Kimonos

by Sophie Milenovich

The kimono is one of the most emblematic symbols of Japan. It is rich in symbolism and social messages. It is not only a It gathers a wealth of codes and traditions. It is the essence of Japanese culture itself.

The principles that rule its making were established in the 17th century and haven’t changed since. However, the kimono exists today in endless varieties thanks to the diversity of fabric, weaving techniques, and printing patterns. The simple T shape of the kimono can have thousands of different appearances, depending on the style of folds and tucks of fabric.

Wearing a kimono and knotting an obi—the wide belt that secures the garment—according to traditional rule is extremely difficult. This expertise was once transmitted from mother to daughter, but now there are specialized schools from which one can get a diploma on proper kimono etiquette. An expertise is necessary to avoid unacceptable Lively colors are for unmarried girls only and long-sleeved kimonos are not to be worn by married women.

With original photographs and drawings, Kimonos beautifully illustrates the various facets of the garment, historically and in modern times. Its elegant layout evokes the grace of Japanese graphics.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Fashion

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love kimono, I don't love this book.

It has lots of photos - they are not stunning - kind of atmospheric. It has text, it was not very informative. I am not sure that some of the information is correct. It is fun to see photos of kimono but for the collector it doesn't offer much - I am glad I got it since it was cheap and it is fun to glance at now and then.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curiosa edición con formato apaisado y portada forrada de tejido que evoca un obi desplegado.
Esta obra es una leve introducción al contexto del complejo mundo del kimono, tanto a su historia, su morfología y su uso.
El orden de la información y el contenido divagan sin profundizar ni concretar en la mayoría de los casos.
Tuve la curiosidad y el capricho de adquirirlo y leerlo porque estaba en español y es cómodo, y por la preciosa edición. Sin embargo, el contenido es muy limitado y sin ser una experta, intercepté un par de errores en nomenclatura y ocasión de uso.
Si el interés es una curiosa introducción, es bienvenido, si no, queda carente de información en todos los apartados.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread in 2020 - my initial impression still stands. It's nice to flip through the pages, and then look at my shelves to see what else I have on the subject.

Original review:
What I liked about this book was the rich assortment of photos of how kimonos are worn by ordinary people in Japan today - not in formal shots but in candid street shots (sometimes a bit too candid, perhaps, since they could were quite blurred in more of a low-quality sort of way than an artistic) and she also presents some nice vintage shots from times when kimonos were more of the basic garment for the Japanese people.

The actual text was a bit more bland, mostly hammering in a few simple truths: the younger the woman wearing a kimono, the brighter the colours, and long sleeves are for the unmarried woman. And since the kimono is mostly worn for formal occasions the way to wear kimonos has been quite formalized too (which Milenovich makes quite clear she doesn't like) - but as can be seen in The New Kimono: From Vintage Style to Everyday Chic this isn't the only truth. Another slight issue that sometimes the design of the book has been more important than the readability - some of the pages are actually quite hard to read with for example green text on a brown page

It's not something to read to learn a lot of new stuff from, but nice all the same.

[Erika Mulvenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting information about the Kimono, but many of the pictures are so blurry or out of focus that it is hard to see any detail (snapshots of women wearing Kimono in the streets).

I did enjoy many of the pictures of beautiful fabrics, and some that were historic. If you are looking for in-depth information about Kimono, this is not the book for you.

[F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some nice diagrams but odd writing and poor layout. The text can be quite hard to read. Some pages are just randomly blank. Many pictures look like they were un-asked for street snaps and/or are blurry. the author's insight into the culture is questionable.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine having to dress obeying very precise regulations with respect to the season, your age, your social status and the situation for which you are dressing. This book is a storehouse of photos, I'm glad I added to my collection on asian-fashion.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute little coffee table book. A good beginning taste of the kimono. For those ( like myself) that are long time fans of the kimono there is not much new information. There are still some really pretty pictures.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly photographs but insightful and useful information about making and wearing kimonos.

[Norain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had migraine reading this. Black letters on black, red and brown backgrounds? What? And it was not very informative either. The only thing I liked were the pictures of beautiful kimonos.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

All about them, briefly how they are made, worn etc.; mostly lots of street photos of people wearing them.