P2+Kimono


 * Dress and Appearance **

 **By: Maddie M. Katie D.**

Dress and appearance were important in Japan for many reasons. The clothing was made exquisitely. The Japanese make-up was elegant and beautiful. The geeta sandals were made for rainy days and mud. The clothing in Japan was beautiful. The samurai armor had many parts to it. The clothing changed over time.

Over time, the clothing in Japan changed. A hunting jacket (//kariginu//) and a cloak (//suikan//) formed the warrior’s uniform in the Kamakura period. The //uchiki// robe and the //bakama// skirt-trousers formed a women’s formal clothing which later had an additional silk garment with short sleeves. In the Muromachi period, a long jacket was made (//uchikate// or //kaidori//). The samurai clothing in the Azuchi-Momoyama period was a sleeveless top and bottom (//kamishimo//) added to the//uchikate// or //kaidori//. Their clothing began to look more and more like the Chinese and Portuguese clothing. In the 14th century through the early 15th century, cotton became widely used. Clothing changed across the different periods.

The samurai clothing was very complex. A samurai first had to put on a kimono, loose pants, an outer jacket, and pants. Next the medal armor was put on. People sometimes helped the samurai to get their armor on. The helmets were made of metal. They sometimes had horns, dragons, or a different animal connected to the helmet. Towards the top of the helmet, there was a hole for a samurai’s short ponytail to go through. The arm guards were made from small iron plates, so were the neck guards. The iron plates on the neck guards were also covered in lacquer to protect them. They were then fastened with silk. Metal plates secured the knees and lower legs. The armor weighed 25 pounds. A year was spent on creating the samurai armor. Not only was the armor designed for protection, it was also designed to present their strength and power. A lot of effort was put into making the samurai clothing.

Women of the samurai would wear all different kinds of kimonos. They mostly cared about if their appearance was beautiful. They would wear silk kimonos in all different colors. Women would wear florescent colored kimonos. Men would wear a darker colored kimono. A kimono is a floor length robe that doesn’t have any zippers or buttons on it. Kimonos are made in a standard size and have intricate designs. There are many different kinds of kimonos. There are: formal kimonos, the Nemaki (winter flannel kimono), and the Yakata (light silk kimono for the summer). The Formal Kimono is the hardest to put on. First they put on the Nagajuban, and then they put on the Tabi (special socks that divide the big toe from the small toe). They also put on the outer kimono which has heavier silks. It has sleeves that come all the way to the ground. The sleeves are always folded from the left side to the right side. Instead of a sash to hold the garments together, an Obi was used. An Obi is a very wide piece of fabric, and it is tightly tied to the waist. These garments are so tight the women cannot bend down, it is difficult for them to breathe, it’s hard for them to lift their arms, and they can’t take normal sized steps.

On page 117 in __The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn__ it talks about how Sekei meets a boy, and Seikei wants to trade his shoes with him. The boy had been wearing geeta sandals. Geeta sandals are shoes that have a wooden platform with another piece of wood on top of the platform. They are very similar to high heels. The only difference is these are worn in the rain or the mud.

Men and women both wore makeup during the Heian time period. The samurai rules stopped men from wearing makeup but women still adored it. They would wear: beautiful white powder for their face, red lipstick to make their lips look smaller, and rouge colored powder for their cheeks. Also, they would wear vegetable oils for nail polish. Women shaved their eyebrows and then put fake ones on with black powder, called the MothsWing. It’s also used in modern times today. Women have long hair. Their hair is done with bejeweled combs. Women and men would put their clothes over a burner. That was their perfume. It is supposed to smell divine and refreshing. Both men and women would carry fans around to cover their mouths because smiling was not allowed. That is a part of the bushido.  media type="custom" key="12673758"

Citation

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Lourdon, Sarah. " Instructional Resources: Wearable Arts of Japan Seattle Art Museum."

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Sands, Stella Ed. "Dressed for Success." __Samurai.__ Discover. Nov 2004.