The Land of the Rising Sun… How much mystery and grandeur lies in these words! The history and traditions of Japan can be admired endlessly, each time discovering more and more interesting facts. But special attention should be paid to the national Japanese costume, because this extraordinarily beautiful clothing delights both men and women all over the world to this day.
Japanese motifs can be called a real wonder of the world. For the first time, the national costumes of Japan were mentioned in their imperishable manuscripts by sages from the Celestial Empire. It was China that influenced the formation of many Japanese traditions. This influence, inspired by the culture of Buddhism, has not bypassed fashion design.
The sixth century AD was marked by the final formation of the traditional Japanese costume, which people of the twenty-first century can observe. A sort of "visiting card" of Japan was formed - the traditional kimono.
Stages of development of the Japanese costume
The true legislators of Japanese fashion were the actors of the famous Kabuki theater. They needed to constantly improve their clothes, choosing the most suitable and beautiful options for stage images, dance and theater numbers. Residents of the city, who came to the performances, noticed new details of the traditional dress and exploited them with pleasure.
Progress in the development of national Japanese clothing initially had to be taken over by the peasants, as noble aristocrats preferred costumes, the style of which was adopted from Korea and China. A few centuries later, the Japanese of all classes could not imagine themselves without the traditional kimono, so both the poor and the rich wore the traditional models.
Time passed, and Japanese clothing was divided into two obvious branches - men's and women's, because at first all outfits were universal. Mo and hakama were invented - skirts and pants. Japanese women and the Japanese reacted negatively to such an innovation, however, the order of the emperor forced them to come to terms with changes in fashion.
Unique features of traditional Japanese clothing
Women occupied a special place in the culture of Japan. Their main duty was to arouse boundless admiration among men, to please them in every possible way, and aesthetic pleasure was at the very first step. The women's kimono helped the geisha to demonstrate their grace and defenselessness, to emphasize the dignity of their appearance.
The design of the male traditional attire pursued other goals. The suit should be strict, practical and non-marking, as a result of which clothing for Japanese men was designed in restrained, dark colors. Patterns in kimono were still present - they were geometric prints. Less rare were floral ornaments and images of animals, fish and birds.
Festive women's and men's outfits looked truly chic. For their design, the brightest shades were used, perfectly harmonizing with each other.
There were always seasonal trends. In autumn, girls put on kimonos with patterns of wedge leaves, in spring pink sakura flowers bloomed on the fabric, and with the onset of winter, clothes were decorated with elegant matzo pine needles.
Variety and varieties
National Japanese costumes have some differences depending on the social status of a person, gender and position in society.
- Women's Japanese costume is decorated very seductively and with a bit of cunning. The outfit contains several layers of clothing, which together give a design that allegedly accidentally reveals the lower products in some places. This is necessary for additional sexuality.
- The underwear is futano and koshimaki skirts, as well as an undershirt called hadajuban. It is necessary that these products are combined in color with a kimono.
- No traditional women's outfit could do without an obi belt. The obi is remarkable for its striking length - the standard model is at least five meters long. This length is needed in order to tie complex, but delightful bows. The belt could be made in different colors and decorated with numerous ornaments, which are necessary not only for beauty. Obi reported marital status and social status.
Japanese shoes
For European women, Japanese-style shoes will not seem comfortable. Products for the legs of Japanese women are really specific. The most popular models of national Japanese shoes are zori and geta.
- Zori were worn by peasant girls, because these shoes are as simple as possible in execution and not attractive. These are woven flat sandals that do not have a size.
- Wealthy Japanese women and professional geishas could afford geta. Geta is divided into two variations. The first model is equipped with a large wooden block with a notch at the bottom. The second is a wooden bench. The highest platform of the geta reaches as much as ten centimeters. Shoe laces are fastened between the index and thumb, holding the foot securely.
The most talented artists were involved in the creation of the geta, as it was necessary to decorate them with festive painting. Many pairs of shoes rest in museums - they look so great. People versed in the art world call the geta a worthy rival to well-known paintings.
Accessories
Japanese women did not really need jewelry due to their delightful national costumes. But some accessories were still present in the wardrobe of Japanese beauties.
- Netsuke charms attached to belts;
- Combs, sticks and chic hair clips;
- Fans.
Samurai uniform
The samurai costume was the main indicator of the masculinity and courage of the Japanese warrior. Samurai dressed in special dresses that were available exclusively for their class. Commoners who dared to wear the traditional clothing of a warrior were severely punished. But on occasions of great celebrations, the emperor could allow artisans to appear at the celebration in hakama - pleated trousers resembling a skirt.
The samurai uniform consists of two kimonos. The bottom one was white. Family coats of arms were sewn onto the upper kimono, demonstrating to others which feudal family the samurai came from.
Children's kimonos
The national Japanese costume for a girl differs from an adult kimono in pretentiousness and elegance increased several times. The colors of children's outfits are much more picturesque. Product prints are specific - each pattern is endowed with a special meaning. It is believed that patterns bring good luck to girls.
One of the most popular designs on a kimono for a girl is koi. Many legends are associated with koi, so dress designers have chosen them as the dominant symbol.
School uniform
First appearing on the doorstep of elementary school, Japanese first-graders may not be afraid of being forced to wear a certain school uniform, but there are traditional finishing touches in school formal attire.
- The uniform for girls in elementary school is a light-colored blouse and a long blouse to the knee. Boys wear black and blue shorts with white shirts.
- Senior classes involve drastic changes in form. Guys are forced to dress in army-style clothes. Girls dress in charming sailor suits, which are worn even by European schoolgirls. This form is called "gakuran". If you translate literally, you get "a student from Europe."
