Ultimate guide of Japanese clothing

Traditional Japanese clothing has been worn for centuries. Haori, kimono, yukata, geta sandals, jinbei and tabi socks each follow their own rules of cut, fabric and occasion, far from Western dress codes.

The first time I tied an obi belt on my own, I put the left side under the right. A Japanese friend corrected me in one second: that way is reserved for the deceased. Small details carry meaning in wafuku (和服, Japanese clothing). Here are the traditional pieces to know, what they are for, and how to wear them today.

Haori jacket

The haori is a Japanese kimono jacket. Samurai wore a fighting haori over their armour. Today Japanese married men wear a haori over their official wedding kimono. People who like Japanese streetwear also wear a haori over a hoodie.

The fabric and cut of the haori follow the kimono. Women wear the haori as a Japanese cardigan, open over a dress or a simple top.

This is the piece I recommend most to someone discovering wafuku. It asks nothing of your wardrobe: a black haori over black jeans and a white t-shirt already reads as a complete outfit.

How to wear a haori?

The haori stays open, or it is closed with a thin cord called himo. The point is to show the colours of the kimono underneath. You never cross the two sides like a kimono. You can wear the haori in everyday life. This light jacket is worn by both men and women.

The different types of Haori

The haori is a traditional kimono jacket, light and easy to wear. Our customers in Europe and the US wear it as:

• A casual garment
• A summer jacket
• A chic outfit
• An indoor garment
• A cosplay jacket

Yukata, the summer kimono

If you are new to Japanese clothing, you may confuse yukata and kimono. The yukata is less formal. It is not suitable for official ceremonies such as graduations, weddings or religious ceremonies.

What is the difference between a yukata and a kimono?

A formal kimono is made of silk or wool. The yukata is a summer version, cut in light cotton, unlined, and worn without an under-layer. It is a casual Japanese outfit.

During the Edo period, the yukata was worn after the bath, including in onsen (Japanese hot springs). It worked as a dressing gown. Today it is the garment of matsuri, the Japanese summer festivals: fireworks, food stalls, wooden sandals on the pavement.

Other differences remain between kimono and yukata. To avoid an awkward moment, read our article on the difference between a kimono and a yukata. Respecting the cultural rules matters. Arriving at a graduation ceremony in a yukata is frowned upon in Japan.

Japanese kimono

The kimono is the reference point for every other piece on this list. Everything else is built around its T-shaped construction.

What is a kimono?

The kimono is the most recognised traditional Japanese garment in the world. It is a long robe with wide sleeves and a T-shaped cut, closed with an obi belt. Fashion designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld have drawn on its lines for their collections.

The word kimono literally means "thing to wear". Western dress entered Japan during the Meiji era, and the kimono slowly became occasion wear. Our article on the history of the Japanese kimono covers that shift in detail.

When to wear a kimono?

Kimonos are worn for important and special events. Japanese people wear a kimono for:

• Weddings
• The tea ceremony
• A graduation ceremony

How to wear a kimono?

There is a code for wearing a kimono. Dressing in one is treated as an art of its own, called kitsuke. It takes practice, and a silk kimono made by hand costs a great deal. Those two reasons explain why daily kimono wear declined.

Modern kimonos use new fabrics. Synthetic fibres and cotton blends make them lighter to handle and easier to care for. One rule never changes: always fold the left side over the right. We show you how to wear your Japanese kimono step by step in a dedicated article.

Japanese sandals: geta and zori

Geta are the traditional Japanese wooden sandals. Zori are their flat cousins. Both are worn with tabi socks, and both slip on, because shoes come off at the door in Japan.

Geta

Geta stand on two platforms, called teeth. They have three parts:

• The "dai": the wooden platform the foot rests on
• The "hanao": the strap that holds the foot
• The "ha", the two wooden bars (teeth) under the sole

That extra height keeps the hem of the kimono away from rain, mud and snow.

