Padding, or hōsei, refers to the use of towels or other materials to shape the body into a more cylindrical form when wearing a kimono.
Why do we Padding (Hosei)
Kimonos are designed with straight lines, so think of it this way: imagine you have a cylinder and an hourglass figure. Which one would a rectangular piece of fabric wrap more smoothly around?
The answer is the cylinder. A straight-lined body is more suited to wearing a kimono beautifully.
Is Hosei neccesarry ?
That said, padding isn’t a strict requirement. Some people may find it uncomfortable or too hot. Others might think it’s too much of a hassle. If we look at photos of people from the past, it’s hard to believe they used padding every day when wearing kimonos.
For everyday wear, comfort should be the priority. I have friends who don’t use any padding and even skip the collar stiffener (erishin). In the end, there’s no right or wrong way.
As for me, I prefer to use padding. I find it makes dressing in a kimono easier, helps prevent the kimono from becoming disheveled, and keeps the obi (sash) in place.
My Experience Without Padding (Hosei)
One hot day, I decided to go without any padding at all, and I ran into some difficulties.
Without padding, the ties didn’t stay secure while dressing, and I had to spend extra time adjusting things.
The finished look ended up somewhat loose and untidy, which wasn’t to my liking. (Of course, this is just personal preference.)
Convenient Items For Padding (Hosei)
There are pre-made padding items available for purchase, and I’ve tried them, but I prefer using towels. They offer more flexibility and adjust to the body better.
Here are a few examples of padding items:
Towels For Padding (Hosei)
The advantage of using towels is that you can make fine adjustments and they conform to your body well. I even sew bandages onto my towels to customize them for easier use.
As the years go by, I’ve also adjusted how I do my padding.
For example, since I’ve gained some weight around my midsection this year, I’ve been avoiding putting towels in the front.
Towels are great for making these kinds of personalized adjustments.
It’s not difficult: you simply add padding where you’re sunken in, and smooth over where you’re sticking out (though there’s not much you can do about the hips!).
I hope this serves as a useful reference!
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