Beyond Art

Silk Yuzen

World Fashion: Japan

Japan is an archipelago that extends for 2400 km, isolated by sea from the rest of the world. Its geographical location, and long periods of political and cultural isolation, have fueled the idea of its uniqueness. However, Japan has been largely influenced by countries neighbors, especially China, which prided itself in an ancient and highly evolved civilization, when Japan was still living in the Stone Age. It was natural Japan to seek guidance from its neighbor in all matters of technology, religion, economics, fashion and even.

political structure Japan was also influenced by Chinese traditions, but quite ineffective. Previous to the 7th century AD, Japan was divided between a number of clans, headed by an inept emperor. Then, in 645 AD, the Fujiwara clan seized power and proceeded to shape the destiny of Japan.

Jūnihitoe and the Heian period
In the 9th century the powerful Fujiwara clan leader had been appointed regent of the reigning emperor. The Heian period (794-1185 AD) had begun. Known as the first large peak of Japanese culture, the Heian period was characterized by courtly elegance. In fact, the aristocracy took great interest in clothes. Japanese noblewomen Jūnihitoe wore or "12 dresses lining." It consisted of twelve unlined garments of different colors, worn one above the other so that a narrow band of each dress was visible in the neck, sleeves and hem.

Under the Jūnihitoe, women wore kosode or "small sleeves." Underwear T-shaped white silk consisted of two rectangular pieces of fabric sewn together in the middle of the back and edges. Two pieces of additional material is added to the front. The neck and sleeves, with a small opening for the wrists, is attached at the end. Kosode, the forerunner of the kimono, had to be installed on the growing body which it was.

The Heian nobles wore the dsode or "large sleeves". The dress had large sleeves with large openings and the wrist is used pants long, full.

Outside the courtroom, people lived a simple life, modest. Farmers could only afford the base fibers and most had never seen the fine silks worn by the nobility. The abundant existence of the elite met with much criticism from clan leaders poorest province, which eventually lead to the disappearance of the Fujiwara.

Kosode and Edo
In the period 1185-1333 the power last year to military dictators known as Shogun. Officially declared emperor's name, but actually independent. Their servers were the samurai military. Both shogun and samurai lived according to the ideals of Zen Buddhism and the dress was just a virtue. The volume of clothing decreased layer by layer and kosode, was once an undergarment, outerwear became the shogun. Moreover, combat armor was far from simple.

In the 16th century, items made in Japan began to appear in western markets and European traders became fascinated with the mysterious land so magnificent objects were made. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in 1543. They brought with them crops in the Americas, as well as rifles, which will help to end the wars of the barons. Came a new power, the Tokugawa shogunate (1615-1868), whose capital was moved to Edo, now Tokyo.

It was in the latter part of the Edo period that the development of kosode reached its peak. This was mainly due due to advances in fabric-making techniques such as kasuri (ikat) or resist dyeing, shibori (tie-dye), in which areas of cloth and tied before dyeing; Yuzen, paste resist dyed fabric printed with hands, brushes and paints applied the age-shiro, in which the design is fully booked by a resist paste dye. The designers and craftsmen also contributed to the elegance and beauty of kosode for embellishment of the garment design monochrome intricate surface colors.

COSOD women differed in terms of style social status, young, unmarried women wore the colorful Furisode, a version of the kosode with long sleeves, hanging. Older women kosode allowed to anticipated changes in sleeve length, and color patterns.

The popular band has the kosode in place is called obi. Before the 1680s, this had been a narrow, flat braid rope or string. It was not until the early decades of the 19th century that obi expanded to reach below the bust to below the abdomen.

Footwear was not different for men and women. It was hemp sandals of wooden shoes known as geta, and flat-soled sandals of straw, known as zori. They were secured all the straps and foot wear with white cotton socks and tabi.

Pale was aesthetically pleasing and searched, this is why women bleach their faces with rice powder. The eyes and mouth are worsened. Before Meiji Restoration, men painted their faces with a thick paste of white powder. Moreover, black symbolizes nobility and was an old tradition men to blacken the teeth.

