Ancient Japan, Dress and

Appearance
Rachel L. and Ruhi D.
World Cultures
Period 6
 Kimono
• Young women wore brightly
colored kimonos with longer
sleeves while older women
wore darker colored kimonos
with shorter sleeves.
• A kimono is floor length and is
worn with a belt called an obi.
• A kimonos standard width is 14
inches.
• During the ashikaga time
period, the kimono became a
standard garment for both men
and women.
 Cosmetics
• Women shaved off their
eyebrows and painted black
powder made from moth
wings as artificial eyebrows.
• Fans and parasols were carried
by both men and women.
• Powder was used to whiten
the face and rouge was used to
color the cheeks and lips.
• Clothing was perfumed by
holding it over incense
burners.
 Shoes
• The regular shoe consisted of
a wooden platform fitted on
top of two wooden blocks.
• Outdoors, they wore sandals
made of rice straws, woven
together.
• On rainy days, they would
wear wooden clogs called
geta.
• The geta rises the foot above
wet and muddy ground.
 Court Officials
• The longer the bell on the priest's
robe shows the ranking of the
person.
• Women of the court wore layer
upon layer of wide sleeved silken
robes.
• On dress occasions, women might
wear as many as 12 silk robes.
• The working-class people in Japan
wore clothing made of hemp,
linen or cotton.
• The wealthier working-class
people wore silk clothes.
 Peasants
• After bathing, during sleeping
or lounging at home, men and
women would wear a cotton
kimono called “yukata.”
• The clothing that peasants
wore were mainly made of
cotton.
• Peasants would wear trousers
and jackets regularly.
• Women would also wear
aprons or head scarves.
 Samurai
• Samurai shaved their heads high
above their foreheads, and wore
their hear long and tied up in a
distinctive knot.
• When they are not in their homes,
the Samurai wear a pare of long
swords at all times.
• The face was protected by a steel
mask and heavy helmet with hanging
panels.
• On their head protection gear, they
usually have their family crest and
horns to identify the warrior,
symbolize his bravery and scare his
enemies.