Japanese Costumes History

This wonderfully illustrated volume presents over 50 textiles and garments from the Textile Museum of Canada's collection of 19th and 20th century artifacts made in Japan for both everyday and occasional use. Luxurious silk and gold fabrics produced in Kyoto s professional weaving workshops are juxtaposed with domestic indigo-dyed cotton, plant-fibre cloth, and silk kimonos crafted in an astonishing spectrum of time-honored techniques - weaving, dyeing, hand painting, gold foil application and e... [Read More]

Clothes define people. A person’s attire, whether it’s a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential code to his or her culture, class, personality, even faith. Founded in 1978, the Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothes from sociological, historical, and artistic perspectives. With one of the world’s most extensive clothing collections, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the... [Read More]

Kimono is a generic term for traditional Japanese clothing; it means “thing to wear.” This revised and expanded second edition provides an overview of various traditional garments, introduces types of designs found in twentieth century kimono that are still available, and presents wearable art and home décor inspired by kimono from contemporary artists. Because wearing kimono is diminishing and kimono are disappearing from Japanese wardrobes, they will become increasingly collectible. Ea... [Read More]

Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look-known as ametora, or "American traditional"-and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion; in fact, many of the basic items and traditio... [Read More]

Kimono and the Asian Robe are a good traditional basic part of an outfit, and will also work for Martial Arts and other neat themes. The Kimono originated in Japan, but is now used around the world in various forms referred to as a robe. This is a traditional and simplistic style of the Kimono. It features four tie strings to keep it closed securely: two inner strings and two outer strings. This material is light weight and thin, but retains body temperature well and has a high thread count. In... [Read More]

Very hard to find Godzilla, was sold only in Japan.