Yukata (浴衣) - History and How-to

Hello again everyone! I apologize for the lack of posting the last few months but it has been a bit difficult to get out and try new things with Coronavirus. Today though, I come to you with a very exciting post (for me at least!) about Japanese Yukata.

Just over a month ago, I ordered a custom yukata from a local shop. During this process, I was able to choose my fabric and they took my measurements to make sure it would fit me perfectly. It took just over a month for them to complete it and I was able to wear it for the first time at my kimono class yesterday!

Before I show you the pictures of me wearing it though, I thought it might be kind of cool to tell you all about the history of the yukata and what you will need to wear one of your own!

Yukata

A yukata is a casual kimono that is worn only in summer. It is usually made of cotton or synthetic fabrics and it is unlined so that it is as cool as possible in the summer heat. Nowadays, you usually only see yukata being worn for summer festivals (祭り- Matsuri) but sometimes people like to get together and have yukata parties or go out to eat in them.

Yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves and women's yukata have slits under the arms to allow for the obi to be tied tightly without ripping the fabric.

Traditionally, yukata were mostly made with indigo-dyed cotton. But today they come in a wide variety of colors and designs to suit every person's tastes. 

The general rule with yukata is that younger women wear bright, vibrant colors and bold patterns while older women wear darker, more mature colors with duller patterns. Men and boys, in general, tend to wear dark colors and solid patterns. The left side of the yukata is wrapped over the right side (BE CAREFUL! Wearing ANY kimono left over right is a no-go! That is how they dress bodies for funerals.) 

How-to

To start wearing yukata, you will need a few items. For those that aren't familiar with wearing kimono, they don't realize exactly how much is required even when wearing this "simpler" kimono. Below are the items you will need to wear your kimono!

Above is what is called a Juban (襦袢). It is an undergarment for kimono. For yukata, like above, they are made with breathable, cooler material and usually only come to midthigh. 

There are 3 koshihimo (腰紐) and an obi-ita (帯板). Koshi means "wasit" and himo means "cord" so these koshihimo are used to tie around the waist and hold the kimono in the proper position before you put on the obi. The obi-ita goes beneath the obi to keep it flat and smooth. Mine does not have a band but you can buy itas that have a ban attached so you can put them on first instead of trying to slip it under after the obi is on.

Finally, there is the Eri-shin (襟章). This is for the collar of your yukata. If you like your colloar to be stiffer and straighter, there is a small hole on the inside of the yukata collar for you to slide one of these inside to help with that!

These are all the pieces you will need to HELP you wear the kimono but it is definitely not all you will/can wear!

The Yukata

Here you can see a picture of my yukata~ It is folded properly but you can still see the dandelion (蒲公英 - Tanpopo) pattern very clearly! You will obviously need a yukata in order to wear one. They can be a bit pricey but they are definitely worth it and they really are one of the cheapest kimono you can buy. So if you're not sure if kimono are something you absolutely want to wear a lot, I'd recommend a yukata first to practice your techniques and comfort.

Next you will need an obi. An obi is a traditional sash for kimono. Women's obis can be up to 12 inches (30cm) wide and 13 feet (4 meters) long. Mine, pictured above, is a hanhaba obi (半幅帯), or a half-width obi, which just means that it is only about 6 inches (15cm) wide. It is, however, 13 feet long. Depending on the obi and the person, you should wrap your obi around yourself 2 to 3 times before tying. These obi are usually used only for yukata, but if you have one with an elegant enough pattern, you could use it for more formal kimono. Mine is also a double patterned obi so I can wear it with either color/pattern on the outside. As you'll see in later pictures, you can also do color change in your obi tying with these kinds!

Next are geta (下駄) and tabi (足袋). Geta are a form of traditional footwear that resemble clogs or flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong. 

Tabi are traditional Japanese socks dating back to the 15th century. They are toe-divided so you can wear them easily with geta or zori (other Japanese traditional footwear). 

These are optional so if you don't have them or want to buy them (Geta can be expensive!), you'll have to wear regular shoes or sandals with your yukata. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But if you want the full Japanese aesthetic, they're very light-weight and easy to wear. Actually, since geta are worn with the informal yukata, you don't actually need to wear the tabi at all if you don't want to. That way, your feet will stay nice and cool in the summer heat! 

Above you can see my geta and tabi as well as a picture of how it looks on from the side. I wear my tabi with my geta for comfort (I hate my feet! lol) but I will probably forego them at summer festivals to keep cool.

 Another optional item is an obi-jime (帯締め) and an obi-dome (帯留め). An obi-jime is a thin rope that can be used as decoration for the obi as well as further helping you to secure your obi. The obi-dome is an ornamental piece that can be slid onto the obi-jime (i.e. the glass bead on mine above) for further decoration. You can find these in many colors, styles, and patterns.

My Yukata

Below are pictures of me wearing my yukata and accessories. My collar is a bit too open and I need to practice tying the obi but for my first try, I think it wasn't so bad! As you can see on my obi, when I tied it, I flipped my double-pattern obi so that it changed colors at an angle in the front and gave me the two-colored ribbon in the back. This is what I mentioned earlier when I introduced the obi. It is a bit hard ot see but you can also see my obi-jime and obi-dome wrapped around my obi. Everything must be center when you wear kimono so the ornamental part of it should be in the center, lined up with your nose.

I hope that you all found this post interesting and that maybe, you too, will find the beauty in traditional Japanese clothing! If I have time over the next couple of weeks, I will try to take pictures of the full dressing process to further help you understand how to use these items together. Maybe you will even be inspired to try your hand at wearing a yukata or kimono! Until next time, friends!