noun
formal kimono with patterns at the hem; married woman's ceremonial kimono
A type of formal kimono worn by married women, typically pastel-colored with designs only along the bottom skirt. Worn at weddings and other ceremonial occasions.
結婚式には、母が色留袖を着て出席した。
My mother attended the wedding wearing an irotomesode.
色留袖は、既婚女性の最も格式高い礼装の一つです。
The irotomesode is one of the most formal attires for married women.
振袖 is a long-sleeved kimono for unmarried women, while 色留袖 is for married women and has shorter sleeves.
Compound of 色 (iro, 'color'), 留 (tome, from 留める 'to fasten', referring to the shorter sleeves of a married woman's kimono), and 袖 (sode, 'sleeve').