The karaginumo or "twelve-layered" (juunihitoe) formal robe was worn by women on special occasions. A woman's skill in chosing fabrics, patterns, and color combinations was a mark of her taste and sensibility. Certain colors were permitted only to to the highest ranks and another sign of a woman's talents was her ability to dress originally within those restrictions. The seclusion of women prompted the custom of letting ones multi-layered sleeves show attractively beneath screens and curtains at home and in carriages when men might be present to see them.