Friday, February 17, 2006

Little Known Fact

At once elegant and elaborate, kimono are meant to complement the women wearing them. I think this one looks rather nice on Laurie.





Of course, men can and do wear kimono, but generally (excepting TV stars and sumo wrestlers) the color and design is more subdued.

One interesting thing I learned about men's kimono concerns the article known as haori (羽織), which is worn over the top of everything like a tuxedo jacket, mostly during formal occasions:

Even though the outside is simple and plain, it's the inside of these jackets that's the interesting part. Take a look.




The little round man above is Daruma, a favorite of mine and a character you're likely to see a lot of in Japan. You can read more about him here.