The purpose of this post is to give you some baselines and cultural common knowledge about kimono as well as the bare bones needed to make one.
What you Need to Wear a Kimono
Kimono is just a part of a whole outfit, just like a jacket is part of a tuxedo. These are the different things typically worn with modern kimono:
Hadagi/Nadajuban/Modern Underwear
The first "layer" of this is undergarments. A Nadajuban looks similar to a kimono, except it does not have a wide collar. A Hadagi is a "shirt only" option worn with a wrap skirt. It is the first layer of protection against your skin/sweat/oils. This is even worn with Yukata. You can consider this an optional layer as Modern day underwear serves the same purpose.
🖉NOTE: You can wear a slip or shorts instead of the susoyoke (wrap skirt).
Juban/Nagajuban/Hanjuban
The under kimono or Juban is the part you see peeking from the collar worn directly under the kimono. The Nagajuban is a single piece that looks very similar to a kimono except the measurements are a few centimeters shorter. Alternatively, you can wear the "shirt-length" hanjuban with a wrap skirt. Juban can be made from cotton, silk, or polyester. The body of the juban comes in a variety of colors but the collars are typically a solid white color.
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| My homemade nagajuban |
🖉NOTE: Juban collars have a replaceable strip of cloth that acts as a "collar guard" called Han Eri. This is meant to make things easier to clean. You can baste it on or use safety pins or double sided hem tape. Some folks even use magnets! The han eri helps contain the collar stiffener (eri shin) for female kimono collars and protects the juban and kimono from sweat, make-up stains, or hair product stains.
You can also change the color of the han eri to give the ensemble a different look because it is meant to be temporary.
🖉Another NOTE: Female Juban may also include a loop of fabric or a series of fabric loops on the back called Enon nuki. This helps you pull the collar off the back of the neck and hold it in place with a himo/belt through the loop. This is an optional feature for a juban.
Himo/Belts/Ties
Long strips of fabric used to tie down most layers of clothing including hadagi, juban and kimono. I will continue to refer to these as "himo" going forward. It can be made of any kind of woven fabric.
🖉NOTE: Sometimes you will find elastic bands with clips on the ends called korin belts. These can be used instead of a himo on your juban. It can be less bulky and easier to use as a beginner, but not necessary. I have a post on how to make your own.
You will also find clip end belts specifically for men's kimono and juban. There's also an elastic waist belt for female kimono to help make the "ohshori" fold under the obi on the kimono.
You will also find clip end belts specifically for men's kimono and juban. There's also an elastic waist belt for female kimono to help make the "ohshori" fold under the obi on the kimono.
🖉Another NOTE: You may also find a wide flat belt called a Datejime. This is used to tie on juban and keep it a bit flatter. You might also see elastic versions of this. It's optional.
Kimono
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This is the star of the show and the iconic portion of this cultural costume. The kimono proper. It is often made of silk but you can find them made from polyester, rayon, cotton, hemp and wool.
🖉NOTE: You can make a kimono out of any non-stretch, woven fabric. I have seen them made from denim, velvet, and other interesting fabrics. These would be "non-traditional" and more of a fashion statement. However, the design guides and planners will focus a bit more on what's common for modern and vintage kimono.
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Obi and Obi Accessories
The obi is the supporting actor to the main show. It actually does not function to keep the kimono on, that is the himo's job. It does help a little, but it's mostly there to create a shape. The obi comes in various widths and lengths. It can be made from the same kinds of fabric as a kimono. There are many styles of obi knot tying formations known as obi musubi.
🖉NOTE: There are several accessories associated with tying certain obi musubi. The most popular obi musubi is the Otaiko family of musubi. This configuration requires the use of a little pillow called obi makura, a silk scarf-like fabric called obiage, and a cord known as an obijime. Other musubi may require more accessories, but for a large majority of them these three are good to start with. HOWEVER, if you tie other kinds of obi musubi (such as the Cho pictured above) you may not need any other accessories.
🖉Another NOTE: It can help to have a board called an Obi Ita (or Mae Ita). This board helps the obi look flat and not wrinkled on the front. This can be a nice thing to have even if you make a pre-tied obi.
🖉Another NOTE: It can help to have a board called an Obi Ita (or Mae Ita). This board helps the obi look flat and not wrinkled on the front. This can be a nice thing to have even if you make a pre-tied obi.
Tabi and Footwear
The final bits of clothing that a kimono requires are the split toe socks known as Tabi and some sandal style footwear known as Zori. (If the sandal is made of wood it's called "Geta".)
Fabric Choices
Silk, Rayon, Wool, and Cotton/Hemp are the top family of fabrics that kimono are typically made from. Technically, you can make a kimono out of any kind of woven, non-stretch fabric. It would be more of a fashion kimono than an authentic one, but I didn't want to necessarily put a damper on anything.
The standard is silk (or a polyester silk because it is human to find a low cost version of a high value thing). However, in our modern day, we are far wealthier than common people in the past. Not everyone could afford silk, so cotton was more common. All this to say is, if the price tag of yards of silk is intimidating or too much for your budget, it's perfectly acceptable to find alternatives.
For my kimono projects, I've used Quilting Cotton, Cotton Broadcloth, Peachskin, Polyester Silk Dupioni, Poplin, Polyester Linen, Rayon, and Crepe de Chine.
Notes on Formality
There is a hierarchy of what is considered "fancy" with kimono ensembles that can be tricky to decipher outside looking in. I will go into more detail in the design planners but some of the broad strokes I can make here are this:
Silk > Cotton
More layers means more joy...so more layers is more formal.
5 Family Crests > 3 Family Crests > 1 Family Crest > No Family Crest
Large dramatic motifs that cross seams > Repeated Patterns
Next Bits
This is meant to be a very quick primer to help you get an idea of what you'll need to consider when designing your Kimono and preparing to make or wear one. From here we can go into the Kimono Design Planners.
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