CHAPTER VIII.

FEMALE DRESS.

Attempts at Europeanisation—Difference between Japanese and foreign dresses—Expense and inconvenience of foreign dresses—Japanese dresses not to be discarded—How the female dress differs from the male—Underwear and over-band—_Haori_—_Hakama_—_Obi_—How to tie it—The dress-_obi_—The formal dress—Home-wear—Working clothes—The sameness of form—The girl’s dress—Dress and age.

The late Prince Ito’s first administration which lasted from 1886 to 1889, was a period of great pro-European activity when heroic attempts were made to Europeanise the entire social organisation. The most conspicuous of these attempts were the strenuous efforts made to remodel the social life of the nation; and with that object in view, various social customs of the West were introduced. Balls and soirées were given in official circles and among peers and men of wealth. One of the direct consequences of this innovation was the eager adoption of the foreign costume by ladies of rank and position, whose example was soon followed by their humbler sisters. Women in European dresses were common objects in streets and at public gatherings. And it looked for a time as if the national costume were doomed.

But it was not long before a reaction set in. A cry arose in various quarters for the preservation of national characteristics; and though there was a section of these reactionaries who would resist the introduction of western innovations in all departments of life, the general sense of the nation was to yield only so far as a change was necessitated by the incompatibility of the old customs with the new conditions imposed by the adoption of western civilisation. And among the first to feel the effect of this reaction was the western style of female dress; and our women fell back upon their national costume. It was as well that the reversion to the old style took place before the reforming spirit had gone too far, for, to tell the truth, the Japanese woman seldom appears to advantage in a European dress. If she looks graceful in her _kimono_, she cannot be equally prepossessing in a bodice and a skirt; and those who are charming in a western costume are the reverse in their native dress. The conditions which are needed to give charm to the wearer of the _kimono_ are totally different to the conditions which one associates with elegance in European dress. The former require rounded or sloping shoulders, for square ones would put the sides of the dress out of shape and interfere with the graceful disposition of the sleeves. The body should be bent forward, for if it were held straight or bent back, the dress at the breast and the knot of the _obi_ would suffer; and for the same reason full breasts are out of favour. The close-fitting skirt of the _kimono_ prevents the feet from being set far apart, and the wearer cannot take long strides. Her feet are turned slightly inward and makes her wobble a little as she walks. Such a gait would be very ungainly when a woman puts on a European dress. It may be possible for her when she dons European garments to assume another gait than that she is used to in Japanese; but it is naturally very hard to throw off on occasion a habit acquired from childhood.

But what really led to the discarding of the European dress was not so much the uncomely form it presented as the expense and inconvenience it entailed upon its wearer. It necessitates the possession of jewelry which is useless in a Japanese dress; necklaces and bracelets are not put on with the latter. The foreign dress is, moreover, extremely inconvenient in a Japanese house. A man can squat in European clothes without much difficulty if his trousers are baggy enough to allow the knees to be doubled; and if they are creased, they may be set right again with a little ironing. He can therefore visit his friends in European clothes. With a woman the case is different. She cannot squat in a European dress. Her corset would inflict on her excruciating tortures as it gets out of shape when the body is bent forward in squatting; she certainly could not bow her head to the mat in the usual Japanese fashion. What trimmings she might have on her skirt would be irretrievably spoilt; and if she once squatted, she could not get up without assistance or going on all fours. In short, the European dress cannot come into vogue until Japanese houses are remodelled and furnished with chairs instead of mats and cushions. Moreover, the expense of having a fair wardrobe of both European and Japanese dresses deters many women from taking to the former since the latter are absolutely indispensable.

Lovers of the picturesque may then rest assured that there is no immediate prospect of the disappearance of the graceful _kimono_. Largely as are the western clothes worn by Japanese men and boys, there is not much danger of their totally supplanting the national costume while the internal arrangement of the Japanese house remains unchanged; and that transformation is, as we have already stated, to be looked for in a very dim future. Still less probability is there of a similar change in the costume of our women as it is even more intimately connected than men’s clothes with domestic life. It is indeed as well that it should be so, for much as we desire to make use of the fruits of western civilisation, we would emphatically draw the line when it comes to the appearance our wives and daughters shall present at home. We may therefore leave out of consideration the western costume as worn by Japanese women.

