Japanese Heian Era Court Costume: The Twelve-Layered Kimono (Illustration)

The "juunihitoe" (十二单衣) is the formal court attire worn by high-ranking female officials above the rank of Meifu during Japan's Heian period. However, since women of the Heian era rarely appeared in public settings, the women of the palace would typically wear a karaginu or a ko-karaginu in their daily lives, and don suō and tangi for more formal occasions.