Tomesode
Encyclopedia
Tomesode is a type of Kimono
. It is an expensive formal dress worn by married women.
Originally, there was a custom that the long sleeves of the furisode
were shortened after marriage, thereby creating a tomesode. This was because the long swinging sleeves would be impractical when the married woman worked in the kitchen. The word "tomesode" itself consists of two kanji
meaning "to fasten" (留) and "sleeve" （袖）.
The tomesode distinguishes itself from other kimono by only having patterns under the waistline. It has five or sometimes three family crests, or kamon
, which indicates the formality of the kimono.
Kuro tomesode (black tomesode) are often worn for wedding ceremonies by married female relatives of the bride or groom. The eri
, obijime and obiage are always white, and the obi
matches the colourful pattern of the kimono to signify a happy occasion. It is believed that the black colour is to match the clean white colour of the bride, as this kimono is rarely used at other occasions than weddings of near family members (sisters or daughters). A friend of the bride or groom would not wear kurotomesode, but homongi or irotomesode.
At events at the imperial palace, it is strictly forbidden to wear kurotomesode, and here irotomesode is worn.
Irotomesode is the second most formal kimono and is similar to the kurotomesode, except that it has light colours instead of being black. It can be worn at weddings by married women not closely related to the bride or groom or at other festive occasions.
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
. It is an expensive formal dress worn by married women.
Originally, there was a custom that the long sleeves of the furisode
Furisode
A is a style of kimono distinguishable by its long sleeves, which average between 39 and 42 inches in length. It is the most formal style of kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. The furisode is made of very fine, brightly-colored silk, and is commonly rented or bought by parents for their...
were shortened after marriage, thereby creating a tomesode. This was because the long swinging sleeves would be impractical when the married woman worked in the kitchen. The word "tomesode" itself consists of two kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
meaning "to fasten" (留) and "sleeve" （袖）.
The tomesode distinguishes itself from other kimono by only having patterns under the waistline. It has five or sometimes three family crests, or kamon
Kamon
Kamon may refer to:*Kamon , a Japanese heraldic symbol*Kamon, Israel, a village in northern Israel-See also:*Kimon, an Athenian politician and general...
, which indicates the formality of the kimono.
Kuro tomesode (black tomesode) are often worn for wedding ceremonies by married female relatives of the bride or groom. The eri
Eri
Eri can refer to:* Eri , a Japanese feminine given name* Erie International Airport in Erie, Pennsylvania, IATA airport code* Eri, a biblical figure* Eri , the progenitor of the Nri-Igbo* Eri, a type of silk from Assam, India...
, obijime and obiage are always white, and the obi
Obi (sash)
is a sash for traditional Japanese dress, keikogi worn for Japanese martial arts, and a part of kimono outfits.The obi for men's kimono is rather narrow, wide at most, but a woman's formal obi can be wide and more than long. Nowadays, a woman's wide and decorative obi does not keep the kimono...
matches the colourful pattern of the kimono to signify a happy occasion. It is believed that the black colour is to match the clean white colour of the bride, as this kimono is rarely used at other occasions than weddings of near family members (sisters or daughters). A friend of the bride or groom would not wear kurotomesode, but homongi or irotomesode.
At events at the imperial palace, it is strictly forbidden to wear kurotomesode, and here irotomesode is worn.
Irotomesode is the second most formal kimono and is similar to the kurotomesode, except that it has light colours instead of being black. It can be worn at weddings by married women not closely related to the bride or groom or at other festive occasions.