Boro (textile)
Historically, it was more economical to grow, spin, dye, weave and make one's own clothing over buying new garments, and equally as economical to re-use old, worn-out clothing as fabric for new garments; warmer fibres such as cotton were also less commonly available, leading to the development of layering as a necessity in the creation of lower-class clothing. History. During the Edo period, fine silk and cotton fabrics were reserved for a select portion of the upper classes, either through official edicts of dress, or the simple factor of cost; silk fabrics were also  unsuitable for working clothes, leading to most practical clothing being developed with the aim of practical wear. Many working-class people grew, spun, dyed and wove their own clothing, leading to the development of other fabrics such as . Due to the economic nature of repairing, re-using and re-weaving old clothing and fabrics, also developed out of a working-class need for inexpensive textiles, predominantly coming to signify the clothing of the peasant farming classes over time. Garments and textiles were repaired with spare fabric scraps out of necessity, and in many cases, the usage of repaired clothing lasted  for several generations, leading to garments eventually resembling a complex and many-layered patchwork spanning decades of mending. The usage of indigo dyestuff () and indigo dyeing techniques () was common, with indigo dyes often being the only dyestuff available to use by the peasant classes. Indigo dye would often be grown and processed by the peasant classes themselves, being generally easy to grow, and also added a layer of protection to garments due to its moth-repelling properties. Dyeing fabrics with indigo was also incredibly economic, as one indigo dyebath could be used to dye fabric a number of times, in  contrast to the average dyebath having just one use. A weak dyebath also provided benefits; a fabric dyed just a handful of times in a strong indigo dyebath would quickly fade, with the dye literally rubbing off from use in certain areas, whereas a fabric dyed repeatedly in a weak dyebath would be resistant to wear and more colourfast, also adding to the economical nature of indigo-dyed textiles. Preservation. Following the Meiji period and the general increase in living standards amongst the entire Japanese populace, most pieces were discarded and replaced by newer clothing. To many working class Japanese  people, these garments were an embarrassing reminder of their former poverty, and little effort was expended by government or cultural institutions at the time to preserve such artifacts. Over time, textiles came to exemplify the Japanese aesthetic of , with the fabric's reflection of natural wear and use considered beautiful. Many extant examples were preserved through the efforts of folklorists such as Chuzaburo Tanaka, who personally collected over 20,000 pieces of during his lifetime, including 786 items now designated as Important Tangible Cultural Properties. 1,500 of these items are on permanent exhibition at Amuse Museum in Asakusa, Tokyo. Saki-ori . was historically woven from old kimono cut into strips roughly , with one requiring roughly three old kimono to make. Historically, garments, such as vests, might be made from . Traditionally an article of thrift, s are now quite expensive informal garments. s are one-sided, and also often feature ikat-dyed designs of stripes, checks and arrows, commonly using indigo dyestuff.