- The sailor suit consists of a jacket and a pleated skirt. The blouse is decorated with a collar in a marine style. On the blouse there is a loop for a red ribbon, which schoolgirls, if desired, replace with ties, bow ties and bows.
Japanese traditions in the modern world
Traditional Japanese costumes are too complicated to use, which is why today's active girls cannot afford to wear them all the time. National kimonos are heavy, and some varieties cannot be put on without assistance. You can’t wash clothes by hand or in a typewriter, and dry cleaning services deal a blow to your wallet. The Japanese found a way out of the situation!
Fashion designers managed to significantly simplify traditional clothing, while leaving intact what is most valuable to the Japanese - echoes of the past penetrating into modernity.
The modified kimono model was called "yukata". Previously, this product was considered something like a dressing gown, but now the yukata has become a full-fledged streetwear.
Also, yukata has become wildly popular among anime fans. Girls who are fond of cosplay put on not only yukata, but also those very heavy real kimonos if they have to visit a grandiose festival, theme party and photo shoot.
Hello friends! In this lesson we will try to learn how to draw a Japanese girl in a traditional kimono outfit.
It turns out that this task is often given to children in the 4th grade, and this is incredibly difficult even for an adult. If the lesson turns out to be too difficult for children, write in the comments, perhaps you need to make step-by-step instructions even easier.
So, we will draw a female kimono with a simple pencil and paper. Prepare all the necessary tools, and we will start drawing step by step.
First of all, we make a rough sketch of a human figure in a kimono. In detail about that, I already wrote on the site, but you can use the picture-hint below. Draw the base with thin lines so that the extra ones can be easily erased later.
So, here we have prepared our basis on which we will draw, now we can start drawing the Japanese kimono. At first we draw a collar and shoulders, in general this part reminds a usual dressing gown.
Women's kimono is usually tied with a wide belt around the waist, so you need to draw it a little lower.
On the sides of the belt, just below the shoulders, you need to draw the sleeves of the kimono. They expand downward, and the more folds you draw, the more beautiful they will look.
We erase all the extra lines that will interfere with us.
Now you need to draw the skirt of the Japanese kimono. It is usually straight, not widening downwards. You can also add more folds.
Erase the extra lines again.
In general, our kimono is drawn. Also, in order for the drawing to be complete, you can complete the picture completely - draw our Japanese hands, draw some kind of handbag, feet, shoes and remove all unnecessary lines.
If you were asked to draw a Japanese woman in a kimono at school, I advise you not to suffer and just attach a sheet to the screen of a monitor or tablet and circle the drawing, as you used to do through glass, thereby you will ease your suffering.
Japanese culture subtly influences the whole world. We wear Japanese-style clothes, decorate our apartments in Japanese style, watch Japanese anime, and use Japanese words in speech. The whole Japanese culture is permeated with deep symbolism, which has a simply bewitching effect on our consciousness. Japanese painting has its own strict canons that must be followed if you really want to create an expressive Japanese image.
Draw the figures of a woman in a kimono. Kimono is a traditional Japanese women's attire and looks like a robe dress with wide and long sleeves.
Color the kimono in a traditional Japanese style, using several colors and shading the details of the clothing by mixing them.
The kimono should be designed in such a way that the woman in it looks like an exotic flower, almost incorporeal, elegant and sophisticated. Therefore, make a special emphasis on traditional clothes.
Draw a woman's head on a thin, fragile neck, crowned with luxurious black hair gathered in a traditional Japanese bun. No less traditional Japanese hairpins-hairpins must be stuck into the hair.
Draw the Japanese woman's eyes, similar in shape to small dark fish, a petal-shaped mouth and highly raised eyebrows.
Traditional Japanese kimono clothing resembles an oriental robe, however, when drawing it, one should take into account some of the nuances characteristic of Japanese culture, otherwise the drawing may not only turn out to be unreliable, but also cause bewilderment among the carriers of this culture.
Instruction
Draw a T-shaped robe with wide sleeves. Choose the length of the kimono yourself, but remember that Japanese geisha wear clothes that cover the ankles, and for men, the length of the kimono can be from mid-thigh to the knee. Reflect in the figure that the width of the sleeve is much greater than the thickness of the human arm, the hole for the arm is less than the height of the sleeve, it is sewn along the edge. The length of the sleeve can be different - they either completely cover the arms, or expose them from the elbow joint. If you are following the classic canons of kimono selection, draw the sleeves to the wrists. Draw wide cuffs along the edge of the sleeve.
An important nuance in drawing a kimono is its smell. Remember that the Japanese kimono for both women and men wraps strictly to the right. Show this in a drawing. The kimono, wrapped to the left, is used only during funeral processions, so the wrong design may surprise connoisseurs of Japanese clothing.
The Japanese do not use buttons or snaps in traditional clothing. Draw a wide obi belt that secures the garment to the body. Inside, under the fabrics, there are ribbons that bind the smell area. In Japanese culture, it is not customary to emphasize the bulge of the body, Japanese clothing emphasizes evenness and flatness, so you should not draw an overly magnificent bust on the model.
When choosing the color of a kimono, remember that the Japanese adhere to the following rules for choosing a shade and pattern depending on the season. In spring they wear kimono with blossoming cherry blossoms and butterflies, in summer they prefer images of streams and mountain peaks, in autumn golden maple and oak leaves, and traditional winter patterns are bamboo and pine stalks on fabric. Place the design along the hem and along the surface of the sleeves of the kimono. Also take into account the fact that at the end of the first millennium AD, the Japanese wore from five to ten of the thinnest kimonos at the same time, if your drawing belongs to this period, reflect this fact in the drawing. Currently, only one kimono is worn.
