Types of Clothing in Japan

Clothing in Japan is a mix of traditional and trendy. Much of modern day clothing in Japan is like clothing in the Western world. However, Japanese clothing also include traditional pieces like the kimono.

Kimono

The kimono is traditional Japanese clothing for both men and women. Furthermore, there are different types of kimonos worn for different situations. No matter what kind of kimono worn, it will require an obi. The obi is the belt that goes around the front and ties in the back in a sometimes elaborate fashion.

Street Fashion Clothing

Japanese street clothing is an unusual type of fashion worn by young Japanese. It consists of assorted fashion trend styles. Street fashion in general includes mixed dresses, pants, tops, all in colorful designs and each chosen to represent individual street style.

Lolita

Lolita is one of the most popular types of Japanese street fashion clothing. Lolita clothing breaks down into different Lolita styles. Goth Lolita clothing is characterized by clothes that suggests a Victorian fashion kind of image, somewhat like a porcelain Victorian doll. Another type of Japanese Lolita is "Sweet Lolita." This type of Japanese clothing is trimmed with lots of lace and comes is pastel colors.

Everyday

Everyday Japanese clothing among adults in modern Japan is much like western clothing. Women prefer dresses, jeans, T-shirts, men's dress suits for business and other ordinary clothing. As Japan strives to stay modern, the traditional kimonos are worn less aside from special occasions.

Wedding

The traditional Japanese wedding always includes a special kimono called an uchikake for the bride. The uchikake, unlike Western bridal gowns is very long all the way around the garment, instead of trailing only in the back. Assistance is needed to hold it up during the ceremony and the uchikake is usually rented for the ceremony.

References

• Japanese Lifestyle; Kimono
• Japanese Fashion Blog
• Lolita Fashion

Resources

• Japanese Lifestyle; Japanese Fashion
• A Brief History of Japanese Clothing
• Japanese Streets; Magazine on Japanese Street Fashion and Street Culture
• Street Peeper; On the Streets of Tokyo Right Now
• Harajuku