Jacket from a theatrical costume

Unlined jackets with relatively small sleeves such as this garment are called mizugoromo, meaning "water cloth," or "cloth washed in water." Mizugoromo are used in Kyogen and Noh performances. Warp and weft threads are pulled out of alignment in loosely woven gauze to make the cloth look threadbare from prolonged use owing to poverty or other circumstances. Mizugoromo are worn by actors in male and female roles, especially those of travelers, farmers, fishermen, and Shinto priests.

Few old examples of mizugoromo have survived not only because the gauze is so fragile but also because only a limited number of roles required this kind of costume.