Kimono and fashion in Japan

Do you really think that Japanese people wear kimono every day ? Or that all Japanese people know how to wear a traditional kimono ?

Many people from abroad still believe that the kimono is an essential part of Japanese life.

However, in modern life, only a few people wear a kimono every day and many Japanese do not even know how to wear a kimono.

Nowadays, they only wear the traditional Japanese kimono on special events such as weddings and other celebrations.

The traditional kimono has become a ceremonial garment for Japanese people.

So why have the Japanese stopped wearing traditional kimonos in their everyday life ?

Until a few years ago, Japanese people wore kimono less and less because it takes time to put it on, to fold it. Even washing it requires special care. It is also difficult to move comfortably in a traditional Japanese kimono. Conversely, modern clothes are softer, easier to put on and very easy to wash.

However, young Japanese people are becoming more and more interested in traditional Japanese culture because of the increased attention that Western countries pay to Japanese Clothing and Japanese Culture ("Japan boom").

The new generation is therefore becoming more and more interested in the traditional kimono by bringing it up to date, sometimes modifying it or accessorizing it, thus transforming it into a fashionable garment.

At the moment, kimonos accessorized with western and aAmerican products are in fashion among the new generation. Surprisingly, this style was born during the Meiji period (more than 100 years ago).
At that time, the Japanese government began to accept Western and American cultures because of the country's openness to the world. Western culture thus infiltrated the Japanese way of life.

Here are some examples of kimonos mixed with nowadays objects.

The kimono worn with boots

After importing boots from overseas in the middle of the Meiji period, Japanese people started to wear boots with a kimono.
Compared to Zori (traditional Japanese sandal), it was not only fashionable but also more comfortable to wear. With boots, you can walk safely even on slippery streets, and boots protect your feet from the cold in winter.

In modern Japan, this style is very popular among female university students. Many students choose this style at a graduation ceremony.

Kimono and hat

At the beginning of the Meiji period, men's hairstyle changed from Chonmage style (with a knot in the hair) to short cut hair due to the Danpatsurei (order to cut the head knot) of the government. At that time, the hat became popular as a sort of replacement for the Chonmage hairstyle.

It is particularly during the Taisho period that the wearing of hats became common with Japanese Outfits, which is still in fashion today.

People like to choose different types of hats. For example, the straw hat, the beret, etc... They can show their originality by wearing a hat. The Japanese hator Japanese cap is useful to avoid the sun rays in summer and protect from the cold in winter.
Western and American cultures does not make young Japanese dream so much today. This is why young people are reconsidering traditional items such as kimono by bringing them back into fashion.
The kimono has an original design that Western and American clothing does not have. So they have fun to arrange the japanese fashion of the kimono with their favorite items.

Of course, people have to respect certain rules when they wear a kimono during an official ceremony such as a wedding or a funeral.

However, today's fashion is more and more emphasizing the kimono tradition by making it trendy. More and more new fashions are being born among young Japanese people by promoting the kimono. The kimono is thus getting closer again to the young Japanese but in a less conventional way.