Haori

A formalhaoriwith twotraditional Japanese emblemsvisible from the front.

Kitanoumi Toshimitsuwearing a formal blackhaoriwith emblems (akuromontsuki haori); it is tied at the front with two whitehaori himo.

Thehaori(Vũ chức)is a traditionalJapanesejacket worn over akimono.Resembling a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels (okumi), thehaoritypically features a thinner collar than that of a kimono, and is sewn with the addition of two thin, triangular panels at either side seam. Thehaoriis usually tied at the front with two short cords, known ashaori himo,which attach to small loops sewn inside the garment.

During theEdo period,economic growth within the wealthy but low-statusmerchantclasses resulted in an excess of disposable income, much of which was spent on clothing. It was during this period that, due to variousedicts on dressmandated by the ruling classes, merchant-class Japanese men began to wearhaoriwith plain external designs and lavishly-decorated linings, a trend still seen in men'shaoritoday.

During the early 1800s,geishain thehanamachiofFukagawa,Tokyobegan to wearhaoriover their kimono.Haorihad until that point only been worn by men; the geisha of Fukagawa, well known for theirstylishand unusual fashion choices, set a trend that saw women wearinghaoribecome commonplace by the 1930s.In modern-day Japan,haoriare worn by both men and women.

See also

• Hanten,an informal and often padded Japanese jacket
• Happi,a lightweight jacket traditionally worn by shopkeepers or employees as uniform, and commonly worn to festivals in Japan
• Hifu,a sleeveless padded outer vest worn by young children over their kimono to outings and on occasions such asShichi-Go-San
• Michiyuki,a double-breasted Japaneseovercoatcharacterised by a square neckline and dual fastenings

External links

• Haoriat the University of Michigan Museum of Art
• Haoriat the British Museum
• 'Behind the Scenes in Conservation: JapaneseHaori' from the Cincinnati Art Museum
• 'On Men's Formalwear' from Ginza Motoji