Kimono

**Kimono**  are traditional Japanese  clothes. About a hundred years ago, most people in Japan wore kimono every day. Now, people wear the kimono for special occasions, fun, and fashion. For example, a Japanese couple might wear kimono on their wedding day.

A kimono is a robe. When it lies flat, it is shaped like a letter T. Normal kimono reach to the ankles and have long sleeves. The sleeves of some kimono for women also reach to the ankles, but most kimono sleeves reach to the hips. Kimono come in many different designs and colours. Some colours have meanings.

## Name
The word "kimono" means "something you wear". 

## History
 of Japan]]

The kimono that people wear today began in the 16th century.

Chinese visitors brought the kimono to Japan. The Japanese decided to make and wear kimono too. to festivals and in bath houses and inns by both men and women. They are not lined, are always made of cotton, and are worn with thin, brightly coloured obi.

For formal occasions, men wear fine silk kimono with *haori* (a kimono jacket) and *hakama* (loose-fitting trousers). The *hakama* are usually striped in white and black, and the kimono and the *haori* will match in colour.

Women have a number of different types of kimono for different formal occasions. The designs on the kimono, how they are put onto the kimono, and where they are placed on the kimono all change how formal the finished outfit is. In order of formality, these are:

* *Komon* - a kimono with patterns on it. 
* *Edo komon* - a *komon* with a very, very small pattern repeating all over, usually in white on a coloured background. From a distance, these kimono look like one, solid colour.
* *Iromuji* - a kimono in one, solid colour. They are worn for Japanese tea ceremony and other semi-formal special events.  
* *Tsukesage* - a kimono with a design along the hem, the back of the right sleeve, and the front of the left sleeve. The designs generally do not match up along the seams, but sometimes do. The designs are smaller than those on a *hōmongi*, and are dyed onto the bolt of fabric before being sewn up. They may have up to three crests on them.
* *Hōmongi* - a kimono with a design along the hem, the back of the right sleeve, and the front of the left sleeve. The designs should match up and cross over the seams, as hōmongi are roughly sewn up, and the designs drawn on, before being taken apart and dyed. The designs are usually larger than those on a *tsukesage*. They may have up to three crests on them.
* *Irotomesode* - literally, "colourful short sleeve". *Irotomesode* are colourful kimono with a design along the hem, which is either higher at the left side than the right, or placed on both *okumi* (the overlapping front panel) instead. An *irotomesode* can have between one and five crests, but usually has three.
* *Kurotomesode* - An *irotomesode* with a black background. These are the most formal kimono for women who cannot wear *furisode*.
* *Furisode* - literally, "swinging sleeve". *Furisode* are formal kimono for young women, and have brightly coloured, large designs all over. They have between one and five crests.

## Accessories
People wear a wide belt called an obi with their kimono. Obi are also colorful, and are very long. Some types of obi are not worn anymore, as they are too difficult to wear and put on. The *maru* obi is an example of a type of obi not worn any more. The *fukuro* obi replaced it, as it was less wide and easier to wear.

## Cost
Some kimono cost a large amount of money to buy. For example, *Furisode* kimono are very expensive. The obi belts can be very expensive too. Other kimono are less costly. Some people make their own kimono, or they buy kimono that other people have already worn.

## Other kimono
People who play some sports, for example kendo, also wear the kimono. These kimono are strong, thick and short. They are different from long women's kimono. They are usually called *dōgi*.

## Wearing the kimono
Most Japanese people do not know how to put on a kimono by themselves as it is very different from other clothing. Formal kimono for women can be very difficult to put on by yourself. Some people work as "kimono dressers". They help people to put on their kimono.

In Japan, people can take classes about wearing the kimono, and to learn about how to choose a kimono and how to tie the obi.

## Kimono in Western culture
People wonder and argue about whether Westerners should wear kimono.  Some say it is cultural appropriation.  Cultural appropriation is when someone uses something from another culture because it looks fun or pretty but does not understand or respect it enough.  Some Japanese people think Westerners wearing kimono is cultural appropriation and some do not.  Japanese kimono-makers have been selling kimono to Western people for hundreds of years.

*Rich women in the 1600s and 1700s liked kimono because they were different from Western court clothes.  Western clothes were made to push in or puff out the body.  Kimono work the same on every body.

*In 1903, Paul Poiret made clothes that women could wear without corsets.  He looked at kimono and decided these clothes should hang from the shoulder like kimono and not from the waist like other clothes.

*John Mollo made clothes for *Star Wars* after looking at kimono.

## Photo gallery

File:Kimono2.jpg|A woman wearing a kimono
File:Omikuji by kalandrakas in Kamakura.jpg|Two women wearing kimono in Kamakura
File:MoriokaStudentinnen.JPG|Women wearing different kimono
File:Wedding kimono.jpg|A Japanese woman in a wedding kimono

## Related pages
*Geta
*Tabi
*Yukata
*Zori

## References 
## Other websites 
*Tokyo National Museum: Kimono Collection 
*Kyoto National Museum: Trends in 16th-19th Century Kimono 
*The Costume Museum: Costume History in Japan
*Modern Kimono in Organic Cotton 
*Kimono Encyclopaedia - many photos 
*Modern Kimono in Organic Cotton 
*Japanese Kimono - a lot of unique photos