The Style Dictionary: Kimono Sleeves

I got an e-mail from a reader quite some time ago asking how I learned style terminology and whether there was a book that could point out the difference between a shift and a sheath, for instance. To be honest, I don't think I learned a lot of these terms until I got into vintage patterns. Vintage descriptions of clothing seem so much more detailed to me than our modern language. For a fun new feature, I thought I would do dedicated posts to various style terms. The posts will include examples from vintage patterns and vintage clothing. Let's jump in today with a simple but fascinating one: kimono sleeves!

Dior's "Ecarlate" Dress of 1955

Kimono sleeves are drafted in one with a bodice. They look very simple (and almost boxy) when you look at the pattern piece. But on the body, they create a lovely, soft effect.

Kimono sleeves are, in fact, modeled after the Japanese kimono and they gained popularity during World War II when Asian styles became more wide-spread. In the 1940s, kimono sleeves were still worn with shoulder pads, retaining that popular strong-shouldered look.

With the advent of Dior's New Look in 1947, with its softer silhouette, women favored more subtle shoulder pads--or none at all.

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As bodice styles became more fitted, designers would add an underarm gusset (a triangular pattern piece) to a kimono sleeve to keep a close fit while still retaining mobility for the wearer.

Underarm gusset

Pattern pieces for the style above

By the early 1960s, kimono sleeves were still in style, but bodices had gotten a little blousier, eliminating the need for gussets.

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There we have it, the amazing kimono sleeve! Please let me know if there are any particular entries you would like in this new series.