Kimono

Annually in Japan two greater holidays, which main participants children mark: day of girls – on third of March and day of boys – on fifth of May. Young Japanese the first time in the life put on celebratory national clothes. For the majority this event can appear a unique case when they can dress a kimono – in fact in modern Japan the elegant traditional clothes for a long time became a luxury goods.

The word "kimono" was extended in Japan, as experts, only from the beginning of XVII century though the clothes of such breed were known already in VII century consider. The name "kimono" occurs from expression kiry-mono – a put on thing or clothes.

In XVIII century have truly noticed the basic property of a kimono – universality. Really, it was carried by men and women, old men and children, poor and rich. Distinctions consist not in breed, and as a fabric and character figuration.

The piece of a fabric in length was necessary for manufacturing a kimono up to 11 meters, and at width no more than 45 centimeters. Such sizes were defined by a working surface of an ancient weaving loom on which produced a material for national clothes. These sizes became the module, an original reference point at designing a basic element of the Japanese suit. The menswear included also other elements. An elegant kimono of the man put on still a skirt-trousers pleated – hakama and a certain similarity of a waistcoat – kataginy.

The panel of the fabric intended for a kimono, shared on some unequal parts. Two identical on the size of a rectangular piece folded double is there was a basic volume, and it was sewed only from a back and sides. Two smaller, but too an equal fragment formed sleeves after them folded double and sewed so that on the one hand there was an aperture for a brush of a hand, and with another sewed to the basic volume of a kimono. Thus from within sleeves-bags there was an aperture – small at man's kimonoes and big at female, used as a pocket for fine subjects: scarfs, cosmetic and smoking accessories. The small narrow piece of a fabric folded double, served as a collar – eri – and was sewn on edge of a kimono so, that behind it did not adjoin to a neck, and in front framed forward floors, reaching a waist.

Sew thus the kimono always was more than a human figure. In fact these clothes chose not on the size as the European dress, and considered similarly to a picture, admiring ornaments, picturesque compositions, an embroidery, a list or application.

To adjust a kimono on a figure, it draped as follows: floors densely ploughed from left to right both men, and women, then clothes collected in a wide fold of the necessary length. This fold fixed system of tapes, and from above tied a belt – obi. It was done of rigid fabrics well to hold the form of the decorative unit which is located a back. For greater hardness into a belt inserted in front and behind a lining. On a way of setting obi it was possible to distinguish the Samurai from the commoner, the poor shopkeeper from a rich merchant, the daughter of nobleman from prosperous city-dweller.

The sleeve of a kimono always reaches a wrist. Therefore the concept a long or short sleeve in the Japanese clothes mismatches the European representations. All is defined by that, how much superfluous fabric which has been not sewn to the basic volume of a kimono, overhangs from the hand lowered downwards. In this sense a man's kimono always with short sleeves – kosode, and maiden with long – fyrisode.

Elegant, celebratory kimonoes ornamented already after sewed them. The artist painting with a kimono, or the embroideress covered with its freakish colours and birds from silk, did not take into consideration seams, a design of clothes. Separate parts of a composition passed from a sleeve to floors, from a back on a breast, from an internal surface on a face sheet. It was possible to make out details of a composition, considering clothes as picturesque product. After the kimono is draped on the person, separate details were concealed in a wide fold or closed by a belt obi.

Feature of dressing of clothes in the similar way was dictated by art system of the Japanese culture, absence of front perception of any object – whether it be a human figure, a painted varnish casket for writing-materials or gifts. The external shape of the person has been called to play a part in aesthetic system.

Acquiring art language of people since the childhood, Japanese easily seize it, carefully transfer national traditions from generation to generation. Principles of registration of a kimono have developed in XVII-XVIII centuries, but modern artists create original masterpieces, proceeding from old ornamental motives, that and compositions.