The History of Kimono Silk

Silk Discovery

• Silk was discovered by the Chinese nearly 5,000 years ago. Chinese oral history claims that a princess accidentally discovered the silk worm after it fell into a cup of tea and then spun a cocoon of pure silk. The Chinese realized the many benefits of using silk as a fabric and jealously guarded the secrets of its production for the next 3,000 years.
  
  

Silk Finds Kimono

• The first Japanese kimonos were made of hemp and were simple garments for either males or females. In about 400 A.D., during the Yamato Period of Japan, Chinese settlers brought to Japan the secret of silk manufacturing and introduced the fabric into the production of kimonos. During this period it was not known how to use dyes to color the silk, so all silk kimonos were white.
  
  

Silk Meets Color

• Dyes allowed for vibrant colors to be added to the silk kimono.Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  Around 700 A.D., during the Nara period, dyes were first used in the silk kimono, which started a new fashion trend. This period is credited with the "birth of the kimono," since many different styles and colors became available, and kimonos were differentiated for events such as weddings, tea ceremonies, and funerals.
  
  

Modern Era

• The many styles of the silk kimono seen today derive mainly from the Edo period (1600 A.D. to 1900 A.D.). In this period advancements in the silk dyeing process were perfected, and and the silk kimono came into its own. Today, traditional kimonos are rarely worn as everyday dress, but instead are reserved for special occasions.