Japanese Notion of Beauty: Geisha Dress
Japanese Geisha women are wearers of Kimonos, which are highly colorful and extravagant with obi sash. This cultural practice of wearing traditional garment by Japanese women acknowledges the notion of beauty that is cultural and feminine. Kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes, worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long wide sleeves. The ways in which kimonos are worn are to service various cultural practices whether that is to signify age, marital status, or formality. The kimono is considered to be the most egalitarian garment in the history of clothing, telling stories of special occasions, spanning wars, changing dynasties, and customs. When it comes to the Kimono the color, pattern, and style of the kimono is dependent on the season and the event the geisha is attending.
During the winter seasons Japanese geisha are seen wearing three-quarter length haori lined with hand-painted silk over their kimono, which is an example of upholding the notion of beauty that Japanese geisha have created around wearing traditional Kimonos no matter the season, Japanese geisha also wear unlined kimonos during the summer season. For a little more history on the Kimono, during Japan’s Heian period (794-1192 ce), the kimono became increasingly stylized, the Kimono as a cultural garment has taken on many different stylization as Japan itself as undergone changes. However, even though the Kimono has undergone various changes, it has stayed true to the concept of gender, which is the notion of the behaviors a person needs to have in order to be considered male or female. The male kimono has maintained the image of masculinity as the sleeves are attached to the body of the kimono with no more than a few inches unattached from the body of the kimono, with shorter sleeves than women.
The Kimono as I have mentioned is a garment of tradition but also it is a garment of gender that enables culture and femininity in Japanese geisha women, along with masculinity in Japanese men. The structure of the kimono is the essential component that allows for gender to be evident in the Japanese traditional garment, as the way the fabric falls on the body showcases gender identity.
“Geisha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisha (Accessed May 7, 2010).
Milenovich, Sophie, and Milenovich, Sophie. 2007. Kimonos. New York: Abrams.
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