Different from Western clothes, Kimono (着物) consists of fabric of straight line only. Since straight lines do not fit the curves on human body, it is said that the more cylindrical the wearer's body is, the more beautiful the figure will be. In case the wearer's body is curvy, Kimono dressers make adjustment. However, if you are wearing Kimono by yourself, you might hesitate to do it because it can be difficult or tiresome. So today, I'd like to introduce you how to adjust Kimono to your body. Required items for Kimono adjustment are: towel, Sarashi (晒, bleached cotton), gauze, or Wasou bra (和装ブラ, controlling underwear). At Kimono dressing seminars, sometimes there are hands-on classes to make a filler-cloth which will fit uniquely to the body of the participants. The important points for adjustment are, 1) curvy waist, 2) dent above the hip, and 3) big breasts. To gain a sophisticated look, we wrap a towel to the waist, put folded towel on the dent, and press the breasts by tightly wrapping with Sarashi. Otherwise, we wear Wasou-bra (和装ブラ, a controlling bra for Kimono). Basically, unless you are very slim, there will be no need for adjustment. Only in case you have big breasts, it's better to press them. If you want roundness, try placing a folded face towel over your breasts. This way, a kind of pigeon-like breasts can be made and it will fit Kimono collar very nicely. In hot summer, those towels can be uncomfortable, but I want you to remember that adjustment is very important, especially when wearing formal Kimono, such as Furisode (振袖, long-sleeved Kimono) or Homongi (訪問着). Utilizing one of those commercial products is a convenient idea.
Click here to see a Blog by a Former Maiko, "Do You Know?"
(before adjustment)
(after adjustment)