Fiber|Musa basjoo]]'' are valued for their traditional production, and regularly command high prices.

====Lined and unlined kimono====
In the summer months (from June<ref name="june kimono lady">{{cite web |title=Kimono Seasonal Flowers, Motifs, and More: June |url=http://thekimonolady.blogspot.com/2012/12/kimono-seasonal-flowers-motifs-and-more.html?m=1 |date=16 October 2012 |website=thekimonolady.blogspot.com |access-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220105221053/http://thekimonolady.blogspot.com/2012/12/kimono-seasonal-flowers-motifs-and-more.html?m=1 |archive-date=5 January 2022}} (Translated from the original Japanese: {{cite web |script-title=ja:茶席 の きもの を 学ぶ: 季節 ごと の 装い |trans-title=Learning Kimono for Tea Ceremony: Dressing for each season |url=http://wabiji.web.fc2.com/learn/1.htm |access-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727010759/http://wabiji.web.fc2.com/learn/1.htm |archive-date=27 July 2008 |language=ja}})</ref> until October<ref name="august-february kimono lady"/> in the most stringent kimono guides, such as those for tea ceremony), kimono are unlined ({{transliteration|ja|hitoe}}); for the rest of the year, they are lined ({{transliteration|ja|awase}}). This applies to all types of kimono, with a few caveats: the very informal {{transliteration|ja|yukata}} is always unlined, and thus only worn in summer; the most formal kimono, in contrast, are unlikely to be worn unlined in summer, as many people simply do not have more than one formal kimono to wear, and do not wear formal kimono often enough to warrant the purchase of a new, unlined kimono, just for summer wear. {{transliteration|ja|Obi}} also change fabric type in the summer months.

Within the two realms of lined and unlined, further distinctions exist for different months. Lined kimono are either made from transparent or gauze fabrics ({{transliteration|ja|usu-mono}}) or opaque fabrics, with kimono transitioning towards gauze fabrics at the height of summer and away from them as autumn begins. In one kimono guide for tea ceremony, at the start of the unlined season in June, fabrics such as {{transliteration|ja|kawari-chirimen}} (a type of silk crêpe noted as a more "wrinkle-resistant" form of {{transliteration|ja|hitokoshi-chirimen}}) and {{transliteration|ja|komayori ro}} (a thicker type of {{transliteration|ja|ro}} with twisted silk threads) are recommended for wear.<ref name="june kimono lady"/> Following the beginning of the [[rainy season]] in some time in July, fabrics switch over to gauzier varieties, and highly-prized hemp fabrics such as {{transliteration|ja|[[Echigo-jofu]]}} are worn.<ref name="july kimono lady">{{cite web |url=http://thekimonolady.blogspot.com/2013/01/kimono-seasonal-flowers-motifs-and.html?m=1 |title=Kimono Seasonal Flowers, Motifs, and Colors: July |date=19 January 2013 |access-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220105221611/http://thekimonolady.blogspot.com/2013/01/kimono-seasonal-flowers-motifs-and.html?m=1 |archive-date=5 January 2022}} (Translated from the original Japanese: {{cite web |script-title=ja:茶席 の きもの を 学ぶ: 季節 ごと の 装い |trans-title=Learning Kimono for Tea Ceremony: Dressing for each season |url=http://wabiji.web.fc2.com/learn/1.htm |access-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727010759/http://wabiji.web.fc2.com/learn/1.htm |archive-date=27 July 2008 |language=ja}})</ref> Continuing into August, hemp, {{transliteration|ja|ro}} and {{transliteration|ja|[[Leno weave#Karamiori|sha]]}} continue to be worn; in September, they are still worn, but fabrics such as {{transliteration|ja|hitokoshi chirimen}}, worn in June, become suitable again, and opaque fabrics become preferred over sheer, though sheer may still be worn if the weather is hot.<ref name="august-february kimono lady"/>

In the same kimono guide, the first lined kimono are worn in October, and the transition away from plainer opaque fabrics to richer silks such as {{transliteration|ja|rinzu}} is immediate. The richness of fabrics increases going into November and December, with figured silks featuring woven patterns appropriate. Coming into January, crêpe fabrics with a rougher texture become appropriate, with fabrics such as {{transliteration|ja|[[tsumugi]]}} worn in February.<ref name="august-february kimono lady"/> Figured silks continue to be worn until June, when the unlined season begins again. In Japan, this process of changing clothes is referred to as ''[[Seasonal Wardrobe Change in Japan|koromogae]]''.

