Yukata – Japanese Summer Dress

The yukata (浴衣) is the casual version of the kimono. It is a dress normally made of cotton or synthetic fabrics, which covers the body in one piece and is held up with a belt called an obi . The name yukata comes from the word “yu” (bath) and the word “katabira” (traditional underwear or undergarment). In the Heian era (794-1185), noble people at court wore linen yukata, which they wore loosely after taking a bath. Later, the military began to use them as well, and by the Edo era (1600-1868) when public baths gained popularity in Japan, the use of yukata spread to the entire population.

The yukata is a cool outfit. Like other traditional Japanese clothing, it is made with straight cuts and wide sleeves. Unlike formal kimono, yukata are typically made of cotton rather than silk.

Yukata have become the standard clothing during summer festivals. Yukata designs have become more attractive and complex, to a point where it is not easy to tell them apart from a kimono. Yukata for men tend to have darker colors and simpler designs, while those for young girls are usually bright and colorful, often with flower designs. Yukata for older women are usually less flashy.

Since the late 1990s, the yukata has enjoyed some increasing popularity, with many girls wearing them during the summer even outside of traditional parameters. Normally, the yukata is very traditional and the correct way to wear it is not very obvious or intuitive. The left side of the yukata should be placed over the right side as the opposite mode is used exclusively for the dead at their funeral), and the obi (belt) is used to prevent the yukata from opening unexpectedly. In private, after a bath, the yukata is usually only tied with a simpler ribbon. It is common to wear geta or zori footwear with the yukata.