How To Wear A Kimono? A Very Comprehensive Guide
Have you ever been curious about the traditional dresses of women around the world and how to wear them? Ao dai of Vietnam, Hanfu or Cheongsam of China, Hanbok of Korea or Kimono of Japan, each is intrinsic to its national identity. Do you bear in mind the question “How to dress Hanbok?” or “How to wear a Kimono?” Those are such fascinating questions that many people want to discover.
We will provide you here a full guide on how to wear a kimono as well as some interesting facts about this special costume.
A Full Instruction On How To Wear A Kimono
1. General Introduction About Kimono
Kimono, a traditional Japanese costume, is like a long robe. “Ki” means “to wear” and “mono” means “object”.
Kimono is often made in two textiles: silk for luxuries and cotton for everyday wear.
In fact, women often wear yukata in daily life, rather than kimono. The difference between kimono vs yukata is that yukata is more affordable and less formal. A kimono costs over JPY 10.000.
Yukata is often made from cotton, but kimono is made from silk. Therefore, kimono is often worn in special occasions such as weddings, ceremonies and so on.
Kimono, a traditional Japanese dress. (Source: stocksy.com)
There are many interesting facts about kimono:
– A kimono has the shape of the letter “T”
– Women’s kimonos have free size
– The colorful long-sleeved kimono is for young women, the short-sleeved one is for married women.
– A man will wear a black kimono at his wedding.
– There are even classes teaching how to wear kimono.
Kimono has had a long history and become a symbol of Japanese tradition. It is, undoubtedly, very important to learn how to put on a kimono appropriately.
2. What You Will Need To Wear A Kimono
Geta or Zori
Not high heels or sneakers, Geta or zori is worn with Kimono. It is a type of Japanese sandals made from wood.
Geta or Zori is a kind of Japanese sandals (Source: tohsen-ichiban.co.jp)
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Tabi
Tabi is a kind of socks that separates your big toe with other toes. People often wear white socks when wearing kimonos.
Nagajuban
Nagajuban is a long undergarment worn under the kimono. People wear Nagajuban to avoid dirtying the kimono.
Date-jime
Date-jime is like a flat wide belt tied below the bust
Kimono
The colorful silk robe. Pick your favorites.
Obi
Obi is a wide belt tied around the kimono, which has a wide variety of color, styles and materials. Around the obi often tied the obi-jime to keep it in place.
Obi is a colorful belt tied around your waist (Source: http://voyapon.com)
Koshihimo
Koshi means “waist” and himo means “rope”. Koshihimo is a thin cotton rope tied around your waist to hold your kimono. It is tide inside the obi.
3. How To Wear A Kimono
The step-by-step guide below will make it easier for you to wear a kimono.
Guides on wearing a kimono (Source: Kimono Yukata Market Sakura)
Step 1: Put on a kimono, but make sure that you already wear nagajuban inside. Do not let the sleeves of nagajuban be uncovered by your kimono.
(Source: kyotokimono-rental.com)
Step 2: Hold the right-hand side of your kimono so that it is just above your feet.
Step 3: Wrap the right front panel around your body. Make sure that its seams are parallel with your hip.
(Source: kyotokimono-rental.com)
Step 4: Wrap the left panel over the left-side around your body so that the edge of the panel is aligned with your right hip.
Step 5: Tide a koshihimo around your waist. You also can use a ribbon or a rope.
(Source: kyotokimono-rental.com)
Step 6: Adjust to flatten any wrinkle and the hem is even with each other.
(Source: kyotokimono-rental.com)
Step 7: Wrap the date-jime around your waist, over the koshihimo you already tie. Tie it on the front.
(Source: kyotokimono-rental.com)
Step 8: Tie the obi on your kimono.
Step 9: Remember to wear the tabi and the geta and you are all done.
Check out this video below to see how to wear a kimono and practice a little bit.
4. Tips To Wear A Kimono
If you are still not sure about how to wear a kimono, some tips below may help you out!
– You can choose the color of the kimono that matches with the one of the obi. For example, the blue kimono may match with the white obi.
– Choose colorful kimonos as they will make you look gorgeous.
– Do not forget the accessories. A bracelet or a floral comb on your hair are good choices!
Conclusion
We hope that this article helps you gain insight into kimono and how to wear it. Buy a kimono right now and try on it using the guidelines in this article! Besides, if you want to ask any question related to location guides in Japan, feel free to leave a comment below and we will discuss further.
