Houmongi

A houmongi in red and white, worn in a traditional Japanese garden in April 2015. Houmongi means visiting kimono, and its test is the seams: the design is planned so it flows over them unbroken, here with large red flowers sweeping from sleeve to skirt. Married and unmarried women both wear it, and as the next step down from the most formal robes it is suitable for any formal occasion, which makes it the most versatile dressy kimono to own.