The Japanese female dress does not differ essentially from the male; the distinction lies in its proportions and colours. There is therefore no need to describe it in detail; it will suffice if we give the points of difference. Thus, the body pieces are a little narrower to fit the slighter forms of women; but they are longer, the length being from four feet nine inches to five feet. The tuck at the hip is not sewn in as in a man’s dress, but the body is left loose so that the dress may be worn with a train or tucked at the hip with a sash. The tuck is usually about eight inches. The neck-band is also much wider than men’s, being four inches and a half, and longer by an inch or more. The sleeves too are longer by two inches or more; but the opening at the wrist is smaller. The sleeves are open for about a foot from the lower extremity so as to allow the wide _obi_ to be worn without inconvenience, and sewn on to the body pieces for about ten inches from the top. The front and back edges of the body piece are hemmed for four inches before they are sewn together and leave an aperture of that length under the joints of the sleeve. This opening is made in all female dresses and exposes the sides of the body to the air; but it is hidden from view by the sleeve and the _obi_, and is visible only when the sleeve is held up; the object of this aperture is to give free play to the breast part of the dress. In all female dresses the sleeves are left open and hemmed from their joints with the body pieces to the lower end. The skirt of the wadded _kimono_ is more heavily wadded than men’s and is rounded to show more of the lining and the bulge of the wadding.

Under the _kimono_ a woman wears much the same clothing as a man; but unlike him, she wears two loin-cloths. The lower one, which is the loin-cloth proper, is a piece of bleached cotton wound round the hips and coming down to the knees. It is called in Japanese the “bath-cloth,” as it was formerly, and still is in some parts of the country, worn when a woman takes a bath. The upper loin-cloth, called the “hip-wrap,” is more ornamental; it is tied round the hips like the bath-cloth, but comes down to the feet. It is usually made of _mousseline de laine_ or crêpe, and is red for girls, of a gay colour with fanciful patterns for young women, and white for matrons. This hip-wrap is replaced in winter by what we call a “long chemise,” which is practically a _kimono_ made without the tuck and of the exact height of the wearer. Over the neck-band is sewn an ornamental band called “half-band,” which is usually of crêpe, though some other light silk may be used, red for young girls and of various colours, white, black, violet, blue, or grey for grown-up persons. Flowers, birds, or landscapes are embroidered on it with gold or silver threads or with silk. This ornamental half-band is worn on the chemise or other underwear next to the _kimono_. The _kimono_, the upper one if two are worn, which is for home wear, is usually covered over the neck-band with an over-band of satin.

Women wear, like men, _haori_ of various descriptions, the crested _haori_ of black crêpe, the uncrested made of silk, striped, spotted, or of other pattern, and the long _haori_, which though often less wadded than men’s, reaches like theirs below the knees. A woman’s _haori_ differs from a man’s, like the _kimono_, in having sleeves open on the inner side and a loop-hole under the arm.

The _hakama_ is worn by school-girls and their teachers, and by some of the court ladies. The girl’s _hakama_ differs from man’s in not being divided. It is simply round like the European skirt; but it has plaits which are not, however, so deep or so marked as men’s. It is open, like theirs, at the sides near the _obi_ and tied in the same way.

The Japanese woman’s pride, however, is the _obi_. It is often the most costly of all her apparel. It is about thirteen feet long and thirteen and a half inches wide. The _obi_ for ordinary wear is made by sewing together back to back two pieces of cloth, of which the face is commonly of stiff stuff like satin and the lining of crêpe, or other soft silk or cotton. But the _obi_ worn on formal occasions consists of a single piece of double width, which is folded in two lengthwise and seamed; it is made of taffety, satin, damask, or gold or other brocade. The Chinese satin has at one end the name of its loom in red thread; and imitation satins and sateens have similar names at the same end; and this end is always exposed to view when the _obi_ is worn. When sewn, the woman’s _obi_ is padded like men’s.

