AMAZING reference chart put together by Nadeshico Rin, showing the different attires worn by the men of the buke class in and about Edo Castle. OP stresses the chart is by no means exhaustive - but it helps picturing things SO MUCH!
For easier reading, I have adapted the chart with english translation. Rin has also created illustrations detailing each attire, I'll translate those in coming days under the tag "samurai kimono".
Everyday wear for the warrior class - Nagakamishimo and Hankamishimo
(as worn by samurai of the Edo period - great charts by Nadeshico Rin). You can find more about samurai ranks and their regulated attires under the tag "samurai kimono".
The Nagakamishimo (here with noshime)
長上下 Nagakamishimo was worn by all upper ranked samurai.
肩衣 Kataginu - sleeveless overvest, with startched shoulders. It bore back and shoulder 紋 mon (family crests).
It's said to be an evolution of 素襖 Suô attire with detached sleeves.
Formal ones were also entirely covered with tiny dyed patterns, the 小紋 komon (clans tended to have their favourite ones, used by all their retainers).
長袴 Nagabakama - hakama pants with long trailing legs.
Formal look required it to match the kataginu.
熨斗目 Noshime - kosode (=ancestor of the kimono) with stripes or lattice pattern at waist area. Note the mon family crest on the sleeves and back.
Noshime was also worn under more formal sets, like the daimon, suô, hoi, etc.
小さ刀 Chîsagatana - small katana
The Hankamishimo
Also called 継上下 tsugi-gamishimo, 半上下 hankamishimo is the official everyday wear for all Edo period samurai.
Main difference with nagakamishimo are the shorter pants, far more suited to everyday life. Colors and fabrics were not especially regulated.
半袴 Hanbakama - ankle lenght pants, shorter than the more formal nagabakama. Today, it's simply called hakama.
脇差 Wakizashi - short sword worn by samurai, depending on the era is part of the 大小 daishô (sword set with a katana and wakizashi)
紋付小袖 Montsuki-kosode - kosode (=ancestor of the kimono) adorned with family crest
“Bustier obi” and matching tshirt set by Furifu. The bustier part is I think loosely inspired by women obi and samurai kataginu vest.
I don’t know what to do of this design. On one hand, I do like the black+gold version (even if the fabric reminds me of fake Chinese satin which was all the rage when I was a teenager).
On the other hand, 1) the weird “obijime” string is weird, 2) why do the backs ALL HAVE A BLACK ELASTIC?!???
Super fun modern take in traditional kamishimo* silhouette. Nadeshico Rin designed that cute suspender accessory which mimic the broad shoulders look of kataginu. The look is here complete with a hakama, some boots, and chufurisode (”small” sleeves furisode worn with hakama).
*Kamishimo is a ceremonial dress which was worn by samurai from Kamakura era until the late Edo period. Its name means lit. “top and bottom”: shimo/bottom designates the hakama pant (trailing ones like below were worn in super formal settings and called nagabakama), and kami/top designates the kataginu (a sleeveless ceremonial robe with wide pleated shoulders, most often bearing the wearer’s mon/crests):
Oh my, kataginu (wide shoulder kimono jackets, super formal attire for men back in time) always crack me up. It was then a way of marking one’s power status but it just reminds me of 80′s shoulder pad silhouettes xD
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Miho is hands down my favorite character from Frank Miller's Sin City. She doesn't say much and she's an efficient killer. You don't mess with "Deadly Little Miho." I don't have much interest in the design from the movie, but her comic book look is fantastic! I made a cosplay based on images from both "The Big Fat Kill" and "Family Values." For the top, I altered a vintage haori and made the kataginu from my own pattern. And based on a colored page from "The Big Fat Kill," she has a white sash.
Photography by : Nguyen Dong
Clothing by myself.
Earrings by Michelle Loon (La Loon Designs)
Worn at: Wondercon 2013
