Cynthia Green per JSTOR daily ripercorre la lunga storia di un indumento che tutti noi associamo al Giappone e alla sua identità.

L’abito tradizionale chiamato kimono, termine che in giapponese significa “cosa da indossare”, è stato creato alla fine del XIX secolo e prima non veniva chiamato con quel nome.  L’antenato del kimono è nato infatti nel periodo Heian (794-1192) quando tagli di tessuto venivano cuciti insieme per creare un indumento adattabile a ogni tipo di forma del corpo e facile da indossare. Durante il periodo Edo (1603-1868), quest’abito si era evoluto in un indumento unisex chiamato kosode. Il termine kosode significa “maniche corte” e fu solo dal periodo Meiji (1868-1912) che l’abito iniziò a essere chiamato kimono.

Durante l’era Edo, il kosode era un segno culturale visibilmente unificante. Ogni persona giapponese lo indossava, indipendentemente dall’età, dal genere o dalla posizione socio-economica, ma stile, motivo, tessuto, tecnica e colore spiegavano chi eri. Mentre le classi più povere consumavano i loro abiti fino a ridurli in brandelli, i livelli socio-economici più alti della società erano in grado di conservare e preservare i loro kosode, nonché di commissionarne di nuovi. Come altre forme d’arte, i kosode rispettavano canoni estetici. Forse il canone più importante era l’uso dell’esplicito per denotare l’implicito: un fiore di ciliegio non era solo un bel disegno, ma simboleggiava la bellezza femminile mortale, quindi ci si aspettava di vederlo su un indumento da donna, non su uno da uomo.

Fabric quality, choice of pattern, thread, paint, wood-block print, and color were essential criteria for presenting the rank, age, gender, and refinement of the person wrapped in it. And refinement was of particular importance. Use of kanji (Chinese characters) and scenes from Chinese and Japanese classical literature showed literary prowess. Richard explains that a wooden cartwheel, for example, would evoke The Tale of Genji, or even allude to a scene in a Nō play (only select aristocrats were invited to watch Nō plays). There were so many intricacies involved in early modern kosode that design books were essential. Everyone consulted these Hinagata bon (design/pattern books)—from the commissioning client to the textile shop owners to the designers. The first Hinagata bon that we know of dates from 1666 and is called Shinsen O-Hinagata (A New Selection of Respected Patterns). That the most respected artists of the age, ukiyo-e (floating world) artists, wrote Hinagata bon emphasizes how kosode were actual works of art.

Mentre il Giappone cambiava profondamente dopo la metà del 1800 durante il periodo Meiji, le donne giapponesi che indossavano il kimono erano un’immagine rassicurante e ancora oggi il kimono ricorda la cultura giapponese prima dei grandi cambiamenti.

Which explains how the kimono as a garment embodies so much about what it means to be Japanese. And why it became so important to post-Edo Japan. The kosode-cum-kimono kept part of traditional Japan alive in a time of rapid modernization and foreign influence. The Meiji period simply renamed it the “wearing thing.” And they encouraged women in particular to wear it. To put that into context, at the same time, Meiji law encouraged men to wear Western clothing, and demanded it for government officials and military personnel at official functions.

Anche Alicia Joy sulle pagine di The Culture Trip narra la storia di quest’abito che, sebbene non sia più indossato nella vita di tutti i giorni, torna in auge per le occasioni speciali, come matrimoni, funerali e cerimonie del tè.

While kimonos appeal to fashionistas around the world, in Japan they are closely linked with manners and can reflect the formality of an occasion. Wearing the appropriate garment for the right event is a way of conveying respect and gratitude. Rank, formality and status can also be expressed through the kimono’s design, styling and colour and even the way the obi is knotted at the back. Kimonos should also always be worn with the left side over the right: only a dead body dressed for burial should wear the right over left.

Stella Polyzoidou descrive l’evoluzione dell’abito tradizionale giapponese in un articolo ricco di belle illustrazioni pubblicato su The Collector e sottolinea come il kimono faccia parte della storia del Giappone e definisca il senso della bellezza così come è inteso dal suo popolo.

Kimono has always had a dynamic part in Japanese dress history. Not only does it fully embody the traditional cultural values, but it also reflects the Japanese sense of beauty. In Japanese dress items, there’s no relationship between the garment and the body, that’s the way every kimono is essentially the same size. The most distinctive characteristic of kimonos is that they are straight seamed garments, made out of a single piece of cloth and simply constructed.  Throughout history, the Japanese kimono has changed according to the socio-political situation and developing technology. Expressions of social status, personal identity, and social sensitivity are expressed through the color, pattern, material, and decoration of a Japanese kimono.

Altri approfondimenti e immagini dei tessuti e dei kimono si possono vedere su Google Arts and Culture e sulle pagine di My Modern Met. Bellissimi kimono si trovano anche su V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) dove vengono descritti anche i simbolismi associati ai motivi e ai colori dei tessuti dei kimono:

Specific motifs were used to indicate virtues or attributes of the wearer, or relate to the season or occasion such as weddings and festivals where it bestows good fortune on the wearer. Colours also have strong metaphorical and cultural meanings. Dyes are seen to embody the spirit of the plants from which they are extracted. Any medicinal property is also believed to be transferred to the coloured cloth. Blue, for example, derives from indigo (ai), which is used to treat bites and stings, so wearing blue fabric is thought to serve as a repellent to snakes and insects.

Infine, per quanto riguarda i kimono moderni, possiamo consultare le pagine di Asia Nikkei dove scopriamo che la moda contemporanea sta dando nuova vita  ai vecchi kimono e ai rotoli di tessuti per kimono inutilizzati:

The market for kimonos has been shrinking. At its peak in the early 1980s, it was said to be worth 1.8 trillion yen ($14 billion). But marketing data company Kimono to Hoshokusha estimates the current market at around 250 billion yen. The company also estimates that 30 million kimonos and obi sashes worth about 8 trillion yen — based on retail prices at the time of purchase — sit in people’s closets. Now, old kimonos and unused rolls of fabric serve as inspiration for new clothes and accessories.

Concludiamo con Irene Kim che per Vogue scrive un articolo intitolato The Kimono in street style:

Paired with socks and Geta, the kimono was once a part of a daily uniform for Japanese women. Western fashion designers have riffed on its traditional shape for decades, and over the years it’s been taken up by performing artists like Gwen Stefani and Rihanna. These days, it’s popular with the trendy music festival crowd. See below for a look back at how the kimono has appeared in our street style galleries, from the couture shows in 2016 to the ready-to-wear shows of 2022.