kimono worn right over left; dressing a corpse
Specifically refers to the way a kimono is folded right side over left, which is the custom for dressing the dead. In everyday life, the opposite (left over right) is correct.
死に装束は左前に着せる。
The burial kimono is worn with the right side over the left.
downturn; recession; bad financial situation
Figurative use derived from the kimono sense: a reversal of normal order, implying economic decline or personal financial trouble.
不況で会社の経営が左前になった。
Due to the recession, the company's finances took a downturn.
家計が左前で、節約を強いられている。
Our household budget is in bad shape, forcing us to cut back.
front left; front and left
Literal spatial meaning: the area or direction that is both in front and to the left. Less common than the other senses.
左前の席に座ってください。
Please sit in the front-left seat.
It is customary to dress a corpse in a kimono folded right over left.