The next section will focus on the modernization of the kimono
MEIJI period (1868–1912).
The new government
realized that the only way Japan would be able to compete with the military and
industrial might of the West was to transform itself along western lines. An
unprecedented period of transformation was launched that was to affect all
areas of life, including clothing. It was at this point that the word 'kimono',
the thing worn, was coined to define T-shaped garments as opposed to
western-style ones.
Some members of the
elite adopted western dress because of its association with the concepts of civilization, modernization and progress that the Meiji government sought to
promote. Dress also began to diverge along lines of place and gender as men
started to wear business suits for work.
While men usually changed into kimono
when at home in the private sphere, women, who tended to inhabit only the
domestic space, continued to wear kimono most of the time. Interestingly,
Japan's textile industry was one of the first to adopt western science and
technology. Using new techniques silk fabric was produced in greater qualities
and at reasonable prices. Many women could afford to buy silk kimono for the
first time and, with the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the sumptuary laws,
were not forbidden from wearing them.
The 'opening' of Japan
aroused enormous interest in the West and the flood of information and goods
that subsequently reached Europe and America led to a craze for all things
Japanese. Kimono were exported to the West, and by the 1870s were available to
buy in shops such as Liberty's in London
The kimono gradually
became identified as Japan’s national dress, and at the same time became a highly sought-after fashion item in Europe and the United
States, coinciding with the Japonisme craze that inspired many Western artists
and designers, notably Vincent van Gogh and other Impressionists.
The importation of Western dyes and machinery had a profound
effect on the kimono industry.
During this time, with fabrics being designed to be exhibited at
World Expositions, Japan’s domestic textile industry gradually became
integrated into world textile markets. The late Meiji period saw the emergence
of Japanese department stores, such as Takashimaya, new advertising techniques,
the rise of a largely female consumer base, and wide distribution of fashion
magazines, often inspired by Western models.
TAISHO Period (1912–1926)
Saw great urban growth, particularly in Tokyo. The
prosperity and optimism of the period is evident in the colorful and cheerful
textile designs, such as a kimono ensemble with brilliant explosions of
chrysanthemum blossoms. Although Western-style clothes gained popularity, the
kimono continued to be every-day wear.
Industrial development
was stimulated by the First World War, economic prosperity being matched by
political democratisation. It was a period of great urban growth, particularly
in the capital, Tokyo. Women entered the
work force in large numbers, employed as typists, bank clerks, bus conductors
and shop assistants. These workers were the consumers of a new mass urban
culture that centred on the café, the cinema and the department store.
Although western-style
clothes gained popularity among women, the kimono continued to be worn. The
traditional cut of the garment remained the same, but the motifs
The motifs were dramatically enlarged
and new designs appeared, sometimes inspired by Western-style painting. In
creating such boldly patterned kimonos, the designers benefited from new types
of silk and innovative patterning techniques, making relatively inexpensive,
highly fashionable garments available to more people than ever before. These
vibrant kimono styles remained popular until the 1950s.
SHOWA Period (1926–1989)
Kimono design continued to
evolve in response to artistic and political upheaval at the international
level.Kimonos was used for war propaganda with unique designs reflecting contemporary politics of the 1930s and
1940s.
Over time, kimono makers evolved from nameless artisans to designated Living National Treasures, and the kimono gradually transformed from an item of every-day clothing to an exclusively ceremonial garment.
Since the end of the
Second World War western-style clothing has been the everyday wear of most
Japanese. The older generation often continue to wear kimono, as do geisha,
actors, and those serving in traditional restaurants or engaged in activities
such the tea ceremony. Generally however, kimono are only worn at a limited
number of formal occasions and there are fairly rigid guidelines about what
type of garment is appropriate for what event.Kimono are also very expensive. If this limits the wearing of them, it
also proclaims their high cultural value.
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