Tomesode, Komon, Hōmongi: The Kimono Types Behind Our Upcycled Pieces
Every upcycled piece at Leverras Art is cut from one vintage Japanese kimono, and on each product page we name the kind of kimono it came from. Those words – tomesode, komon, hōmongi – tell you a lot about the fabric: how formal the kimono once was, where the pattern sits and what your finished piece will look like. Here is a short guide.
Why the kimono type matters
In Japan, a kimono's type says how formal it is and for which occasion it was worn. The type also decides how the pattern is placed on the fabric. Some kimono carry one large painted scene along the hem, others are covered in a small repeating motif. When we cut a poncho or a jacket from a kimono, that placement shapes the finished piece, so knowing the type helps you picture what you are buying.
Tomesode
The tomesode is one of the most formal kimono. The classic version, the kurotomesode, is black silk with the design only below the waist: a painted or embroidered scene of cranes, pine, fans, flowers or landscapes running along the hem, while the upper part stays plain. It is traditionally worn by married women at weddings, often by the mother of the bride or groom.
Most of our pieces are made from tomesode. Because the design sits low on the kimono, a tomesode piece usually shows one large placed motif on black, often across the hem or back. You find tomesode in many of our hooded ponchos and high collar jackets, and in more pieces across our kimono collection.
Irotomesode
The irotomesode follows the same idea as the tomesode, with the design along the hem, but the background is a colour instead of black: soft pink, salmon, lilac or grey, for example. It can be worn by married and unmarried women. A piece cut from an irotomesode combines a coloured ground with a placed design.
Furisode
Furisode means "swinging sleeves". It is the most formal kimono for young, unmarried women, recognisable by its very long sleeves that reach almost to the ankles and by bold, colourful patterns that cover the whole garment. Today it is worn above all on Coming of Age Day, at weddings and at graduation ceremonies.
The photo shows a furisode from our own photoshoot. Pieces cut from a furisode carry big, lively motifs and lots of colour.
Hōmongi
Hōmongi means "visiting wear". It is a semi-formal kimono for weddings, celebrations and formal visits. Its pattern flows across the seams over the shoulders, sleeves and hem, as if the kimono were one continuous painting. In a hōmongi piece, the motif often wraps around the garment and continues from front to back.
Tsukesage
The tsukesage sits between hōmongi and komon. Its motifs are placed so that they all point upwards when the kimono is worn, but unlike a hōmongi the pattern rarely runs across the seams and is usually smaller and quieter. It is a semi-formal kimono for parties, concerts or the tea ceremony.
Iromuji
An iromuji is a kimono dyed in a single colour, without a painted pattern. Many have a design woven into the silk, tone on tone, which only shows when light falls across the fabric. Iromuji are often worn to the tea ceremony. Iromuji pieces are calm and plain at first glance, with a subtle surface up close.
Komon
Komon means "small pattern". It is the everyday kimono, covered all over with a repeating motif, from tiny dots and flowers to geometric shapes. Because the pattern repeats across the whole fabric, a komon piece looks evenly patterned from every side, which makes it easy to combine and wear every day.
Tsumugi
Tsumugi is woven from silk thread spun by hand from cocoons that cannot be reeled into smooth silk. The result is a matte fabric with a slightly knobbly texture, and the pattern is woven in from threads dyed before weaving, often in fine kasuri (ikat) designs. Famous kinds such as Ōshima or Yūki tsumugi take months to make and are expensive – yet traditionally tsumugi counts as casual wear, not for formal occasions.
Yukata
The yukata is the lightest member of the kimono family: an unlined cotton kimono for summer. It is worn to summer festivals and fireworks, and traditional Japanese inns lend one to their guests after the bath. Yukata fabric is usually dyed cotton with bold, cheerful patterns such as flowers, waves, goldfish or dragonflies.
We use this same traditional fabric for the panels on our T-shirts with Japanese fabric, so you can wear a piece of yukata every day.
Shiromuku
The shiromuku is the pure white bridal kimono of a traditional Shinto wedding. Everything is white, from the kimono to the outer robe and the hood (wataboshi) or headpiece (tsunokakushi). White stands for purity and a new beginning.
Uchikake
The uchikake is a heavy, richly decorated outer robe that is worn open over the kimono, without an obi, and trails on the floor with its padded hem. It was once worn by women of samurai families; today brides wear it, either in white over the shiromuku or as a colourful iro-uchikake with cranes, phoenixes or flowers for the reception.
Haori
The haori is not a kimono but the jacket worn over one: hip- to thigh-length, open at the front and closed with a cord (haori-himo). Plain on the outside, many haori hide a beautifully patterned lining. If you like our high collar jackets, the haori is their traditional cousin.
Mofuku
The mofuku is the plain black kimono worn to funerals, with family crests and a black obi. Unlike the kurotomesode it has no pattern at all – a useful difference to know when you look at black vintage silk.
How to read our product titles
Our hooded ponchos and high collar jackets carry the kimono type in the title, for example "Hooded Tomesode Kimono Poncho | Black | Size 1" or "High Collar Komon Kimono Jacket | Black | Size 2". The description of each piece explains the type again and shows the fabric of that exact piece.
Every piece exists only once
No two kimono are the same, so no two of our pieces are the same either. Once a piece is sold, it is gone. Browse all upcycled kimono pieces to find the one that is meant for you.