The tying of the _obi_, especially of the dress-_obi_, is by no means a simple process. In the first place a woman puts on her dress in the same way as a man, that is, she folds the front edges left over right, and not right over left as in a European dress. When she has thus folded her underwear, which she sometime ties round with a cloth cord to keep it in place, she takes her _kimono_, single or double as the case may be, and catching the two edges near the ends of the band, holds them out behind her and raises them tightly until the skirt is just at her ankles, that is, at the height at which she wishes it to be, and then folding the edges stiffly one over the other, she ties the dress at the hip with a cloth cord to prevent its slipping. Then she arranges the upper half of the dress, putting the band in order and pulling the loose part down so that the breast is pressed almost flat, and ties the tuck just over the hips with a second cord. The tuck is thus tied above and below; for this two different cords are used in formal dresses, but for ordinary wear a single long narrow sash of crêpe may be used for both purposes, the sash passing over the tuck at the side. Next, the _obi_, if it is for ordinary wear, is folded in two along its length and wound twice round the waist, thus concealing the cord on the tuck and leaving at the back a foot or so of one end, while the other end is three feet or more in length. The former is folded lengthwise with the lining inside. The two ends are tied in such a way that the doubled end comes out at the side slanting downwards under the knot. The second end is, while being tied, folded once with the lining outside and is pulled vertically so that the folded part is held straight up; and it is drawn out until the length above the knot is about the same as that remaining behind and then dropped over the knot; and so, when it hangs down, its end or the fold is higher than the end of the _obi_ just by the width of the knot, that is, by a few inches. The end under the knot displays the face and the fold itself the lining. Some people keep the knot from coming loose by tying a cord over it round the _obi_, while others merely tighten it when it slackens.

The _obi_ for ceremonial occasions is tied in the same way, only that as it is of the same material on both sides, there is no distinction of face and lining. When it is tied, a narrow sash with a piece of board or stiff cardboard in the middle is put under the vertical fold and raised above the level of the _obi_, and the ends of the sash are tied in front and the knot is tucked under the _obi_. This sash is a kind of bustle to keep the fold from falling. Next, the fold is refolded inward, while the doubled end, instead of hanging out as in the ordinary _obi_, is bent back and pushed under the fold. A silk cord is then passed between the two faces of the fold along the middle of the _obi_ and tightly fastened in front over the _obi_ by means of a hook or buckle. This cord is intended to prevent the doubled end and the fold, after the refold, from falling off. The hook or buckle is usually in the form of a flower or some other simple design in gold. Thus, it will be seen that in wearing the ceremonial _obi_, a woman is tied twice each over and under it.

As the _obi_ is the most conspicuous part of a woman’s dress, the _haori_, which would conceal it except in front, is not worn on formal occasions. It is only worn at home or on an informal visit; and in the absence of a _haori_ to display her crest on, the woman has it dyed on her _kimono_, the number being three or five as on the man’s _haori_. The formal dress is a suit of three _kimono_, of which the second and lowest have white neck-bands. The skirt is wadded much thicker than usual. Sometimes when it is too warm to wear three _kimono_, the middle one is dispensed with and an extra band is put on the lower _kimono_ and a false skirt sewn on to it to make it look as if there were an intermediate _kimono_. The formal colour of the uppermost _kimono_ is black, with five white crests; but except on special occasions less sombre colours may be worn, of which the favourite are blue, grey, and violet, all light-tinted. Underneath the _kimono_ is the long chemise which is the only article of clothing that is allowed to be bright-coloured. It is often expensive; and just as men line their _haori_ with costly stuff which may or may not be seen in company, so women expend as much money upon their chemises, the skirt of which may be partly exposed to view as they walk. It is commonly of figured crêpe, _habutaye_, or crêpe de Chine. Under the chemise is the ordinary cotton underwear.

