The furisode
Furisode (??) means “long flowing sleeves” .
Furisode is a style of kimono. When a young Japanese woman turns 20 years old, to celebrate the Coming of Age Day, she is recognised as an adult. She has the right to vote, is responsible for any crimes and is allowed to smoke and drink (officially).
Many parents buy the Furisode for their daughters to celebrate this significant point in a young woman’s life. Furisode is the most gorgeous formal kimono for unmarried women, it is an elaborate decorations beautiful designs and colors made of very fine, brightly colored silk..
There are three kinds of furisode which vary according to the length of the sleeves. The longest sleeves are 42.3 inches. The next longest sleeves are 41.3 inches. And the shortest sleeves are 33.5 inches.
The middle-length sleeved furisode is commonly worn at Seijinshiki (coming of age ceremonies), graduation ceremonies, and wedding parties. The style of obi used with this furisode is called fukuro obi , which is an obi that is double the width of a typical obi and is worn by folding it in half. There are many elaborate ways to wear a fukuroobi.
Furisode generally uses flowered patterns and designs. In addition, tie-dyed designs are often used to make the furisode more elaborate and the use of gold foil adds to the richness. Obi-age(Obi scarf) is used to cover obi-makura (small pillow) which supports the obi in the back and holds the obi crest line in place. A carefully selected obi-jime (the cord tied over the obi) is tied at the front. Fastening the obi and also accenting the obi A pair of white tabi (traditional Japanese socks) is always used when one wears a formal kimono
Furisode are mainly worn for major social functions such as wedding ceremonies or tea ceremonies until they get married. Depending on the quality of the materials, design and workmanship, a furisode normally costs around ?100,000 to ?300,000 to rent and over ?1,000,000 (approximately $10,000 US) to purchase.
The second Monday in January is a public holiday called ‘Adult Day’ and many young women attend a ceremony wearing their Furisode kimono
Tags: dress, formal kimono, japanese cloth, lady cloth, lady kimono, long flowing sleeves, style of kimono, swinging sleeve, The furisode kimono
January 4th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I’ve read that Furisode are quite popular in Asakusa, they are considered quite “small sisters” of Kyoto or Tokyo geisha; also read about their kimono are the most colorful and young. Is it all true?