The Kimono's Evolution While kimono is a generic term for Japanese-style clothing (wafuku), as opposed to Western-style, it more specifically refers to the long single garment overlapping in front and tied with a broad, stiff sash called an obi. This long kimono traces its origins back to the Nara period, but it was simply an undergarment until the Heian period. Later it evolved into an outer garment worn by both men and women in combination with a hakama (long pantaloon-like skirt), and in the Muromachi period it finally reached its modern form without the hakama. In the hierarchical Edo period, the type and make of kimono was strictly regulated according to social rank, especially for men. For example, only the official heir to a fief lord could wear pure white underwear; ordinary samuraiwere forbidden to wear satin; and the common people could only wear flax and cotton. As the commercial class gained economic clout, the restrictions on dress were gradually relaxed toward the end of the Edo period. After the shogunate's downfall in the late 19the century, Western clothing spread to the imperial family, the military, the civil service bureaucracy, students, and finally to the general public. @ |