A Lightly Padded Sleeveless Garment: Piece Constructed Cotton

early to mid twentieth century
30 1/12" x 20", 77.5 cm x 51 cm

This garment is called a sodenashi which literally means "without sleeves." It is lightly padded with cotton and it is shown here inside-out in order to display the wonderful cotton pieces that were hand stitched to make it.

The dimensions quoted above are noted when the piece is laid flat: the first dimension is from shoulder to hem; the second one is from side to side, bottom.

Garments like this were meant to be hang open on the body as we see it shown here. 

You can see the various pieces of old cotton that were hand stitched and hand pieced to create this;a very short piece of the hand stitched seam on top, right, back of the sodenashi has become loose and there is some loss to the cotton at the area where the collar meets the shoulder on the proper right shoulder seam and this loss of cotton shows some of the cotton batting which lightly pads the vest.

Still very wearable either inside-out as shown here or as it was intended.

Lovely.