Iris Garden at Horikiri

This print illustrates a fashion trend that emerged in the last half of the 19th century. Along with somber grays and browns, dark blue was one of the most popular colors among the middle class citizens of the Edo city. The austere elegance of this woman's indigo robe is enhanced by the red of her inner robe that is modestly shown at her cuffs, hem, and collar. The fashion for a more somber, less feminine look was referred to as iki in Japanese and became the fashion trend of the late 19th century. Here, pattern has been relegated to the hem of her kimono and consists of a stylized stream and fallen cherry blossoms-adding a somber poetic sensibility to the woman's ensemble. The iki aesthetic was more commonly seen among geisha, professional entertainers (dancers and musicians) who worked in the pleasure quarters. Thus, geisha replaced the prostitutes as fashion leaders.