Japanese Fashion – Types of Kimonos: Yukata

Types of Kimonos: Yukata

Yukata is a casual, light cotton kimono that Japanese women AND men wear during summer. Yukata is brightly colored and is perhaps the simplest kimono to put on. Women can in fact learn how to put the Yukata on without much assistance – unlike the more traditional kimono like the Furisode. This kimono is often seen worn by women during the Bon Odori festival.

The name yukata comes from the word ‘yu’ (bath) and ‘katabira’ (under clothing).

In the Heian era (794-1185), court nobles wore linen ‘yukata’ which were draped loosely after taking a bath. The yukata was later also worn by Japanese warriors and by the Edo era (1600-1868), it was widely worn by the public when public bath became a popular recreation in Japan.

Today yukata is widely worn during summer festivals. It is also commonly worns in ryokans as well. Traditionally yukata were mostly made of indigo-dyed cotton but today a wide variety of colors and designs is available. Like the more formal kimono, the general rule is the younger the person, the brighter the color and bolder the pattern. A child might wear a multicolored print and a young woman, a floral print, while an older woman would confine herself to a traditional dark blue with geometric patterns. Since the late 1990s, yukata have experienced a bit of a revival, and many young women now wear them in summer in personally distinctive ways not limited by tradition.

Amongst men, the most common use of yukata in public is when it is worn by sumo wrestlers. Junior ranked sumo wrestlers are expected to wear yukata when out in public, irrespective of the weather conditions or time of year. During the summer all wrestlers tend to wear this attire.

Both men and women often wear yukata at traditional Japanese hotels, especially ones with their own onsen. After checking in, people often change into the yukata provided by the hotel. Many go for walks outside, to the public baths, and even to dinner and breakfast (taken in a communal dining room) in their yukata.

Here are some pictures of yukata kimonos:

Girl in Yukata