Past Exhibitions
- Summer Kimono: Hitoe and Katabira
- July 19, 2018 - September 2, 2018
The people of early Japan made numerous adjustments in their clothing as they endured the country's hot, humid summers. Etiquette dictated different garments for early summer, midsummer, and late summer—marking the fleeting seasons with specific forms of dress. The kinds of women's garments deemed appropriate for the summer season were the hitoe, an unlined silk kimono worn during early and late summer, and the katabira, a kimono of unlined ramie or hemp (both bast fibers similar to linen) worn during the peak of the midsummer heat. The materials of these summer kimono exemplify a profound appreciation for the changing of the seasons in Japanese culture—even their colors and designs evoke a sense of coolness.
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