K005 - Shibori Haori Kimono

Vintage Silk Kimono Haori Jacket : Red Pink Gradation Shibori / Kanoko-dot Riverside Chrysanthemum

A haori (羽織) is a traditional Japanese jacket worn over a kimono. Resembling a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels (okumi), the haori typically features a thinner collar than that of a kimono, and is sewn with the addition of two thin, triangular panels at either side seam. The haori is usually tied at the front with two short cords, known as haori himo, which attach to small loops sewn inside the garment.

During the Edo period, economic growth within the wealthy but low-status merchant classes resulted in an excess of disposable income, much of which was spent on clothing. It was during this period that, due to various edicts on dress mandated by the ruling classes, merchant-class Japanese men began to wear haori with plain external designs and lavishly decorated linings, a trend still seen in men's haori today.

During the early 1800s, geisha in the hanamachi of Fukagawa, Tokyo began to wear haori over their kimono. Haori had until that point only been worn by men; the geisha of Fukagawa, well known for their stylish and unusual fashion choices, set a trend that saw women wearing haori become commonplace by the 1930s. In modern-day Japan, haori are worn by both men and women.

Kanoko shibori is what is commonly thought of in the West as tie-dye. It involves binding certain sections of the cloth using thread – traditionally a type of untwisted thread known as shike-ito – to achieve the desired pattern. The pattern achieved depends on how tightly the cloth is bound and where the cloth is bound. If random sections of the cloth are bound, the result will be a pattern of random circles. If the cloth is first folded then bound, the resulting circles will be in a pattern depending on the fold used.