At the time of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, men readily adopted the business suit and reserved kimono for home, relaxation and formal wear. A man's kimono is usually dark-blue, brown, gray or black. The material is silk or handwoven wool for winter and cotton for summer.
The formal attire, consisting of Haori and Hakama, a divided skirt-trouser worn over the kimono, is equivalent to a tuxedo or tails. Today, however, Hakama is generally used only by artists, actors and family patriarchs. The common formal attire of present-day Japanese men is a morning coat and striped trousers.
The thickly padded over-kimono worn in winter for lounging is called Dotera or Tanzen. Japanese men also wear Obi, but usually of a subdued color and sometimes made of soft silk.
The summer season brings out the traditional Yukata, an informal, unlined kimono made of cotton and worn with a narrow sash, which is usually worn to the bath or on summer evenings. Simple in style and construction, it has been the favorite attire for relaxation, but even Yukata are gradually disappearing from the urban scene.
Children's kimonos have tucks along the shoulders and around the waist, and these tucks are let out from time to time to widen and lengthen the kimono to fit the growing body.
On the feet, Tabi, or Japanese socks with one socket for the big toe, are worn, white for women and black and sometimes white for men.
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