Kimono - Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer)
The attire in the Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) series would undoubtedly be a main aspect that sets it apart from other anime released in the same timeline of history thus far. The vivid colors and elegant designs of each character's kimono throughout the series leaves its fans in anticipation of the next entrance of characters with beautiful kimono designs.
Brief History (Kimono vs Yukata)
The kimono easily gets confused with the light fabric and casual version called, yukata (浴衣, loosely translated as "bathing clothes"). The yukata is mostly worn during the summer season due to its thin cotton fabric. Thus it is worn for entering hot springs (温泉, onsen), and any activity conducted in hot and humid weather, and also as pajamas due to its thin and comfortable fabric. Contrarily, the kimono is made of silk, making it heavy to wear. Therefore, it is mostly worn in winter, fall, and spring seasons to protect the body from cold weather and temperatures. It can also be worn during the summer depending on the occasionーtraditional festivals and performances.
In Western terminology, the kimono can be thought of as streetwear and the yukata as a hoodie outfit. Both the yukata and kimono have designs and patterns sold in various colors.They also require extra parts such as a belt (帯,obi), and undergarment (長襦袢,nagajuban).
However, the kimono has embroidered patterns and designs versus the yukata with simple prints. Kimono designs have specific meanings emphasizing social status, birthplace, personal values(pattern meanings) and also family crests called kamon (家紋). Lastly, due to the fabric and materials used, the yukata is cheaper than the kimono.
Haori
A haori(羽織) is considered a cardigan or light jacket in Western standards, and is worn over a kimono. It is mostly worn from fall to spring, but with exceptions to fashion and formal ceremonial purposes it can be worn in the summer. Normally it is made with strings that connect the lapels to close it for the jacket effect, or it is kept open to reveal the kimono.
Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and the members of the Demon Slayer Corps all wear haori rather than a kimono in the series. The main character who wears a kimono is Nezuko Kamado due to closing the kimono with an obi belt.
Character Specific Haori/Kimono
Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado's kimono is a black and green checkered pattern. It is said that the checkered pattern that all of his family members wear on their kimonoーwith the exception of Nezuko when she becomes a Demonーrepresents the symbol of prosperity and fruitful connections. In relation to this, Tanjiro has a generous personality and always values his encounters.
When Nezuko becomes a Demon, she wears a dominantly pink colored kimono with black colored design of hemp leaf patterns, a white and red checkered obi with an orange obi strap, a light green sash matching the color of her bamboo mouthpiece, and a faded black haori. Since ancient times, the hemp leaf represented hope for prosperous health and protection against evil. In Japanese history, the late Taisho era, early Meiji era, was infamously known for a high infant death rate. It was custom to wrap a newborn baby in a hemp leaf designed kimono to rid away evil spirits and bid a healthy prosperous life.
Zenitsu wears a gradation of an orange and yellow colored haori with the Japanese-esque fish scales, which are more spaced out than the traditional fish scale designs making it an original design. This design in the Edo era represented a snake and spider shedding its skin to symbolize ridding evil spirits.
Kimono Goods
After the release of the TV animated series in April 2019, cosplay and fashion wear of the series begin to sell worldwide. The most popular item being the main character, Tanjiro's, haori and unique rising sun earrings.
Tanjiro and other character's outfits can be found at best seller cosplay online stores. Prices range depending on character popularity, such as the main five being Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Giyuu Tomioka and Inosuke. Tanjiro's outfit starts at approximately $40 (shipping tax not included). Nezuko's outfit starts at approximately $50. Zenitsu is at roughly $50 or $60.
Inosuke, although he doesn't normally wear a shirt throughout the series, his unique boar head and boots can be quite costly. Ranging at a $30 start to complete the Inosuke cosplay.
Lastly, a popular sub-character, Giyu Tomioka, has a unique design of a half maroon and half patterned haori. The pattern is said to represent a turtle shell which is believed to be "the will of God" and longevity in ancient fortune telling. Giyuu's cosplay starts at $40.
Avoiding bootleg versions of character haori and kimono designs are simple at physical stores, since you can inspect them. Online stores can be tricky because the pictures do not match the actual product sometimes. To avoid purchasing a bootleg kimono and haori fans are urged to use a trusted webstore and pay attention to picture and description details listed about the product.