Changes

==Garments==

==Garments==

Ryukyuan robes, or ''ryûsô'' (琉装), are quite similar to Japanese kimono, but are not cut identically. The sleeves are never left open, as they are in Japanese garments, but rather are attached to the body of the garment, sometimes with what's called a "gusset," an extra piece of fabric under the arm (where the sleeve meets the body) that adds greater range of motion at the shoulders. The collar generally extends all the way down the garment, and the ''koshiage'', a tuck for shortening or lengthening the garment, is generally located a bit further down.

Ryukyuan robes, or ''ryûsô'' (琉装), are quite similar to Japanese kimono, but are not cut identically. The open ends of the sleeves are left completely open, rather than being sewn up halfway and forming a sort of pocket at the end of the sleeve as in Japanese kimono. Meanwhile, where Japanese kimono often have an open, disconnected, section where the sleeve meets the body of the garment, in Ryukyuan garments this is not typically left open. Instead, sleeves are fully attached to the body of the garment, often with a triangular "gusset," an extra piece of fabric under the arm (where the sleeve meets the body) that adds greater range of motion at the shoulders. The collar generally extends all the way down the garment, and is often rolled out or rolled back, forming a visible band of color down the front.<ref>''Bingata! Only in Okinawa'', 115.</ref>

Like the Japanese kimono, Ryukyuan robes tend to be made from a single straight bolt of cloth, and not from pieces cut out according to a pattern. One of the key differences, however, outside of the colors and patterns on the garment, is that Ryukyuan robes tend not to be tucked up under an ''[[obi]]'' (belt) the way Japanese ones are, and so the robe needs to be the appropriate length for the wearer. Various types of ties or belts are sometimes used, however; sometimes, a ''himo'', or tie, is even tied on the inside of the garment, in a manner particularly distinctive of the Ryukyuan style, and not used for Japanese garments.

Like the Japanese kimono, Ryukyuan robes tend to be made from a single straight bolt of cloth, and not from pieces cut out according to a pattern. One of the key differences, however, outside of the colors and patterns on the garment, is that Ryukyuan robes tend not to be tucked up under an ''[[obi]]'' (belt) the way Japanese ones are, and so the robe needs to be the appropriate length for the wearer. Ryukyuan robes also tend to be cut wider. Various types of ties or belts are sometimes used, however; sometimes, a ''himo'', or tie, is even tied on the inside of the garment, in a manner particularly distinctive of the Ryukyuan style, and not used for Japanese garments.

Basic forms of Ryukyuan garments include the unlined, single-layer ''tanashi'' worn in the summer, and the ''watajin'', with lining for the winter, though the climate remains quite mild in Okinawa in the winter. The ''watajin'' had longer, wider sleeves, and the lining often featured ''bingata'' or ''kasuri'' patterns. Such robes were often worn with the collar turned down, revealing the color and pattern of the inner lining.

Basic forms of Ryukyuan garments include the unlined, single-layer ''tanashi'' worn in the summer, and the ''watajin'', with lining for the winter, though the climate remains quite mild in Okinawa in the winter. The ''watajin'' had longer, wider sleeves, and the lining often featured ''bingata'' or ''kasuri'' patterns. Such robes were often worn with the collar turned down, revealing the color and pattern of the inner lining.