Clothing is integral to the way that we live, changing with each shift in history and society. Western clothing is the origin of what many of us wear today, and the Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI) systematically collects and preserves outstanding examples of western clothing through the centuries, as well as the documents and other items related to this area of study. The institute also conducts research, subsequently exhibiting or publishing its findings. ©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Kazuo Fukunaga