Saturday, September 22, 2012

Seasonality Motif Chart for Kimono

Just like Western clothing, where you wouldn't wear a tanktop in December in most places, or a Christmas-themed sweater in July, kimono follow certain seasonal patterns in construction and motifs. Here is one seasonal chart I've translated, notable for its inclusion of motifs for each month. Most I run across only list construction details or general seasonal designs.



If you're not familiar with Japanese culture, a few might seem odd (for example, carp banners are a traditional decoration for Children's Day, held in May) but as you look through the months, you can see that most of the motifs are a reflection of nature at that time in the year.

If you're interested in the Japanese name for a motif or have any questions, let me know! :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ah yay! Have been looking for a good seasonal motifs chart for ages now! Thanks so much for posting this!