In the beginning, both men and women wore furisode for their Japanese dress; the story is told of a young woman who modeled after and then wore the famous furisode made of purple silk crepe of the young man she loved--which is said to be the cause of the Great Meireki Fire (of 1657, also called the "Furisode Fire")--which seems to suggest that in terms of color, pattern and composition, there was very little difference between men's and women's furisode at that time.
元は男女とも和服に振袖を採用し、明暦の大火の原因と伝えられる紫縮緬の振袖も少女が意中の若衆の衣装を写して着用したものといわれ、色柄や構造に男女差がほとんど無かったことが伺える。