#hitatare

Samurai's ranks and dress code in Late Edo period

AMAZING reference chart put together by Nadeshico Rin, showing the different attires worn by the men of the buke class in and about Edo Castle. OP stresses the chart is by no means exhaustive - but it helps picturing things SO MUCH!

For easier reading, I have adapted the chart with english translation. Rin has also created illustrations detailing each attire, I'll translate those in coming days under the tag "samurai kimono".

You'll find the transliteration below cut:

(as worn by samurai of the Edo period - great charts by Nadeshico Rin). You can find more about samurai ranks and their regulated attires under the tag "samurai kimono".

The Hitatare

直垂 Hitatare first appeared as an attire worn by lower class warriors. As buke (warrior class) rose into status, it was slowy established as a formal garb for samurai during Kamakura period.

In Edo period, hitatare was the most formal attire worn by samurai of the 3rd rank and above. Fabrics used were luxurious, such as 精好織 seigo-ori (a type of textured silk, also used for Shinto priest clothing nowadays).

風折烏帽子 Kazaori-eboshi - black-lacquered hat made of silk, cloth or paper, originally worn by Heian nobility. Many eboshi shapes exist, this one is a upright style (tate-eboshi 立烏帽子) with top folded to the left.

袴 Hakama - formal pants, more exactly 長袴 nagabakama trailing pants

小さ刀 Chîsagatana - a small decorative katana

胸紐 Munahimo - chest ties​, first appeared on Heian nobility clothes

菊綴 Kikutoji - decorative tassel-like knots, first appeared on Heian nobility clothes

袖括 Sodekukuri - decorative sleeve ties. Originally appeared on Heian clothings (like kariginu, nôshi, etc) where they were used to tighten sleeve cuffs. Later types like the tiny ones above are purely decorative.

The Daimon

The 大紋 daimon is a specific hitatare set patterned with large 紋 mon (clan/family crests). It was worn by fifth court rank samurai (rank of the daimyô lords for example).

It was put over a 熨斗目 noshime, a type of kosode (=ancestor of the kimono) worn by samurai, with stripes or lattice pattern around waist area.

The Suô

The 素襖 Suô, also a variation of the hitatare, was the ceremonial dress of the lower-ranked samurai. Via explicit permission of the shogunate, some samurai could be granted the right to wear 布衣 hoi (a type of kariginu).