Montsuki Haori Hakama

A couple after a Shinto wedding in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, in May 2005: the groom in black montsuki with striped hakama, the bride in a gold uchikake. Black montsuki is the most formal kimono a man can wear, with five crests on both the kimono and the haori jacket, and striped hakama are preferred with it for formal occasions. Next to the bride's robe it shows how plain men's formal dress is, with all the color and pattern of the day left to her.