Traditional Clothing Materials
Available raw materials are resourcefully used in Ainu culture. Deer, fox, and seal pelts are used to make clothing, and fish skin to make boots, and fibers from materials such as elm tree bark and nettle stems woven into cloth. As cotton from Honshu became more widely available in the mid-nineteenth century, they began to make cotton clothing. Men and women still wear kimono-shaped coats decorated with applique and embroidery in geometric patterns for ceremonies and special occasions. Common motifs include spiral and thorn patterns. These garments were sometimes adapted from kimono traded from Honshu, or used panels of kimono silk as decoration.