Chrystal Leung Version 1

The Journey from Kimono to street wears 

By Chrystal Leung

We all know the land of Japan, a country that is known of their technology and of course their fashion. This country seems to be modernized since the last years of the 19^th century and early 20^th centuries. The modernization reflects in their clothing. 

The Japanese society operates according to strict rules of norms and values. A society is the result of the combination of the history of a nation and its national character, which the nation character again had an impact on the history. The strict rules and values in Japan are related to the functioning of the ‘group’ and the (Asian) national character, the shame culture. In this shame culture it is forbidden for someone to suffer a loss of face. 

These strict rules were also reflected in their dress costume. The kimono, which literally means “things to wear”, was – and had been since the thirteenth century – standard dress for all Japanese. Kimono styles have changed significantly from one period of Japan’s history to another, and today there are many different types of kimono worn by men, women and children. The cut, color, fabric, and decorations of a kimono may vary according to sex, age, and signified social class as well as marital status of the wearer. There are also different kimonos for different occasional. There are even several rules in attracting those kimonos. Generally a kimono should be worn left front over the right this applies for both gender and only a corpse wears the kimono fronts right over left.

This standard dress costume has changed since the opening of the Meiji era in 1968, only a few Western people who lived in Japan wore Western dress at that moment. The whole culture and education – including the traditional clothing – was thrown into chaos. There were men who wore bowler hats with kimonos as a tangible protest to show their patriotic attempts to modernize, while women wore donned high-button boots with updated Japanese garment: loose-fitting hakama, which should be worn over kimonos. This removes the kimono slowly. 

Today, the kimono is worn only on special and very formal occasions, for an example like weddings, funerals, coming-of-age functions, New Year’s Eve and graduation. Moreover, women now wear it most often. Only older people now prefer kimonos, and the younger generation is going in for Western dresses. 

By the beginning of the 21^st century is had altered into what is known today as ‘street fashion’. At present there are many styles of dress in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Some of these styles are extreme and avant-garde, similar to the haute couture seen on European catwalks. 

442 words

Word Bank

Adhere	Kleven, aanhangen
Aesthetics	Esthetica
Belief	Overtuiging
Civilization	De beschaafde wereld
Coexist	Co-exsiteren
Commodore	Commandeur
Connotation	Connotative, gevoelswaarde
Delve	Speuren
Elaborate	Gedetailleerd
Enlightenment	Opheldering
Expedite	Bevorderen
Foreign	Buitenlands
Initially	Aanvankelijk
Occupation	Beroep
Off-putting	Ontmoedigend, walgelijk
Patriotic	Patriottisch, vaderlandslievend
Predetermined	Vooraf bepalen
Predominant	Overheersend
Prominent	Uitstekend
Punctual	Punctueel, stipt
Rapid	Stroomversnelling
Recite	Zijn les opzeggen
Sequentially	(Opeen) volgend
Tangible	Tastbaar
Tantalize	Doen watertanden
Vast	(Enorme) vlakte

Sources

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