Zori

Zori follow the same shape as geta, without teeth under the sole. The sole is flat. During the Edo period, samurai and geisha wore them to keep their kimono clean.

Japanese shoes today

Japanese people wear geta for special occasions: a festival, a Shinto ceremony, a wedding. Geisha still wear geta or zori daily. Expect a short adjustment period: the walk is shorter and slower than in sneakers, and the clack of the wood is part of the experience. Our article on Japanese geta goes further into shapes and sizing.

Tabi socks

The word tabi means "foot bag" in Japanese. It is a traditional Japanese sock split between the big toe and the others.

Why do Japanese socks have two fingers?

To let the thong of the geta or zori pass between the toes.

Traditional tabi are white cotton, with a thicker sole for comfort and small metal hooks at the back, called kohaze. They are expected to be spotless, since shoes come off at every entrance. Before a tea ceremony, clean tabi are part of the etiquette.

Modern Japanese socks

Tabi now come in many styles.

There are:

• Kawaii tabi socks, colourful and cute
• Manga tabi socks, for fans of Naruto, One Piece or Bleach
• Printed tabi socks with Japanese folklore motifs: samurai, geisha, sumo, maneki neko, Japanese dragon

Advantages of wearing tabi

Wearers give practical reasons for choosing tabi over regular socks:

• The big toe is separated, so the thong of a sandal sits where it should
• The foot spreads more naturally inside the shoe
• Cotton versions breathe well in summer
• They pair with tabi boots and split-toe sneakers, a common sight in Tokyo

Jinbei, the summer two-piece

Historically, the jinbei (甚平) is an indoor garment, close to loungewear, and it was worn by men.

It pairs a short-sleeved jacket with shorts. The whole set is light. Japanese people wear jinbei in summer, like the yukata, at home and at festivals.

No obi belt is needed with a jinbei. Side ties hold the jacket closed. The colours stay sober: black, grey, indigo. The patterns are stripes or geometric shapes, part of the family of traditional motifs called wagara.

Hakama pants

The hakama is a wide pleated Japanese trouser, worn over the kimono and tied at the waist.

During the Edo period, the hakama was samurai dress. Today it appears at weddings and official ceremonies, and at university graduations for women.

It is also a martial arts uniform, in aikido, kendo and kyudo. In streetwear, a hakama worn with a plain t-shirt and boots gives the volume that wide-leg trousers are chasing. If that silhouette appeals to you, our samurai clothing pieces follow the same lines.

Japanese streetwear

Japanese fashion shapes wardrobes far beyond Japan. Western designers have been borrowing from it for decades, from workwear indigo to kimono sleeves on runway coats.

Streetwear blends Japanese shapes with European fashion. The graphics often come from folklore: oni demons, kitsune foxes, kami, maneki neko, tengu, kappa, tanuki. A Japanese t-shirt or hoodie is the simplest way in.

Nikka work pants

Nikka pants (ニッカポッカ) are the wide working trousers of Japanese building sites: they balloon from the thigh and gather tight at the calf, held by a drawstring at the waist.

The volume is not decoration. It lets you crouch and climb without the fabric pulling, and it moves air on a hot day. They have crossed into fashion the way workwear always does: you see them in Harajuku now, worn with sneakers and an oversized top, the cuff tucked into a boot or left loose over the ankle.

Where to buy traditional Japanese clothing?

You now have the main pieces of Japanese clothing. The kimono is for formal events. The yukata and the jinbei are informal summer wear.

The haori jacket is the bridge piece. It mixes with a European wardrobe on the first try.

Geta and zori complete a traditional outfit and belong with tabi socks.

We selected our pieces with the three principles that guide the shop: ikigai, the reason a garment exists; kaizen, the constant refinement of our selection; wabi-sabi, the beauty of a hand-finished detail. Each collection lists material, cut and size equivalences so you order right the first time. Start with our Japanese clothing selection.

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