Kimono

The traditional Japanese costume is called KIMONO. Kimono is characterized by a wide belt or sash (obi) worn around the waist to fasten the long robe and has very wide sleeves. The obi belt is made of cloth and not leather. Unlike western clothing, buttons or zippers are unnecessary to fasten the Kimono since the obi band and strings are enough to hold it. Kimono does not have an open neckline and the fabric lacks elasticity. The Kimono costume worn by both men and women do not follow the contours of the body unlike western-style clothes. It is almost plane in appearance that only the contours of the shoulders and waist are revealed. Nowadays, Japanese people only wear Kimono on special occasions like, Coming of Age Ceremony (for 20-year-olds), wedding ceremony, festivals, graduation day, and other special occasions. The summer kimono, "yukata" or cotton kimono was originally worn by women after taking a bath. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), the yukata was used as light wear for summer outing. Nowadays, this yukata has become a popular wear for young people when watching the summer festival fireworks. The yukata's fabric is known to be the origin of Hawaiians shirts (Aloha shirts).