Montsuki – The traditional attire for men

Kimono as we know, is more commonly seen as traditional Japanese clothing worn by women. But one thing many people do not know is what the traditional attire for men is called. Thus, the Montsuki tends to be a bit overlooked by people.

Well, we are not saying this is mandatory knowledge. But as we know, knowledge is a gift, the more knowledge the better. Therefore, in this article, we will talk about the traditional Japanese attire for men.

Before we begin, we will first talk about the “Montsuki” as a piece of the traditional set. Then we will discuss the complete set of traditional attire. Just to note, the set consists of three main garments, in addition to other types of accessories and complements.

Montsuki – The traditional clothing for men

Montsuki can be basically defined as a formal kimono with family crests. It is worn by men on certain occasions. The usage is basically like that of women’s kimonos. “Mon” means “family crest” and “Tsuki” means “to wear”.

It is made of a smooth, solid fabric and has family crests embroidered on it. Its material is nothing less than the highest class silk called “Habutae”. Normally, having 5 crests is formal, but the use of three or one crest is also permitted.

The black Montsuki is called “Kuro Montsuki”. This is the most formal type and color for this male attire. As mentioned before, Montsuki is just one part of the complete set.

But one important thing is that generally, when Japanese people say “Montsuki“, they mean “Kuro Montsuki + Haori + Hakama”. Let’s explain better, starting with Haori, which is a type of kimono jacket.

Which is worn similarly to a coat. The Hakama is a long pleated skirt worn over the kimono. These are the other main pieces that are part of the set. But there are other parts such as:

• Juban
• Obi
• Shoes
• Outerwear
• Accessories

Let’s leave those other accessories for later. We will talk more about the Montsuki haori hakama set.

Montsuki haori hakama

This is the most traditional set for men. It was a semi-formal attire for samurai during the Edo period. Furthermore, this set was the most formal attire for commoners.

Nowadays, a montsuki haori hakama set is appropriate to wear on ceremonial or highly formal occasions. We can cite, for example:

• At a traditional Japanese wedding;
• An engagement ceremony;
• At a funeral;
• At formal award ceremonies;
• And as formal attire for sumo wrestlers;

In short, the uses are basically for traditional ceremonies and special occasions. So we can see that the importance of the set does not diminish.

If we pay attention to this detail, we can affirm that the price may not be cheap. Of course, it is an outfit worn on important occasions, so it is worth spending.

What do you think of this Japanese attire called Montsuki? Did you know about it? I hope you enjoyed the article, we appreciate comments and shares.