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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

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