Kimonos

Kimonos reveals the intricacies of Japanese dress from the 18th century to the present. Including garments for women, men and children, the details have been selected both for their exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, and for how much they impart about the wearer’s identity, be it age, status or taste. A comprehensive introduction, illuminating the main periods and key themes of Japanese fashion history, is followed by thematic chapters that cover all eras of clothing, including hair accessories and necklines to hemlines and shoes. Each garment or illustration is accompanied by text exploring its structure and the fascinating range of decorative techniques employed, including embroidery, weaving, lacquering, stencilling, dyeing and digital technology. The kimono has experienced a number of revivals in previous decades, and is still worn today as fashionable clothing in Japan.