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Heian clothing
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Wed Sep 13 2000 at 18:07:17
Women's writing
produced most of the
great literature
of
Heian Japan
, with the obvious examples of authors
Murasaki Shikibu
and
Sei Shonagon
. These writers, free from the restraints of
classical literature
, dwelled at length on the things that were important to
court life
. Clothing was one of these, so we are fortunate to have extensive descriptions, making
research
into this subject relatively easy.
The famous multi-layered robes worn by Heian women are called
ju-ni hitoe
. Courtiers' full dresses would usually have 20 to 40 individual layers of robes, individually called
uchiki
(until limited by law to 5 in
1074
). Altogether, the outfit was exceptionally heavy. Beneath all this they wore
hakama
. The practice probably started from practicality, lending warmth during cold
Kyoto
winters, but grew into a greatly exaggerated
refinement
.
Men at court also wore layered clothing, but not so extreme. Instead of flowing like the women's, their clothing was often stiffened or starched. They also wore extra layers designed to broaden
shoulders
and
chest
. Very
awkward
to move in, but unlike courtiers of the
Shogun
era, these men did not consider themselves warriors, and were content to be carried about on
palanquins
like the women.
It is uncertain which came first: the Heian propensity for moving around on one's knees and lying about a lot in the
palace
, or the
voluminous
and restrictive clothing. Generally the latter has been thought, but other theories suggest that the great number of
child emperor
s in the Heian period, and the law that one's head must not be higher than the emperor's, may have contributed. At any rate, the two things certainly seemed to feed on each other, as clothing got more and more
aesthetic
and more and more
ludicrous
. The beautiful garments weighed so much that they damaged the
spine
*, and courtiers died in
fires
because they were physically unable to rise up and flee.
Although, for obvious reasons, Heian clothing generally died out, it remains the official clothing of the Imperial Family. The wedding photos from the 1990s show the
heir
and his new
wife
wearing the Heian robes. From an aesthetic point of view it was an unimaginably refined time. The rules about (and staggering creativity of)
kimono
colors, fabrics and patterns are the lasting legacy of the Heian era of fashion.
You may read much more detail at http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/japanese/HeianDress.htm
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