Evening star., 1902-08-30
JAPANESE COSTUMES.
Nothing More Charmingly Neglige
Than a Kimono.

From the New York Tribune
Rightly made and rightly worn there is
nothing more comfortable or more luxu-
rious looking in the way of a neglge than
a kimono. But the kimono must have the
requisite width of shoulder, the real long
sleeve, the whole dainty finish of the
japanese garment, to be thing of art
Just how to give the inmitabe touches
only the japanese themselves know
A visitor from the far eastern country
recently come to this part of the washk,
equipped not only with a useful stSl
English but with twenty -
witching native costumes, has bed
new-made friend to evolve one
attractive garments out of somE
blue and white Japanesey material
japanese girls are taught at home
sew, by the way. Naturally, the
Japanese woman took the lead. 1t
all be done after a certain order-firsE
two long pieces cut and seWed toaAl10
half way to form the back, then left ptA
for the front; next slash must be cuf q
each side where the seam stops, to form thN
neck opening-just so far; and a tiny bG1or
boo measuring stick is brought into ~
for this and other dimensions; then eWSs
narrow strips must be added to the fronts,
just how far up the little measure deter
mines. and sloped off toward the neck; the
sleeves, long and wide, set on square to
the shoulders, are impera lively next, and
the folding collar last of all.
There are certain ineXorable "musts' of
finish about a kimono. The sleeve front
corners must be made square for a child
and rounded for a woman. The front
edges of the hem at the skirts bottom
must be turned in at an angle; the collar
| must be made to fold by tying three tiny
drawstrings. When worn the kimono
| fronts must be crossed with the left side
out, the two-inch wide belt or 'kimo" must
go around the waist twice and be tied in
| square knot with short ends, in front and
| over this the more elaborate girdle or 'obi !"
| with a cushion-Ike bow behind. Because
| forsooth, all this is as it was in the begin
| ming.
To one who has struggled, who has
watched ones maid struggle, to pack a
| summer wardrobe into even capacious
| trunks there is something most appealing
| about a kimono wardrobe and the small
| space it occupies. Another must" XII
| monOS must always be folded in one way,
| which produces a compact. fiat result about
| the size and shape of linen sheet fresh
| folded from the laundry, and a dozen or
| more kimonos in fiat piles require amazing
| ly little space.
And the cost of these unique garments?
In Japan a charming silk kimono, silk
| lined and beautifully made, costs or 6
yen, which equals $3.50 or So of our money.
| Other kimonos, in linen. silk and crepe
| range in price from 81 to s4 or $5, crepe be-
| ing usually the most expensive.
| Although the Japanese visitor dresses in
| conventional American costume by day,
she is only too glad to appear at the even
| ing dinner in native costume as her host
| ess urges. 1T is so much more comfort
| able" the dark-eyed guest answers, in her
| Child-like voice Her outside kimonO is
| oftenest soft gray dull blue, striped silk
| or pale green crepe, one and all lined with
| delicate-tOned silk; but underneath this
| rather sober outer garment are worn two
| three or four silk or crepe kimopos. in eX-
| quisitely rich coOrs. We are proud to
| have very beautiful our kimonos that do
| not show" the soft voice explains, and, in
| deed they do not show, except for the bits
| of color which their ample sleeves reveal at
| the wrists To the practical color and fab
| ric-loving American all this hidden beauty
! seems an arrant waste.
| The dainty little foreigner is in her finest
| when she wears a delicate pearl gray silk
| outer kimono with her family's crest incon-
| spicuousy woven in white at the neck and
| wrists; a pale heliOtrOpe neckcloth, or "ha-
| neri," just showing, a sumptuOus purple
| silk obi around her waist and just a sug-
| gestion of pale green and of white silk
| kiomonos worn underneath the gray. In
voice, manner and movements she is gentle
| and winning; her little hands and shapely
| wrists would be models for an artist; she
| is daintiness Itself.