(* I have found different names for those middle layers, nakagi and dounuki  being apparently the most used)

Kimono with matching dounuki are one of those bucket list kimono for me, I hope to own a set in good condition some day... and a contemporary one, if possible! The level of detail in the flowers here are amazing, even the dounuki has extra embellishments. The height of luxury!

Name: Kinpaku (金箔) - Gold Leaf Type: Donuki (胴抜) Time Period: Showa (1926-1989) Age: Vintage (40 -60 Years Old) Condition: Excellent - No Stains/Fading/Tears Material: Silk Motif(s): Repeating Interlocking Pattern Execution and Technique: Rinzu Value: $75 - 100 USD A donuki, which translates as “Undergarment (To Be Worn In Layers)”, is a quirk from a different age. Prior to World War II you could sometimes find kimono that came as a set - one that looked like a normal kimono, and the other that looked like an exact copy of your kimono, but as if it were also a juban. This was due to the repeated pattern was found only at the hem and sleeves. The donuki was a way to show that you were wearing multiple kimono without actually having to spend the money on a second full kimono. Since the sleeves and hem were all that you could see they’d be replicated like the fashionable matching layering sets of the time. For rich families a woman often wore three kimono on her wedding day or the family had identical kimono made in different colors for each of their daughters, which also usually numbered three. These layering sets hearkened back to the incredibly fashionable Heian Period and were a major status symbol. The formula for a layering set looks like the following: Base layer: Longest, usually white or cream colored Middle Layer: Slightly shorter than the base layer, usually red/orange or purple colored Top Layer: Shortest of all three to allow the others to show underneath, usually black or blue colored Each kimono in the layering set would also feature five kamon, marking it as being of the highest formality. As stated above, these sets were very expensive, but also highly desired. The donuki emerged as a cost effective solution to be wearing that fashionable laying set, yet not having to bankrupt your family to do so. It wasn’t just brides or unmarried women that wore donuki - everyone did! Men, women, and children all wore layering sets to be a part of this trend. Wearing multiple kimono meant that you were raising the formality of your outfit as the multiple layers were a direct sign of wealth.  Fast forward beyond World War II and the layering sets have all but been forgotten. Since the amount of new kimono being made declined so too did the demand for older fashions or trends, thus making the donuki a relic of the past. This one, however, was made after World War II, likely between the 1960s and 1980s, and was probably used with stage costumes or possibly even as the old donuki were meant to be worn. Instead of matching another kimono it is simply to be used as a second layering kimono, with it not being a “full” kimono since it does not have an overall pattern. At first glance this piece may look like a juban (襦袢), the kimono worn underneath all other kimono that keeps skin from being seen while walking or moving (it is also where the eri is attached). However, there’s two things that mark this piece as not being a juban. The first, and most obvious, is the distinct lack of a white collar. Juban for women have white collars that you can attach eri to whereas this piece has a collar that is the same color as the majority of the piece. The second is that the dimensions of this piece are those of a finished kimono and not a juban, namely it’s too long to be a juban and the collar is too wide since it’s meant to be folded over when worn. So, how is this used? Well, once again you can look to my icon to see it in action. I’m wearing this donuki underneath my houmongi to give the purple a bit of contrast and to keep myself warm as it was a bit cool that day. Wearing an extra kimono meant that I didn’t need to wear a heavy coat and provided me with a fashionable accent. Donuki on their own are quite cheap compared to a normal kimono since you can’t wear them unless you’re prepared to dress in many layers. Also, since they don’t look like a normal kimono you can’t just wear them as if they were. However, donuki can be essential to the value of older, antique kimono if they were made as a set. Since donuki were cheap they were often discarded or separated from their original matching kimono. Having both the kimono and its donuki substantially raises the price of the set, kind of like having a toy in its original box. Since this piece is a stand alone it doesn’t have a match, but its versatility, wonderful rinzu, and excellent condition put the price in its favor.