Textile & Fashion

Elite warriors of the Kamakura Period adopted items of court dress, but lived active lives as their travelled and fought, asserting control of their lands. They were also obliged to consider practicalities. Unnecessary elements of wear were deleted, and, in tandem with this, they took lessons from commoner dress. The resulting fusion produced an identifiable military style.
Previously, elites had dressed in an understated way, and unless bright costumes were required for identification in battle, they would not indulge in anything fancy. But in the Momoyama Period, there was great social flux, and standing out from the crowd became desirable. Across the board clothing became more flashy. The military elite developed a fascination for exotic, European textiles and finished items, and began to use them too. Fine cloth was thought a kind of proof of virtue, and to stand out gave one a sense of youthful vigour. The fashion was for the strange.