A study on the evolution of Japanese fashion 3

'Kurotomesode' is another kind of formal kimono, usually worn by married women. It is made of black fabric, and is patterned from the waist down. Commonly, the mothers of the bride and the groom wear this kimono to the wedding. 'Irotomesode' refers to a kimono that is similar to a kurotomesode in pattern and style, but slightly less formal. This type of kimono is worn by the near and dear ones of the bride and the groom at a wedding. Usually, it is preferred by married women.

'Homongi' refers to kimonos that have patterns over the shoulders and sleeves. They are preferred on formal occasions. It is worn both by married and unmarried women. Usually, the friends of the bride wear a homongi to her wedding.

Silk kimonos of a single colour, having designs in the same colour, are known as 'Iromuji'. They are worn by both married and unmarried women, and are the garment of preference at tea ceremonies.

The 'Uchikake' is a garment similar to a kimono in style, with heavy brocade on it. It is worn by brides on their weddings as well as by women giving stage performances. It is a kind of coat, supposed to be worn over the kimono. It is rather free flowing, and trails on the ground. Usually, the uchikake is white in colour, or have a number of bold colours, with red as the base colour.

The wearing of a kimono is an elaborate process, requiring a lot of time and effort. About 12 different pieces of clothing constitute a kimono, which are secured in different ways. Traditionally, this art was passed on by mothers to their daughters. In today's times, however, a number of schools have come up that teach one how to wear a kimono. There are a number of kimono dressers in Japan, who work in salons or pay house visits to aid women in the wearing of kimonos. Their services are commonly taken on special occasions.

Hakama

'Hakama' refers to another garment that has traditionally worn by the Japanese. As stated above, a hakama is a kind of pleated skirt. It is usually worn on top of a kimono. Tied at the waist, it usually extends to the ankles of the wearer. It commonly has 7 pleats 2 in the front and 5 at the back. These pleats signify the 7 virtues of the Bushido, the code of conduct of the Samurai. Initially, hakama were worn only by Samurai warriors and later only by men, but are now worn both by men and ladies.

The hakama is secured at the waist using 4 straps 2 long ones attached to the front portion and 2 short ones attached to the back. It has a stiff, board-like object at the back with a spoon-shaped object attached to it, which is tucked into the obi when worn. The straps of a hakama are known as 'himo' in Japanese, while the board-like object is known as 'koshi-ate'. The spoon-shaped component is referred to as 'hakama dome'.

There are 2 distinct types of hakama: Divided and Undivided. The divided hakama is referred to as 'Umanori', and it is divided in the middle, in a fashion similar to trousers. As opposed to this, the undivided hakama does not have any division. It is referred to as 'Andon Bakama'. As the Umanori kind of hakama was traditionally used for the purpose of horse riding, it became popular as 'Horse-riding hakama'. There is also a third type of hakama, commonly used by people working in the fields and and forests. It became popularly known as 'mountain hakama' or 'field hakama'. This type of hakama was comparatively narrower at the bottom and loose at the waist. High-ranking officials in the court of law wore another kind of hakama, called 'Naga Bakama' (meaning 'long hakama'). It was rather long as compared to the normal hakama, and would trail to the floor. This type of hakama is now only used at the time of carrying out certain rituals specific to the Shinto group, or for theatre performances.