A Cut and Tattered Shibori Garment: Ragged Partial Kimono

early to mid twentieth century
shoulder to hem x sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 28" x 37", 71 cm x 94 cm

This jacket-like, fairly tattered "jacket" is actually a kimono that has been cut down to make this short garment.

The bottom hem is raw and chopped. The lining of recycled cotton is falling apart. There are stitched mends on both of the short sleeves. The garment is hacked up.

However the twice dyed shibori is beautiful to look at and for anyone interested in attempting it the garment can easily be refashioned into something wearable. Or the cloth can be disassembled and used in a completely different way--which is a very Japanese notion based on the concept of mottainai.

The type of shibori used to create this garment is a type developed or popularized during the 1920s and 30s and its true color tone is blue on blue, not blue on grey as the cloth appears in these photos.