Comfy kimono hakama roomwear steps into the modern era with stylish new Reiwa Edition【Photos】

https://ift.tt/31Fs9RK Casey Baseel

One-piece designs are zero trouble, entirely beautiful, and completely comfortable.

Kimono are elegant and beautiful, but not necessarily the comfiest choice of garment. Especially women’s kimono, which are worn with several layers of inner linings and a complexly tied sash, are something to wear when you want to dress up, not wind down.

But still, kimono look so nice, and that desire for a traditional look but with modern comfort has prompted the designers at Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire to create this new line of kimono-style roomwear.

Specifically, these garments take inspiration from the combination of a kimono robe with hakama, the billowing almost-skirt pants that were especially popular with young women as Japan was transitioning from a feudal society to a modern democracy. A further youthful touch is the draping sleeves, known as furisode, which even today are a symbol of youth in Japanese apparel aesthetics.

However, if you’re a kimono neophyte, you might not know how to layer your kimono or tie the sash, and even most veteran Japanophiles who’ve worn kimono at summer festivals in Japan have never slipped on hakama. Have no fear, though, because despite the ensemble look of these outfits, collectively called the Yuru Hakama Reiwa Edition, they’re actually a single-piece design. The entire thing slips on over your head, meaning there’s no need to worry about something getting twisted or coming untied as you luxuriously lounge, laze, or loaf.

▼ The sash is a pre-tied, removable accent accessory.

As the name implies, the Yuru Hakama Reiwa Edition are loose (yuru in Japanese) hakama-style roomwear freshly designed for Japan’s new Reiwa imperial era, which began last April. Since Reiwa means “beautiful harmony,” artist Shikimi, who created the fabric patterns and drew the collection’s anime-model illustrations, wanted to create a hybrid of Japanese and Western motifs.

▼ Shikimi’s artwork has also contributed character designs to immensely popular Japanese-swords-turned-into-handsome-boys multimedia franchise Touken Ranbu.

▼ Human modeling, meanwhile, is courtesy of Aomori Prefecture native Rikako Kimura.

Four designs are on offer: Suzuran (lily of the valley) with maroon hakama…

…Ajisai (hydrangea) with purple hakama…

…Sumire (violet) with green hakama…

…and Sankaku (triangle) with red hakama.

The garments are made from 100-percent cotton that the designers boast stretches and is easy to move about in, but is also so soft that you can use the hakama roomwear as pajamas.

Reward tiers that include the Yuru Hakama Reiwa Edition start at 9,100 yen (US$84), and seeing as how it’s already blown right past its crowdfunding goal of one million yen by raising over five times that amount, it’s basically a straight-up purchase, and the Campfire crowdfunding page can be found here.

Source: Campfire via Japaaan
Top image: Campfire/Campfire Creation
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