Hi! I have wrote a large article about Japanese kimono.
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Wafuku means traditional Japanese clothing. It is parallel term to yofuku 
(western clothing). Kimono is perhaps most unique wafuku. In the old times, 
both men and women used kimonos as everyday costume, but nowadays only women 
wear it in formal occasions. Men are seen wearing kimonos very rarely in 
Japan, only in their wedding or other traditional ceremony. Women can wear 
kimono in various occasions, starting from seijinshiki, to omiai, or 
traditional tea ceremony. Japanese kimono is most famous wafuku abroad. In 
new year's concert in Vienna, many Japanese women are seen wearing kimono.

Usually Japanese women own only one kimono, furisode, and that's what they 
got from their parents or relatives as a present for seijinshiki.

What truly creates kimono atmosphere? Is it the pattern of woman's obi or 
whiteness of her tabi? Or is it the way how her sleeves swing in the wind 
when young woman is going to temple to celebrate her seijinshiki? The spirit 
of the woman herself is eventually the thing that gives kimono it's beauty 
and character. Today's Japanese women wear jeans and sit legs crossed in 
train. Although there are kimono academies and new styles, it is hard to 
find a woman who would be thrilled about wearing kimono As Kondo Tomie said 
in (The feminine heart of dressing, 1985):
"If you wear kimono yourself, it's obvious that the sleeves get in the way 
as soon as you do anything and that your steps are hindered by the narrow 
skirt. I suppose, too, that the soul of a woman who wears kimono is 
spiritually in a man's shadow as she walks behind him, suppressing any trace 
of her own ego. Since such women are rare these days, it's probably useless 
to hope to find anyone who truly loves to wear kimono."

What ultimately makes kimono, is the way to wear it, not the shininess of 
kimono fabric itself. I once saw a woman wearing kimono in a hurry, quickly 
wrapping her obi in simple man's style, and still her character was mostly 
Japanese, attractive and most kimono-like. As often heard from the experts, 
when worn correctly, kimono should bring no discomfort to woman. Some 
disagree though. For example, the fact is that woman cannot eat much when 
wearing obi. You simply cannot tie it so loose that it would allow woman to 
enjoy a satisfying meal. This has without a question affected growth of 
young women in old time who wore kimono through their youth in Japan. 
Following feminist statement, from a male writer says:

"The kimono has a criminal record. For hundreds of years, up until the 
twentieth century, the kimono has unilaterally insulted the female sex and 
caused women to suffer. It has prevented free expression and impeded natural 
growth. When women finally removed their kimono, they burst in the shackles 
of feudalism. But now the silky insinuating voice of kimono is heard again, 
seeking to confine women to the dim and cramped backstage of life. Who would 
say it's appeal is simply due to a feminine desire for elegance? We must 
expose kimono for the pernicious device it is. " - Clothing historian 
Murakami Nobuhiko, Agura o Kaku Musumetachi...