Japanese textiles are among the world’s most beautiful. With magnificent hand dyed silks and lovely cottons, Japanese fabric is sought after all over the world. Kimonos are one of the most popular items and have become a symbol of the Japanese textile industry.
Kimonos are the traditional garment of Japan and are still regularly worn as formal clothing. A Kimono is a T-shaped, straight-lined robe that falls to the ankle, with collars and full-length sleeves.
The sleeves are commonly exceptionally wide at the wrist. Women’s Kimonos are often made out of the most decorative silks with magnificent patterns and embroidery.
It is not unusual to pay hundreds of thousands of Yen for the best Kimonos, but far less expensive items are readily available in the 10000 to 40000 yen price bracket. These Kimonos are usually made of cotton or a synthetic material, but are still extremely beautiful. They are generally available in many shopping centres, department stores, markets and arcades.
The Kimono worn by men are usually a far more simpler garment and are usually of a subdued, dark colour. While a formal Kimono is plain black with five kamon on the chest, shoulders and back. Slightly less formal is the three kamon kimono. These are usually paired with white undergarments and accessories.
Everyday Japanese clothing is fairly modern on world scales. People are quite comfortable in a pair of jeans or slacks with a T-shirt, usually with some English wording that in many cases does not make a lot of sense.
With the average size of the Japanese a little smaller than many of the western world, clothing sizes are on the small size. A XL size in Japan would pass as a small to medium in most other countries. Japanese clothing is usually highly casual and with the vast market and amount of retail outlets fairly cheap.
