That was fast!

So, I posted something about the westernization of clothing in Japan at what, sixish last night? and already, Karen (of Periodic elements of Style) has sent me this image (“Illustration of singing by the Plum Garden” by Toyohara Chikanobu, 1887), with this commentary:

I’ve attached an 1887 print of Japanese women wearingWestern-style dresses, but you can see (particularly on the women ingreen and in black) how they used Japanese fabrics and traditionalHeian-era color pairings to suit their tastes. In the Heian era,women of the imperial court would layer on up to twelve kimonos at atime, choosing colors to evoke nature…particular favorites were theplum blossom (pinks, purples, whites, and yellows), cherry blossom,and morning glories.

Karen (who knows about all this because she studied Japanese fashionhistory at Japan Women’s University) also declared her love for the Tenth Doctor. (Like that’s not the *default*, right? I mean, Chris Eccleston was absolutely great, but Tennant … )

Click on the image to check out a larger version at the site of professor John Dower of MIT, who also has much more about the Japan of this era.

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