Summers in Japan are very hot and humid. Without proper attire, people overheat. There are lots of outfits that are moisture wicking and very lightweight in shops to help battle the heat. Another popular choice is a traditional summer outfit called a jinbei. Jinbei is often worn at festivals throughout the hot months. While it is more commonly worn by children, adults often wear the outfit to keep cool during the festivities.
When my son was first born, my mother made his very first jinbei. He wore it to a Japanese festival in Seattle's International District when he was super little. Since then, he has always had hand-me-down or store-bought jinbeis to wear each summer.
For some reason, I decided that I could and wanted to make him a jinbei for this summer. Through a series of visits to various fabric stores, I was able to get all the supplies I needed - including seersucker fabric, known as "ripple" in Japanese.
It took me some time since I have never sewn clothes before (but I did watch my mother do it all my life) and the pattern was in Japanese. Through a lot of guessing (some educated, others wild) and a bit of translation by my husband, I was able to complete the project.
As soon as I finished it, my son put it on. He then refused to take it off for the rest of the evening. That in itself made all the work worth it. Plus it was nice to challenge myself with something new.
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