The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present
The kimono is an iconic garment with a history as rich and colourful as the textiles from which it is crafted. Deeply associated with Japanese culture both past and present, it has often been thought of as a highly gendered, rigidly traditional and unchanging national costume. This book challenges that perception, revealing the nuanced meanings and messages behind the kimono from the point of view of its wearers and producers, many of whom – both men and women – see the garment as a vehicle for self-expression.

Taking a material culture approach, The Social Life of Kimono is the first study to combine the history of the kimono as a fashionable garment with an in-depth exploration of its multifaceted role today on both the street and the catwalk. Through case studies covering historical advertising campaigns, fashion magazines, interviews with contemporary kimono designers, large scale and small craft producers, and consumers who choose to wear them, The Social Life of Kimono gives a unique insight into making and meaning of this complex garment.

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The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present
The kimono is an iconic garment with a history as rich and colourful as the textiles from which it is crafted. Deeply associated with Japanese culture both past and present, it has often been thought of as a highly gendered, rigidly traditional and unchanging national costume. This book challenges that perception, revealing the nuanced meanings and messages behind the kimono from the point of view of its wearers and producers, many of whom – both men and women – see the garment as a vehicle for self-expression.

Taking a material culture approach, The Social Life of Kimono is the first study to combine the history of the kimono as a fashionable garment with an in-depth exploration of its multifaceted role today on both the street and the catwalk. Through case studies covering historical advertising campaigns, fashion magazines, interviews with contemporary kimono designers, large scale and small craft producers, and consumers who choose to wear them, The Social Life of Kimono gives a unique insight into making and meaning of this complex garment.

34.95 In Stock
The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present

The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present

The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present

The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present

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$34.95 
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Overview

The kimono is an iconic garment with a history as rich and colourful as the textiles from which it is crafted. Deeply associated with Japanese culture both past and present, it has often been thought of as a highly gendered, rigidly traditional and unchanging national costume. This book challenges that perception, revealing the nuanced meanings and messages behind the kimono from the point of view of its wearers and producers, many of whom – both men and women – see the garment as a vehicle for self-expression.

Taking a material culture approach, The Social Life of Kimono is the first study to combine the history of the kimono as a fashionable garment with an in-depth exploration of its multifaceted role today on both the street and the catwalk. Through case studies covering historical advertising campaigns, fashion magazines, interviews with contemporary kimono designers, large scale and small craft producers, and consumers who choose to wear them, The Social Life of Kimono gives a unique insight into making and meaning of this complex garment.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781350211186
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 02/11/2021
Series: Dress, Body, Culture
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 7.45(w) x 9.65(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Sheila Cliffe is Professor at Jumonji Gakuen Women's University, Japan. She has lectured at conferences, museums and events in Japan, England, Hawaii and Korea and she is one of the first non-native Japanese people to hold an official kimono dressing and teaching licence.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction


1. Think Fashion or Tradition?
2. Tracing Trends in Heian and Edo
3. Mode Becomes Modern: Meiji to 21st Century
4. In Press and Picture: The Published Kimono
5. Makers and Marketers
6. Wearers and Wardrobes
7. Returbaning Kimono to the Streets

Glossary
Bibliography
Index

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