Make Your Own Japanese Clothes: Patterns and Ideas for Modern Wear

Classical elegance. Loose-fitting comfort. Versatility. Functional design. These are just some of the reasons why traditional Japanese clothes have captured the imagination of modern fashion designers and stylish dressers around the world.

Making Japanese clothes is surprisingly simple. Patterns consist of virtually all straight lines, and the non-body-conforming shapes require no darts, buttonholes, or zippers.

Here, in this creative sourcebook, is all the information you need to sew authentic Japanese clothes or to design your own Japan-inspired fashions:

BL Step-by-step instructions for making 14 select traditional garments, from the luxurious wedding rove and the classic kimono to the informal hanten jacket and practical field pants
BL Detailed patterns that can be adjusted to fit any size
BL An introduction to the basic building blockssleeve shapes, collars, hems, linings, and paddingso creative sewers can design their own fashions
BL Over 40 sketches with many more suggestions for modern variations on the classic garments
BL A choice of authentic Japanese techniques or simplified methods that achieve the same look
BL How to use any width fabric, whether narrow Japanese fabric or standard Western widths
BL Sources of Japanese fabric and sewing accessories
BL Care and storage guidelines
BL Fabric suggestions, ideas for creative wear, historical information, and much more