page_title: Kimono
section_title: Formality
hierarchical_section_title: Kimono / Types of kimono / Formality
caption_attribution_description: English: A dyed 'shadow' (kage) kamon (Japanese family crest) on a brown silk haori (kimono jacket). The outlines of the crest are dyed as dotted lines, making the crest almost invisible; this type of crest is the least formal kind, making this haori suitable for barely-formal occasions.
context_page_description: The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a flat, T-shaped garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, worn left over right unless the wearer is deceased. It is always worn with an obi, and commonly worn with accessories such as zōri and tabi socks.
  Kimono are mostly made from traditional bolts of fabric known as tanmono. There are different types of kimono for men, women and children, and the style of the kimono can indicate the wearer's age, gender, formality of occasion and - less commonly - the wearer's marital status. Types of kimono range in formality from the very least to the very most formal of occasions.
  In modern Japan, the kimono is uncommonly worn as everyday dress, and has steadily fallen out of fashion as the most common garment for a Japanese person to own and wear. Kimono are now most commonly seen at summer festivals, where people frequently wear the yukata, and is less commonly seen at funerals, weddings, and other formal events.
context_section_description: Kimono range in variation from extremely formal to very casual. The formality of a woman's kimono is determined mostly by pattern placement, decoration style, fabric choice and colour. The formality of men's kimono is determined more by fabric choice and coordination elements (hakama, haori, etc.) than decoration, as men's kimono tend to be one colour with motifs only visible when looked at closely.
  In both cases, formality is also determined by the number and type of kamon (crests). Five crests (itsutsu mon) are the most formal, three crests (mitsu mon) are mid-formality, and one crest (hitotsu mon) is the least formal, used for occasions such as tea ceremony.
  The type of crest adds formality as well. A "full sun" (hinata) crest, where the design is outlined and filled in with white, is the most formal type. A "mid-shadow" (nakakage) crest is mid-formality, with only the outline of the crest visible in white. A "shadow" (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 nui mon, are also seen.
  Formality can also be determined by the type and colour of accessories, such as weave of obijime and the style of obiage.
caption: A dyed 'shadow' (kage) kamon on the centre-back seam of a haori
exif: {"Image Model": "EVA-L09", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image ImageDescription": "mde", "Image DeviceSettingDescription": "[105, 112, 112, 0]", "Image DateTime": "2020:07:17 13:03:19", "Image ImageWidth": "2976", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image ImageLength": "3968", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image Software": "EVA-L09C432B395", "Image ExifOffset": "267", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image Make": "HUAWEI", "Thumbnail ImageWidth": "384", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail ImageLength": "512", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail Orientation": "0", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2020:07:12 01:36:45", "EXIF FNumber": "11/5", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0", "EXIF FocalLength": "9/2", "EXIF ApertureValue": "227/100", "EXIF LightSource": "other light source", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "632265", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "3968", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "41", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Custom", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "632265", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF DocumentName": "[]", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2976", "EXIF SubSecTime": "632265", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "298973/10000", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2020:07:12 01:36:45", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF GainControl": "None", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0210", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "883", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "0", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "1000", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF ExposureTime": "3/50"}