Kimono

The kimono is the garment the word wafuku was coined for: a length of cloth in straight panels, wrapped left over right around the body and held by an obi, with no darts, no buttons and no size in the Western sense. The yukata is the same shape in unlined cotton, made for summer and for the walk back from the bath. Fifty-seven here, every one delivered with its obi, from a men's slate-blue yukata with a plain belt to a women's satin kimono printed with a pagoda and a geisha, and this page is about telling the two apart, choosing the right one, and closing it the right way round.

Kimono or yukata: the seven differences

Lining: the kimono is lined, the yukata is not. Fabric: kimono here in polyester satin or a slubbed weave, yukata in cotton or a cotton-feel polyester. Collar: the kimono is worn over an under-layer whose collar shows at the neck; the yukata is worn on the skin. Sleeve: the formal women's kimono carries the furisode, the long hanging sleeve; the yukata never does. Obi: wide and stiff for the kimono, narrow and soft for the yukata, and both come in the box. Footwear: zori with tabi socks for the kimono, geta on bare feet for the yukata. Occasion: the kimono for ceremony and the evening, the yukata for summer festivals, the ryokan and the bath. None of the seven is the print. The Journal goes through each one.

The men's kimono and yukata

The men's pieces are the quiet half of the collection: a slate-blue yukata with a black obi, a fan and a bag in the box; black with fine grey stripes; blue-black pinstripes; a heathered grey marl; navy with pale fern fronds tone on tone; deep teal with sweeping gold grasses; a small navy-and-cream checkerboard; black with cream line waves and red-and-white koi. Men's kimono run shorter in the sleeve and plainer in the print than women's, the obi sits lower, on the hip, and the whole thing is meant to hang straight and not cling. The dark ones with a burgundy or cream obi are the evening; the yukata in slate or grey are the summer.

The women's kimono and yukata

The women's pieces are the satin ones with the scene: deep red, magenta, navy, gold, sky blue or pink, printed with cloud panels of blossom, a pagoda and a geisha; royal blue, crimson, turquoise or black with a peacock among peonies; black with gold wisteria at the shoulder and a garden at the hem. The yukata are cotton and printed with peonies, chrysanthemums, sunflowers or a pink tie-dye star. A women's kimono carries the wider obi tied higher, above the waist, with the bow at the back, and the pre-tied brocade obi makes that a thirty-second job. A kanzashi in the hair and a folding fan in the obi finish it.

How to put on a kimono, and the one rule

Under-layer first, if there is one. Wrap the right side across the body, then the left over it, so the left panel is on top: left over right, always. Right over left is how the dead are dressed in Japan, and it is the first thing anyone who knows the garment will check. Hold the front closed, wrap the obi twice around above the hip bone for a man, above the waist for a woman, and tie or fix at the back. The hem should sit at the ankle bone; the collar should sit close at the back of the neck for a man and a little away from it for a woman. The garment should hang straight. Geta or zori, and you are dressed.

Sizing, fabric and care

For a kimono, garment length against your height comes first: the hem should reach the ankle, and every page lists the length in centimetres. Then chest and sleeve. Most pieces are cut to Asian sizing, about one size smaller than US or EU, and the page says whether to size up. The satin ones wash cold by hand or on a delicate cycle and hang to dry away from sun; the cotton yukata take a cold machine wash. Store a kimono folded flat along its seams, never on a hanger, which pulls the shoulder line out. Made to Japanese designs in Asia, in polyester satin, slubbed polyester or cotton as stated on each page, never silk.

Kimono: the questions we are asked

Does it come with the obi?

Yes, every kimono and yukata here is delivered with its matching obi, and some of the men's yukata with a fan and a bag as well.

Which way does a kimono close?

Left over right, for men and women alike. The other way is reserved for dressing the dead.

Can I wear a yukata as a dressing gown?

You can, and in a ryokan that is exactly what it is. For a lighter house robe, the kimono robes are the ones cut for it.

Is it silk?

No. Polyester satin, slubbed polyester or cotton, as stated on each page. A silk kimono sewn in Japan would cost well past $600, and we would rather say so than sell you the word.