The Kimono – Timeless Classic

Here’s a thing about traditional Japanese fashion that I find fascinating: they’ve kept the same conceptual pattern of the kimono nearly intact for hundreds of years, and have printed and embroidered and infinite number of motifs and colors without ever really being out of style.

A friend of mine and I at the Matsuri Japon Festival in Montreal

Color combinations are endless, as are the patterns that keep this distinctive aesthetic that is strictly Japanese. They’ve also been able to determine marital status and clan (back in the old days) set by certain colors and crests. Still today, the kimono astounds and impresses even in native Japan and around the world alike. It is complex as it is simplistic, gives instant elegance and definitely makes you feel special and different.

Whether it’s light cotton summer yukata (as worn in the photo above) or made of heavy silk with an impressive line of embroidered patterns, the kimono is a surefire way to impress.

I don’t think there has been any piece of clothing that has earned more respect than a kimono. And why is that? It looks so simple and uncomplicated, but yet it is the hardest contraption to put on. A yukata requires 2 ties (or belts), 1 obi, and the cotton yukata. A kimono requires two robes (including the exterior), 6 ties (or belts), 1 obi, and stuffed padding. And depending on what style of obi knot you make, the more time it could take.

Once you learn how to put on a kimono as well as learn how to fold it neatly into a rectangular pile, there’s a great sense of pride of owning something so special, yet is nearly like any piece of clothing. Plus when you think about being economical, the kimono is nearly made of only rectangular shapes, so imagine all the cloth you’re saving in the process of creating these. The Japanese really have thought about everything.

Image credits: Yamatoku Vintage Kimono