20th Century Kimono
Wearing kimono requires knowledge about the different styles representing age, status, and occasion. Most Japanese women stopped being raised wearing kimono in the first half of the 20th century. During this time the textile designs of kimono changed in response to the world. Kimono could no longer compete with the strong bold and colorful designs emerging from the art deco and art nouveau movements in France. New social freedoms including suffrage and independence for women gave them the power to choose which kimono they would wear. Women began shopping for the newest styles and leaving behind last season's prints. Eventually western clothing took over and kimono became only something to wear for women during important occasions.
This kimono made of bold colors and design is typical of what a woman from the 1930s would buy and wear. Most women this early in the 20th centuray were still wearing kimono, but breaking the rules by incorporating western style accessories. A woman who wore kimono with this bright design was making a statement of modernity and an increased independence from her earlier submissive role as "good wife, wise mother".
Comments (2)
Sara Hughes said
at 7:35 pm on May 31, 2009
I found it interesting that, when a woman puts on a kimono, there are very strict expectations of her. She must follow the rules, be elegant, and know proper ritual practice. This reminds me of the contemporary issues surrounding Maori moko because the people who are now getting moko are often expected by their elders to be knowledgable of their culture and able to contribute to ceremony like the moko wearers of the past would. I wonder if a modern woman in a kimono still has many of the cultural expectations that were enforced in the past. I would imagine that poise and elegance are still important, as it would be with a woman in a ball gown, but I am curious as to what other expectations are in place for modern kimono wearers?
ajones39@... said
at 6:29 pm on Jun 1, 2009
The idea of expectations put on females wearing kimonos made me wonder if there are any rules for men who wear them. If the kimono is a symbol of a submissive wife, how does that translate to the male wearer?
I really enjoyed the different kimono pictures you showed in your presentation. I had previously only seen ones made of traditional Japanese prints; I had no idea they made ones with such bold, westernized fabric!
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