Japanese Dress in Detail

Bringing together more than 100 items of clothing, this book reveals the intricacies of Japanese dress from the 18th century to the present. Including garments for women, men, and children, the details have been selected both for their exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, and for how much they impart about the wearer’s identity, be it age, status, or taste.

A comprehensive introduction, illuminating the main periods and key themes of Japanese fashion history, is followed by thematic chapters that cover all aspects of clothing, from hair accessories and necklines to hemlines and shoes. Each garment or object is accompanied by a short text exploring its structure and the fascinating range of decorative techniques employed, including embroidery, weaving, lacquering, stenciling, dyeing, and digital technology. Specially commissioned detail photography and line drawings provide an invaluable resource for Japanophiles, students, collectors, designers, and lovers of fashion and world dress.

About the author: Josephine Rout is a project curator in the Asian Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Anna Jackson is keeper of the Asian Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum.