Kimonos get their colors in one of two ways: The fabric is woven from different colored threads; or the woven fabric is dyed. One example of kimono fabric with the color woven in is oshima-tsumugi, a fabric made on the island of Amami-Oshima south of Kyushu. This fabric is strong and has a gloss to it. Another example is yuki-tsumugi, made in the city of Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture; this fabric is said to be so sturdy it lasts 300 years.
Dyed kimonos start with white woven fabric, which then has a design drawn or embroidered onto it. This technique produces vividly colored fabrics. One example of dyed fabric is kyo-yuzen, which is made in Kyoto and is characterized by elaborate, lavishly colored designs. Another example is kaga-yuzen, produced in the city of Kanazawa. kaga-yuzen is characterized by realistic images from nature. (The word yuzen is the name for the stencil resist dyeing technique and the fabric it is used to create.)
japanese people are keenly aware of the four seasons, and the clothes they wear are always in keeping with the season. The Japanese are also very tuned in to the stages of their lives. Special events are held to mark milestones in children's growth, for instance, and people change their kimonos to fit both the season and the occasion.
Between 30 and 100 days after a child is born, the parents, siblings, and grandparents visit a shrine together to report the child's birth. The baby is dressed in a white under-kimono. On top of that kimono, the baby wears a brightly colored yuzen-dyed kimono if it is a girl, and a black kimono decorated with the family crest if it is a boy.
In the Meiji period, people began wearing the obi with accessories known as obi-age and obi-jime. The obi-age (bustle sash) held in place the pad that was used to shape the tied bow. The obi-jime was used to hold the obi in place. The use of these accessories in different color combinations became a way for people to show off their sense of style.
Other essential items worn with the kimono include the han'eri (half collar, a lining for the collar of the inner kimono) and tabi (split-toe socks worn with zori sandals). These items are pure white so as to show off the colors of the kimono.
At the age of 20, young people celebrate their passage into adulthood by visiting a shrine on Coming-of-Age Day, the second Monday in January. For this occasion, girls wear furisode (kimonos with long flowing sleeves) and boys wear haori (half-coats) and hakama decorated with their family
Another key event in a kid's life is the Shichi-Go-San ("seven-five-three") Festival, which takes place in November. On this day, parents take their five-year-old boys and seven-year-old or three-year-old girls to the local shrine to thank the gods for keeping their children healthy and making them grow. The kids are dressed in kimonos for this occasion too.