3/8 - Merchant’s daughter old-Edo costume [full size / other charts]Edo period witnessed the rising

3/8 - Merchant’s daughter old-Edo costume [full size / other charts]Edo period witnessed the rising of the merchant class. Though considered the bottom of shogunate society, they kept growing more and more powerful and wealthy.Because somptuary laws were especially restrictive, merchants had to found ways of showing their wealth - without actually crossing the law. Tsumami kanzashi were one of them: those hairpins were expensive (demanding skilled crafters) without being made of precious metals like gold or silver. It was also the case of shibori fabrics which were extremely tedious to make.Before their wedding, daughter of wealthy families wore furisode, “swinging sleeves” kimono. Those long sleeves were cut once the lady had married, the kimono becoming what is now called tomesode. Here the model wears a fashionable black edo collar and a han eri called in a fancy way “kasane eri” - a nod to Heian era fashion. The model’s hair is styled in shimada mage. This simple hairdo is here decorated with a profusion of hairpins and accessories - a not so subtle nod to this lady’s family wealth![picture source: personnal translation of Edo costume pose - hairstyles and outfits / 江戸コスチュームポーズ資料集 髪型と衣装編 - ISBN 9784766123074] -- source link

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