Junihitoe
The junihitoe is a really elegant and very complex kimono that was only worn
by court-ladies in Japan. If it’s translated it literally means
"twelve-layered-robe”. The layers are all made out of silk. The inner layer
is made of white silk. The other layers are made out of silk but have a
poetic scenery or name on it. Each layer has a name. The last layer is a
coat. The coat closes all the other layers and holds the whole thing
together. The total weight of the junihitoe can go up to 20 kilograms.
Moving in the robe was very hard because of its weight.
The colours and the arrangements of the layers are very important. The
colours have poetic names and these poetic names have to be in order so they
can make sense. The only places where the layers are visible are around the
sleeves and the neck. The arrangements of the layers and their colours were
an indication to any outsider what rank the lady had. Japanese court ladies
also wore their hair very long, only cut at the sides of their faces in
layers. Their hair was sometimes tied back if the weather was to hot to have
it worn down.
An important accessory was a fan, which could be tied on the junihitoe by a
rope when it is folded. This was used by the lady not only to cool herself,
since it could get very hot, but it was also an important communication
device. Since a lady was not allowed to speak face to face to a male
outsider, she could hold her sleeve up or use her opened fan to cover
herself from guilt looks. Ladies sometimes slept in their junihitoe using it
as a form of pyjamas. They did this because it took them up to 2 hours in
the morning to put it on. Layers of the robe could be taken of during the
hot seasons. The robes could be reduced to only 5 robes.
Today the junihitoe can only be seen in museums or in movies. The production
of junihitoe has almost died out. These robes are the most expensive items
of Japanese clothing. Only the Japanese royal families can afford them and
wear them on special occasions.
A lady
wearing a junihitoe.
Jinbei
Jinbei is a traditional Japanese clothing which is worn mostly by men and
children in the past. They wear the jinbei in the summer because it consists
of a top and matching shorts.
The
jinbei is made from hemp or cotton and dyed a uniform colour usually blue or
green. The shirt is usually sleeveless or has really short sleeves. The
shirt falls to the hips. The jinbei is usually worn by men as an under
garment for yukata when attending summer festivals. Today, jinbei is used as
a form of sleepwear.
Hakama
The
Hakama is a type of
traditional Japanese clothing. Hakama’s cover the lower body and look like
wide and floating skirts. Hakama were originally worn only by men, but today
they are worn by both men and women. Hakama are tied at the waist and reach
the ankles.
There
are two types of hakama, divided and undivided. The umanori types are
divided like trousers. Both types are identical from the outside but not on
the inside. The third type is called “mountain” or “field” hakama. They were
originally worn by field or forest workers. They are looser in the waist and
narrower in the leg.
Hakama are worn over a kimono. There are four straps, a long one on either
side of the front of the hakama, and a short one on either side of the back.
These straps are tied to the kimono to help it from not slipping.
Hakama were
originally worn by samurais.
Later
on, hakama were also used to protect clothing from dirt and tearing.
Kimono
Originally kimono was used for all types of clothing, but it came become a
garment that is still worn by women, men, and children. Kimono is a
T-shaped, straight-lined robes that falls to the ankles, with collars and
full-length sleeves. The sleeves are usually very wide at the wrist, they
can go up to almost half a meter. On special occasions unmarried women wear
the kimono with extremely long sleeves that reach the floor. This shows that
these women are unmarried and are able to marry at there age. The robe is
wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right, and tied
by a wide belt tied in the back, called an obi. Kimonos are generally worn
with traditional footwear like a geta or a zori.
