what is the "taisho roman style"? what does it include?? I'm so curious
“Taisho Roman” can very roughly be seen as Japan’s roaring twenties era, sandwiched between the two world wars. I won’t go into detail concerning the historical aspect, but if you are interested, you can find a nice overview here.
In modern kimono fashion, Taisho Roman (short for “Romance” or “Romantic”) designates a vintage styling inspired by the Taisho era. It can be from using actual Taisho items or simply recreating the feeling of that era.
Taisho era (and early Showa) saw bold Fashion trends, as it was when chimical dyes (=bolder colors), synthetic fibers (=rayon) and mechanical progress (=weaving factories) made novelty items available (=cheaper) for a wider population.
The ongoing Westernization of Japan also historically made fashionable Western inspired items (such as lace, boots, hats, or gloves) and patterns (like roses and other Western fruits and flowers, or Western items like buildings or music instruments for example ).
Taisho roman style also finds inspiration in the Môga (”modern girls”, more or less Japanese flappers) looks or the covers of women magazine of the 1920/30′s, especially regarding hairstyles. Japanese modernist graphic designs are also an inspiration.
Taisho Roman style (the modern fantasied take on an actual historical era, let me stress this aspect!) saw a big revival a few years ago. It has faded a bit, especially the more ‘costumy” takes (which was closer to “kimono hime” looks with A LOT of accessories). But from time to time, you see outfits with Taisho Roman flair (people like Sumiyo-san from Wing often has striking antique/vintage pieces beautifully styled).
If you want to learn more about historical kimono fashion of that time, I recommend the exhibition catalogue Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan which presents an amazing overview of the history of early 20th century kimono:
I hope this helps, don’t hesitate if you have further questions :)