Touched was not popular for women's hair was designed in elaborate hairstyles fashionable, adorned with a variety of pins and ornaments, kogai and elaborate hairstyles, Kushi. Japanese Women wore no other jewelry.

The upper-class women could go out in public, and attend a range limited recreational activities, including Kabuki theater, where you could see and be seen. Both men and women wore their best clothes and linen change times from several performances during the long day. Furthermore, kabuki costumes were one of the most striking aspects of the proceedings. Often set fashion trends in Japan.

The Tokugawa shogunate shogunate consolidated power on the system of social stratification. They ruled over the different classes of warriors, farmers, artisans and merchants, officially in the name of the emperor, but in fact he had stripped of his power. Installed in their customs and traditions, shoguns believed that Japan was immune to change and outside influence. His world, however, was already changing. European culture and Christianity, with its teachings of universal equality would be subversive to the established social system.

In the 17th century, Japan began a persecution of Christianians and Japan withdrew from the outside world. The economic and political self-imposed isolation, which lasted more than two hundred years, was a time of prosperity and peace. Unfortunately, it would have serious consequences. When Westerners in the 19th century returned with weapons modern Japan obsolete military presents no challenge.

Japan had seen Europeans had played the role in the transformation forced China and adopted a radical program of its own accord. Unlike China, had the means to change. The Tokugawa era had brought success economic, which in turn has resulted in a diverse society. The port of Osaka and Edo had become thriving metropolis and the change was already in the air before Commander of U.S. Naval Matthew Perry forced the opening of relations with the Japanese in 1853.

The kimono and the Meiji Restoration
In 1867, the Tokugawa shogunate came to an end and the power was restored to the Emperor Mutsuhito. The Meiji ("enlightened rule) Restoration had begun. The Japanese government for equality with the West and knew he had to acieve Western conditions. In the first five years, Japan has adopted a management system Prefecture, a postal system, daily newspaper, a ministry of education, a railroad, the Gregorian calendar and military conscription. Samurai Warriors either joined the army, under the leadership of Prussia, or the navy, assisted by the British. Young men were sent abroad to learn Western forms.

One of the innovations adopted from the West as was the dress. Western-style military uniforms and suits were used in Western-style public but, however, had no place in the privacy of Japanese households. buildings of traditional architecture style are covered with tatami mats and many activities such as sleeping and eating are carried out on the floor. The suit-equipped was inadequate and uncomfortable place. In contrast, the Japanese version used vaguely kimono sash today.

Kimono or "object of attrition" was the word at the end of 1800 replaced the term kosode centuries. An accepted explanation for the change of terms is that before the culture shock of being dressed in western clothes, the Japanese felt compelled to find a new name for the historic costume.

The pattern of each type of kimono that is strictly classified. Styles include ganwri given, which consists of alternating blocks of similar reasons, the gawariy Katami where the left and right halves of the kimono have a different motive, or gawariy sode in which each sleeve is a different pattern. Nature is exquisitely motifs present in such as a shower of flowers blowing, flowing patterns of water, or maple leaves scattered on the bark of pine.

Women's underwear is so complex. These include a thin short-sleeved shirt known as hadajuban, a wraparound sheet of a lightweight fabric - susoyoke, and third under-kimono made of light, white cloth. Long rolls of rope, pillows, towels and quilted jackets are used to match the line defects of the kimono body to be hung to perfection.

The five haori crest is another aspect of the tradition lies behind this formal dress. Peaks refer to the circular motifs printed or woven into the fabric bit haori, what representing a person's clan ancestry. Japanese Heraldry is older than Europe and has 400 family crests of the base, with over 20,000 sublineages.

About the Author

The author is the founder and owner of Adriana Allen LLC - a European fashion brand offering handmade and one-of-a-kind handbags and fashion accessories. You can learn more about world fashion, fashion's history, and how to buy fashion accessories at our official blog

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