Historical Japanese clothing for cosplayers

1. Historical Japanese Clothing
For Cosplayers
An overview of traditional Japanese clothing, from the Heian era to the
present day, with an emphasis on fabrics, construction techniques, and
how cosplayers in the West can replicate these garments without going
broke in the process.

2. History
Time periods of note:
○ Heian
■ 794–1185
○ Muromachi
■ 1336–1573
● Includes Sengoku period
○ Edo
■ 1603–1868
○ Meiji
■ 1868–1912

3. Series
● CLAMP
o X
o Tokyo Babylon
o Tsubasa

4. Series
● Bakumatsu/Meiji series
o Gintama
o Kenshin
o Peacemaker Kurogane
o Mononoke

5. Series
● Heian-era clothes
o Inuyasha
o Sailor Moon

6. Women
● Kimono
● Obi
● Accessories
● Hakama (nondivided, ex: shrine maidens)
● Haori

7. Breakdown of Styles
For Women
● Sleeve lengths convey messages about age & marital status
o The longest sleeves are reserved for unmarried young women & girls
in formal occasions
● Color and pattern also convey messages about formality
o Black is very formal, and also used for funeral attire
o Mon (family crests) are also an indication of formality
● Accessories are further used in styling kimono
o This includes obi and the knots used to tie them

8. Heian Era
● Major cultural
exchange with
China
● Importation of
Chinese styles for
the nobility

9. Women
● Heavily layered
● Designed for aesthetics,
not functionality
● Choice of colors
important
● Frequently all a man
would see before
marriage

10. Men
● Also fairly layered
● More functional
● Still in use (Shinto
priests)

11. Men
● Kimono
● Hakama (nondivided or divided)
● Kataginu (formal)
● Jinbaori ('campaign coat')

12. Breakdown of Styles
For Men
● Significantly less choice and style in men's kimono
o Colors are usually subdued, with little patterning
● Only two obi types, one formal, one informal
● Only recently has style shifted towards more colorful styles

13. The ‘Modern’ Kimono
Women
● Specific colors and style for different ages and occasions
● Furisode (long sleeves, for unmarried women)
● Kakeshita (wedding kimono)
● Uchikake (elaborate wedding over-robe, padded hem)
● Some movement away from rigid definition in recent years
Men
● Still very subdued colors - browns, blacks, blues
● More experimentation with pattern and fabric in recent years

14. Fabrics
● In early times: flax, linen
● Silk via China, originally a luxury
o The finer the silk (= fewer slubs and imperfections)
the better quality
● Cotton reaches Japan late, via trade routes to India.
o Initially seen as somewhat prestigious

15. Fabrics (continued)
● By the late 19th century, silk becoming more widely
available
● 20th + 21st century: Silk is most formal, rayon is a less
expensive substitute
● Western options: high quality satins, crepe silks, satin-
weave cottons

16. Embellishment techniques
Dyeing - Indigo
● works on
cotton/linen/hemp
● tricky to use
● still used (jeans!)

17. Embellishment techniques
Shibori
● Japanese 'tie-dye'
● used most often with
indigo

18. Embellishment techniques
Dyeing - Silk
● very easy to dye
● vibrant colors
● lots of techniques

19. Embellishment techniques
Stencil Dyeing
● traditionally paste
resist
● modern alternatives
available

20. Embellishment techniques
Embroidery
● Silk or rayon floss
● Metallic thread couching

21. Embellishment Techniques (cont.)
Painting
● Metallic paints
● Matte paints not
traditionally used, but a
simpler alternative to
dyeing

22. Embellishment Techniques (cont.)
Applique
● traditionally used on lower-class clothing
● can be a substitute for painting or dyeing fabric

23. Patterns
● Traditional layout uses as few cuts as possible, from
narrow-width fabric - everything is rectangles!
● Online patterns and tutorials
● 'Make Your Own Japanese Clothes’
● Round Earth hakama pattern

24. Non-Kimono Garments
● Techniques used for other garments too
● LOTS of accessories - sometimes easier to buy.

25. Useful Links
http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/index.htm - diagrams and models of Heian-era clothes
http://fibers.destinyslobster.com/Japanese/Clothes/japmake.htm - kimono and hakama tutorials
http://www.round-earth.com/index.html - patterns for multiple garments
http://www.folkwear.com/asian.html - patterns for multiple garments
http://sarcasm-hime.net/tipscosplay.html - hakama tutorial
http://www.dharmatrading.com/ - fabric and supplies for dyeing
http://www.fabrictales.com/STORE/store.cgi?product=chirimen_solid - rayon chirimen
http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/garb/garb.html - rarer garments with photos and descriptions
Find us at:
http://momijizukamori.tumblr.com - Cocoa
http://pinnedtogether.tumblr.com - Andy

26. References & Resources
Dalby, Liza. Kimono: Fashioning Culture. Seattle: U of Washington, 2001. Print.
Dobson, Jenni. Making Kimono and Japanese Clothes. London: Batsford, 2008. Print.
Koike, Yoko, Kumiko Kozakai, and Tomomi Ahiko. Sashiko Style: Traditional Japanese
Patterns for Contemporary Design. Japan: Co-published by Japan Publications Trading, and
Joie, 2007. Print.
Kure, Mitsuo. Samurai: Arms, Armor, Costume. Edison, NJ: Chartwell, 2007. Print.
Marshall, John. Make Your Own Japanese Clothes: Patterns and Ideas for Modern Wear.
Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1988. Print.
Tamura, Shuji. The Techniques of Japanese Embroidery. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1998.
Print.
Hakama Pattern, Round Earth Publishing:
http://roundearth.stores.yahoo.net/hakformarar.html