When she goes out on an informal visit, the Japanese woman usually puts on a crested _haori_; but if it is only for a walk, the _haori_ may be plain. The _kimono_ may on such occasions be of any pattern, only that when she makes a call, the band must be of the same cloth as the _kimono_. At home a woman usually has on a black satin band as it can be readily renewed, for owing to the liberal use of pomade on her hair, the band is the part of her dress that is soonest soiled, and hence the advantage of a band that can be easily changed. The part of her dress which is, next to the band, most liable to be soiled is the lap; for as we squat with our knees bent in front of us, we are apt to lay in our laps whatever may be in our hands, and most women therefore, except in families of higher position, wear aprons at home. Those of the middle class take off their aprons when they go out; but the wives and daughters of tradesmen and artisans wear them even outdoors. Still, as it is not considered good form to have them on when one receives calls, they should take them off before they go into the parlour to welcome their visitors; as a matter of fact, however, this is done only when the visitor is one of superior position who must be treated with great respect. The apron covers the front part of the _kimono_ below the _obi_, under which it is tied by a cord attached to it. It is also worn by tradesmen and others whose business it is to handle wares of any kind.

The ordinary _kimono_ is inconvenient for active work. Those whose work requires a free movement of the limbs, commonly discard the long sleeves and the skirt. Coolies and artisans wear tight-sleeved coats and tight-fitting drawers of cotton. Women, too, who labour outdoors have on similar clothes sometimes; but more frequently they wear tight-sleeved _kimono_, the skirts of which are tucked up to the knees to facilitate their walking. Women, however, who live indoors but have to move about at their household work, do not care to put on tight-sleeved _kimono_, and they tie up their sleeves with a cloth cord when they are actively employed. They are often to be seen dusting and sweeping the rooms with their sleeves tied up and a towel on their heads. The _kimono_ appears indeed to be capable of little improvement. The only concession that has been made to the requirements of the latter-day school-girl is the contraction of the sleeves. The “reformed dress,” as it is called, has large open sleeves which can be tightened by means of a string. It is found very handy and is worn by many school-girls. Reformed or unreformed, there is this to be said for the Japanese woman’s dress that it does not suffer in the matter of pockets or what serve as such from comparison with man’s.

There is then very little difference in the dress of a Japanese woman indoors and out, except in the case of the formal dress. Even there the form is the same. This uniformity of cut strikes one everywhere in Japan; the dresses are all cast in the same mould. There may be variations in the length of the sleeves or in the colour and texture of the apparel; but even fickle fashion leaves the shape of the dress unchanged; it only varies the stuff and the pattern.

Children’s clothes differ slightly from their elders’. Up to about ten they often wear at home the tight-sleeved _kimono_. Boys, indeed, may continue to put them on far into the teens; but girls are soon dressed in _kimono_ of fancifully-figured crêpe or _mousseline de laine_, the gayest of which are specially made for their wear. Their outdoor _kimono_ have sleeves almost touching the ground, and their formal dress is black with light patterns on the lower part of the sleeves and round the skirt. Their _obi_ is folded almost perpendicularly behind, the folded end coming close up to the shoulders; and over it is tied a plain sash, usually of yellow or red crêpe, the knot being tied at the side with the ends hanging down.

The girl, on reaching her sixteenth or seventeenth year, ceases to be a child and becomes a _shinzo_, or maiden; she no longer puts on gaily-coloured _kimono_, though she still retains the hip-wrap, underwear sleeves, and band of crimson. At twenty-four, at which she becomes a _toshima_, when she is supposed to be married, the colour of her dress becomes more sober; the hip-wrap is white, the sleeves of her underwear, though sometimes still red for a little while longer, are oftener of a less conspicuous tint, and the band of blue, purple, black, or other dark hues. For the first few years she may, in her desire to conceal her age, affect the _shinzo’s_ costume; but when she reaches thirty, she is an unmistakable _toshima_. This stage terminates at forty, when she comes to be spoken of as approaching old age. She is dressed soberly as if to avoid notice. Forty is pretty early for a woman to be classified as old; but in former days old age began at fifty when a man was considered unfit for business and made over his name and property to his heir. We mature early and decline at the same rate. Indeed, man, says a Japanese proverb, lives but for fifty years and rarely does his span extend to seventy years. Our expectation of life is, then, two decades less than the Psalmist’s. Impressed by its brevity, the Japanese woman knows that she ceases to please after two score and unmurmuringly gives up hope. She does not allow herself to be deceived when silver locks begin to appear among the raven; and by her dress and coiffure she frankly confesses the stage she has reached in the journey of life.