Sunday 29 June 2008

Tourism two

Here is my second attempt with lowered hem...

On hem lines...
I pulled down the hem line and I immediately like it better.
The raised hem line, though not really high in my previous post is the look of daily kimono worn by people who have to work in the fields, in the house, just chores for which you need more move ability.
The longer hem is more elegant and maybe less practical.


I ones read in a kind of biography book that a young woman was scolded by her mother in-law for wearing her kimono too high. The mother in law told the girl she looked like a peasant like that, now she was the wife of a doctor and should wear her kimono in a more elegant way...

Some how I always remembered that and thought it was a fun little thing to know. And after reading that I started to look closer at old pictures and I saw it's true. Peasants and the like wear their kimono higher showing their ankles, "chique" ladies wear it lower almost toughing the floor.

This is of course just as it was with western dress. Rich ladies could wear skirts to the floor or even trailing, poor women could not...

And because the Dutch always are on their bikes; riding a bike in kimono, it's fun! And not as big a hassle like when the kimono is actually a bit too small:

3 comments:

Shino said...

Hi!
Yes, hem line is important. Tsumugi < Komon < Homongi. Shorter to longer. When we meet, my mother always checks it and it's so annoying!

I love your blog. You are amazing sewing kimono and biking in kimono. Most of Japanese don't do either...

Unknown said...

Hihi you made me laugh. I imagined your mother checking. I do know that formal kimono should be worn long. But is it a rule that informal kimono should be worn a bit shorter? I thought wearing kimono long was always good?
I hope you understand my question and will be able to help.

Shino said...

since tsumugi is for casual, it is not to be worn as long like formal. But it’s just a micro adjustment. Between the ankle and the instep. Even in tsumugi, I like a bit longer hem-line. I don't show the shin. May be I read a same book.