====Crests====
[[File:MET_2001_428_45_mon_komon.jpg|thumb|right|A {{transliteration|ja|hinata kamon}} dyed onto a kimono]]
[[File:Shadow kamon on haori.jpg|thumb|A dyed 'shadow' ({{transliteration|ja|kage}}) {{transliteration|ja|kamon}} on the centre-back seam of a {{transliteration|ja|haori}}]]

Formality is also determined by the number and type of {{transliteration|ja|[[mon (badge)|mon]]}} or {{transliteration|ja|kamon}} (crests). Five crests ({{transliteration|ja|itsutsu mon}}) are the most formal, three crests ({{transliteration|ja|mitsu mon}}) are mid-formality, and one crest ({{transliteration|ja|hitotsu mon}}) is the least formal, used for occasions such as tea ceremony. Kimono (and other garments, like {{transliteration|ja|hakama}}) with {{transliteration|ja|mon}} are called {{transliteration|ja|[[wiktionary:%E3%82%82%E3%82%93%E3%81%A4%E3%81%8D|montsuki]]}} ("{{transliteration|ja|mon}}-carrying"). The type of crest adds formality as well. A "full sun" ({{transliteration|ja|hinata}}) crest, where the design is outlined and filled in with white, is the most formal type. A "mid-shadow" ({{transliteration|ja|nakakage}}) crest is mid-formality, with only the outline of the crest visible in white. A "shadow" ({{transliteration|ja|kage}}) crest is the least formal, with the outline of the crest relatively faint. Shadow crests may be embroidered onto the kimono, and full-embroidery crests, called {{transliteration|ja|nui mon}}, are also seen.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mon and Kamon |url=https://wafuku.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/mon-kamon-%E2%80%93-japanese-emblem-crests-%E2%80%93-vintage-antique-japanese-kimonos/ |website=wafuku.co.uk |access-date=20 October 2019}}</ref>

====Choice of accessories====
Formality can also be determined by the type and colour of accessories. For women, this may be the weave of {{transliteration|ja|obijime}} and the style of {{transliteration|ja|obiage}}.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} For men, adding a {{transliteration|ja|haori}} (a traditional jacket) makes an outfit more formal, and adding both {{transliteration|ja|haori}} and {{transliteration|ja|hakama}} (traditional trousers) is more formal still. The material, colour, and pattern of these overgarments also varies in formality.<ref name="mimi_men">{{cite web |last1=Mimi |title=Male article: Type and difference of kimono |url=https://mangadejapan.com/articles/detail/1010 |website=Manga de Japan |publisher=Manga Designers Lab |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> Longer {{transliteration|ja|haori}} are also more formal.

====Sleeve length and construction====
Both men's and women's kimono feature sleeves considered relatively short, with men's sleeves shorter than women's. Though lengths can vary by a few centimetres, these lengths are informally standardised.

Men's kimono sleeves are only ever one length, and women's sleeves are limited to a short length suitable for almost all types of kimono, or a longer length used for only one type of formal young women's kimono. In the modern day, the two lengths of women's sleeve worn on kimono are {{transliteration|ja|[[furisode]]}} length, which almost reaches the floor, and a shorter length, used for every other variety of women's kimono.

Before WWII, the length of women's kimono sleeves varied, with sleeves gradually shortening as a woman got older. During WWII, due to shortage of fabric, the 'short' length of women's kimono sleeves became standardised, and post-WWII, the realm of long kimono sleeves was narrowly curtailed to the realm of {{transliteration|ja|furisode}} only – formal young women's and girl's kimono, where previously longer sleeves were seen on other varieties of dress, both formal and informal. Pre-WWII women's kimono are recognisable for their longer sleeves, which, though not {{transliteration|ja|furisode}} length, are longer than most women's kimono sleeves today.

Young women are not limited to wearing only {{transliteration|ja|furisode}}, and outside of formal occasions that warrant it, can wear all other types of women's kimono which feature shorter sleeves.

====Regional variations and modern adaptations of kimono====
The traditional kimono style is often associated with a singular image, but subtle variations exist across Japan’s regions, reflecting local culture and climate. For example, Kyoto is known for its intricate Yūzen dyeing technique, which produces vibrant, detailed designs often featuring nature motifs. In contrast, Okinawa is famous for Bingata, a traditional method of dyeing with bright colors and stencils, often using tropical motifs reflective of the island’s unique environment.

Modern adaptations have further diversified kimono styles. Contemporary designers are blending traditional kimono elements with Western influences, resulting in hybrid forms like shorter hemlines, looser fits, or kimonos tailored for everyday street fashion. This modern interpretation of kimono allows younger generations to incorporate traditional attire into casual wear, maintaining the cultural heritage while embracing a modern aesthetic.