Kaede

Background
Kaede is the younger Sister of Kikyo, and the Miko to the village. Kaede was perhaps ten years of age when her sister Kikyo died, and was charged by Kikyo to oversee the funeral, especially to include the Shikon Jewel in the funeral pyre.

In "Present Day Feudal Japan" Kaede is about 60 years of age. Like her dead sister, she is also an archer and supervises the protection of her small village. While her spiritual powers are not as great as Kikyo's she still is able to magically place the Beads of Subjugation on InuYasha and create barrier to hold Yokai at bay. In addition to tending to the spiritual needs of the village, she is also well skilled in herbal medicines, care of wounds, and apparently a good cook. She lives in a small one room hut that has both a hive-shaped baking stove along one wall and a common central cooking/heating fire.

Kaede's Clothing:
Kaede's clothing is identical to Kikyou's. She is wearing the tradional dress of a Miko, which has remained essentially unchanged to this day.

Kaede wears a white jacket with sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and the open shoulders similar to Inuyasha's and Jaken's. Strings called muna-himo are attached to each lapel, and are tied in front to keep the garment in place.
 * Jacket

Kosode (literally: "little sleeve") were originally worn as underwear but by the Kamakura era, became accepted outer layer garments; more dressy with less sculpted sleeves. Kosode of the Heian and Kamakura Periods were always white. Inuyasha's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt, and extending to slightly past the wrist.
 * Kosode (shirt)

The slits in the side of the hakama show the white kosode, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of the hitoe (jacket) show it as well. This is a deliberate fashion effect.

Kaede wears bright red hakama, which include the small board at the lower back. A Miko is one of the few women who would wear hakama.
 * Hakama

On her feet, Kaede wears common tabi (socks with a split for the big toe) and rice straw sandals.
 * Tabi

During a battle prior to Kikyo's death, Kaede lost an eye. She now wears an iron Tsuba (sword guard) as an Eye-Patch.
 * Eyepatch

The Tsuba-as-an-eyepatch motif is seen repeatedly in historic "Samurai Films" such as those directed by Akira Kurosowa and produced by Tohei Films (frequently featuring Toshiro Mifune). These films were often based on well-known myths (ie: Amaterasu, Grass-cutter), legends, (ie: Yojimbo, "the Nameless Samurai", The Seven Samurai); and actual historic figures (ie: Miyamoto Musashi, "The 47 Ronin").