The kimono is more than just the national costume of Japan, it also takes us through Japan's History. It evolves in style as different stages Japan's history unfolds.
In the beginning the kimono (which means things to wear) were utilitarian pieces of hemp that were loosely fastened onto the wearer. The time of this fashion was known as the Jomon period. The time of the first known kimono was in 300BC this was towards the end of what was called the Final Jomon period. The period was in essence a Mesolithic culture, although they did display Neolithic traits such as pottery making. This means that the Japanese at these times were essentially hunters and gatherers who would have no interest in clothing save for keeping warm as the climate was starting to cool.
The next change in the kimono reflects another change in the history of Japan, the Yamato period. This period reigned from 300-550AD. The Kimono of this period consisted of two pieces, an upper and a lower piece. During this period Japan saw a swell of Chinese settlers.
Northern China began to experience climate change and the once lush forests and streams began to dry out. Moving to Japan the Chinese brought a couple of things with them that would see a change in the kimono. First they introduced silk worms to Japan and shared their skills in weaving silk from the silkworms. Next they introduced the Hanfu, an ancient Chinese form of clothing which several costume historians believe influenced the Kimono.
Therefore the two piece Kimono began to be made out of white silk. It had to be white in color because at that stage the art of dyeing had not made its way into Japan.
Next Japan moves into the Asuka Period, this was between 550-710AD. During this period the Emperor of Japan emerged and the clans which had been starting to become established were now structured into forms of aristocracy. An imperial court was formed and the kimono was divided into three different groups.
The three different groups of kimono were formal, court and uniform. There were advances in sewing techniques and the kimono evolved into having wider and longer sleeves. Color was also introduced, although only in single colors as the decorative patterns and different forms of dyeing had yet to be learnt.
During the Nara Period (710-792AD) Japanese society continued to evolve socially and culturally along the same lines as the Asuka period. The techniques for dyeing silk were further developed and the clothing became even more colorful. The kimono had lots of different parts to it now. The upper and lower garments were accompanied by jackets, a front skirt and a back skirt.
The Heian Period, which lasted from 792-1192AD, saw unprecedented peace and stability in Japan under the strong rule of the Heian Dynasty. It was during this time that Japanese culture flourished and found its own identity, independent of the previous Chinese influences. This period is sometimes referred to as "Classical Japan". They developed their own system of writing and their love of culture is reflected in the kimono.
The kimono of this period were very beautiful, as though to celebrate Japan's own culture. During this period the tradition of sitting on the floor was also made important. This tradition of sitting on the floor caused the kimono to evolve into a larger and stiffer form. It was also around this time that Juni-hito was introduced.
Juni-hito actually means twelve layers. So the art of layering began in Japan with the women wearing layers of unlined robes so that the sleeve edges and collars showed the shade of each of the kimono. The layered color pattern reflected many things including seasons, virtues, and the elements. Persons of the royal court sometimes wore up to sixteen kimono layers, which would indicate that power and status may also have been indicated by layering of kimono.
The next change in Japan's vivid history was the Muromachi Period which reigned from 1192-1573AD. This is sometimes referred to as the time of the Samurai. During the Heian Period the Samurai were introduced to safeguard the Emperor, during this period however a change occurred. The Samurai became private armies attached to local aristocracy. These Samurai were not the noble warriors that are portrayed in history books, these were drawn from the lower classes and their job was simply to kill the Samurai of the opposing armies.
During this time the kimono took on another change. The kimono had to be modified so that they were easier to move around in as the Samurai needed to be more active. The color of the kimono that was worn was the color of the Samurai's leaders.
The Edo Period (1601-1867AD) saw the rise of Merchants in Japan. They became more powerful than the Samurai and under them Japan's commerce and industry thrived. This time of wealth was reflected in look of the kimono.
During the Edo Period far better dyeing techniques were developed including the Yuzen technique. This technique allowed for freehand designs to be dyed onto the fabric, the technique was very labor intensive and initially only the wealthy could have these kimono. Eventually the use of stencils made them more affordable.
So, we have the multi-colored, highly decorated with flowers and birds fabric making up the kimono. The kimono is also now worn in a single layer so as to display the fabric.
The next period in Japans history is the Meiji Period (1868-1912AD). This saw a constitutional government set up and ecomonic changes in Japan. The ecomonic changes included the bringing in and employing of over 3,000 foreign "experts" in many fields. It also saw the dispatch of Japanese students to the "West" to study. These saw Japan become one of the first industrialized Asian countries.
This is reflected in the kimono by the introduction of artificial dye. This saw an evolution in the Yuzen technique, although the kimono look remained very much the same. Fabric was also brought to Japan from elsewhere in the world and used to make the kimono.
The twentieth century saw a number of changes as fashion magazines, television and the internet entered Japanese homes. After the First World War silk was taxed to help pay for the military build up that was occurring in Japan at that time and so kimono were simplified and used less fabric. After the Second World War materials became much more affordable and greater quantities were produced. Although the basic kimono shape became the same it started to adapt European and American design influences in the material used.
As the twentieth century progressed easy care fabrics were introduced to the world and Japan was no different. So, although kimono are still made of silk, they are also made of easy care fabric too.
Fashion is part of the global village that we live in with our modern industrial society, and the Japanese are no different. The majority of Japanese now dress in the same fashion as the rest of the so called Western world. Kimono are still worn on special occasions, such as a baby's christening, a child's "Coming of Age" Day and a couple's wedding day.