Tomesode

The tomesode is the most formal kimono a woman wears. It has on it her family's mon, or family crest, and the most formal of all has five crests of in. There would be two crests on the front sleeves, two on the back of the sleeve, and one on the center seam. The sleeves of a tomesode are shorter and the sleeve opening is smaller than those of a furisode.

If the tomesode is slightly less formal then it would have three crests on it, all across the back. These crests are placed onto the kimono by hand drawing in a resisted area. At a wedding ceremony family members of both the bride and the groom might wear tomesode.

This is an example of a tomesode from the Taisho era, showing Mt. Fuji, gift carts and flowers.

This is a closeup of one part of the tomesode, The detail work on this is truly incredible and beautiful.

Another type of tomesode is the colored, or iro tomesode which is more for more festive, lighter occasions than the regular black tomesode.

Tomosodes from the Taisho era (1911-1925)