noun
court lady's costume (Heian period)
Archaic term for the formal attire worn by women serving in the inner palace during the Heian period.
平安時代の女房装束は、十二単のような重ね着が特徴的だった。
The court lady's costume of the Heian period was characterized by layered garments like the twelve-layered robe.
十二単 is a specific type of layered court robe, while 女房装束 refers more broadly to the entire costume of a court lady.
Compound of 女房 (court lady) and 装束 (costume, attire). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is conventionally associated with Heian-period court attire.