Tales of Japan were part of Western lore and legend long before Europeans visited there.  Japan was not actually visited by Europeans until the Portuguese landed on one of its islands in 1543.  Europeans then began to actively trade with Japan, importing silk textiles among other Japanese goods.  In addition to the traders, missionaries came to Japan and were successful in converting thousands of Japanese to Christianity.  Japan's ruler became alarmed by the intrusion of Western religion and culture into traditional Japanese life and declared it illegal for the Japanese to travel to other countries.  By 1640, Japan’s borders were closed.  Only the Dutch East India Company was allowed to trade with Japan.  This isolation served to expand Japan’s exotic aura.  The allure of Japanese art and culture intensified, and the few Japanese objects that came to the West via the Dutch were highly prized (Stevens and Wada, 1996).

Characteristics of the Kimono
    The standard width of a kimono fabric is 14 inches.  This is very narrow compared to contemporary  U.S. standard widths of 45 or 60 inches.  Kimono fabric is purchased in bolt form.  Approximately 12 1/2 yards of fabric are on a bolt - enough to make one adult sized kimono.
       The various parts of the kimono (sleeve length, body length and/or width) can be narrowed or widened, lengthened or shortened according to fashion emphasis or body proportions.  However, the same basic parts and shapes, as seen in the diagrams, always remain.  The width of the kimono fabric is not cut; instead, seams are made wider or narrower based on the size of the wearer.  Each time a kimono is laundered, the seams are removed, thus allowing for adjustments in size as the kimono is sewn back together.

All kimono have four common elements:

• standard fabric widths used in geometric shapes which require little cutting;
• an open, overlapping front;
• a neckband attached to the front opening; and
• sleeves which are made from the full fabric width (Dalby, 1993).

Fashion Change in Kimono
    In contrast to Western fashion which depends on silhouettes or skirt lengths to date fashion changes, the kimono has a relatively consistent shape which relies on color, pattern and decorative details to distinguish change in fashion or season.

Gender differences in Kimono
    The basic cut of the kimono differs little between the sexes.  The primary gender differences in kimono are in the sleeve shape. The lower outside corner of the sleeve differs in shape.  Men's kimono sleeves are square cut, while adult women's are slightly rounded.  Single women's sleeves are more rounded, and children's sleeves are the most rounded.
    There are also other, more subtle. differences.  A man's kimono will be drab in color, and the pattern, if any, will be a subdued small scale repeat.  His kimono will fall straight from the shoulder with no excess length.  The man's obi is narrow, and of subdued colors.  Contrastingly, women's kimono are made in an array of colors -pastel to vivid- and may have very intricate designs on them.  Her obi is wider, and may have intricate designs as well.  The woman's kimono is long; trailing in the most formal of occasions, and tucked under the obi for more informal occasions.

    During the Taisho period (1912-1926) wearing Western apparel again became a sign of Western learning and an expression of modernity.  Men began wearing business suits, which after W.W.II became commonplace for working men.
    Women were slower to change.  They retained the wafuku attire, but modified their elaborate hairdos slightly into the Gibson-girl bun.  Additionally, changes occurred in the way the kimono was worn:  (1) the kimono no longer trailed; the extra length was tucked under the obi; and (2) kimono gradually became more specialized in levels of formality.  These were based on the types of fabrics used, style of obi knot, and the type of design used on the kimono.
    Japan’s increased exposure to Western culture influenced kimono patterns and their colors in various ways.  First, the patterns are no longer only of natural beauty, like trees and birds, but are often abstract designs.  Second, the colors of the fabrics are no longer necessarily related to the age of the person who wears them.  Once, a woman over thirty did not wear red or bright colors; today their is no special connection between the color and a person's age.  And third, the way of wearing the kimono has changed and become more contemporary.  There are now  two-pieced kimonos that are as easy to wear as blouses and skirts.  Even “ready-to-wear” tied obi are available to put on like sash belts (Stevens and Wada, 1996).

Japonisme
    A strong American interest in Japanese handmade objects occurred as a result of two events:  an international exposition in London in 1862 and the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876.  These two events launched a “Japan craze” in America - everyone was obsessed with things Japanese or things made in a Japanese style.  The Kimono, viewed in America as the Japanese national dress, was a common motif of this popular movement which continued until the end of the 19th century.
    To American women of the late 19th century, the kimono seemed the ideal model for a new American garment that allowed freedom of movement.  The kimono contrasted sharply with the style of the day - stiff, multiple layers of petticoats and confining corsets.  By the end of the 19th century, dress patterns of the kimono , or at least the American version of the Kimono, were available.  American haute couture and lounge wear continued to be influenced by the kimono until as late as the 1920’s (Stevens and Wada, 1996).
    American popular interest in the kimono diminished in the tense years prior to and during WW2.  However, souvenir kimonos collected in great numbers by returning GI’s rekindled interest. (Stevens and Wada, 1996)