Discover our wide selection of Japanese clothing. Dress up with traditional clothes revisited in a modern style with our Japanese kimonos. Adopt the Japanese elegance with our selection of kimono dress, or get ready for the summer season with our beach dresses. Our wide variety of Japanese pants in all styles, from traditional to streetwear, will also conquer the Japanese culture lovers. Finally, our kimono pants sets will appeal to fans of sweatpants sets who want to change their style and affirm their love for Japanese culture.
Traditional japanese clothing
In general, Japanese people wear two styles of clothing: the Japanese style, named wafuku (in Japanese: 和服) such as the traditional well-known kimono and the Western style named yōfuku (in Japanese: 洋服). Japanese culture has been heavily influenced by the rest of the world throughout history, and one of the most prominent changes is in clothing. Traditional Japanese clothing is still in vogue, but is mainly worn for ceremonies, special events, funerals, seijin shiki (Japanese coming-of-age ceremony) and festivals. Modern western style clothing is now worn in everyday life. However, as Western culture spreads, the kimono is still worn according to Japanese tradition.
Japanese traditional clothing
The history of modern Japanese fashion has seen a gradual process of westernization of clothing, which began with the woolen uniforms adopted by the officers and men of the shogun's army and navy in the 1850s. Western clothing became widespread in most areas in the early 20th century and was seen as a symbol of dignity and social progress. However, most Japanese remained faithful to their customs and the traditional kimono, although Western clothing was still worn. The Japanese have reinterpreted and appropriated Western fashion, without passively absorbing it. The traditional kimono remains an important part of Japanese daily life.
Japanese clothes
Traditional Japanese clothing is diverse and comes in many forms.
Jinbei
Jinbei is a traditional Japanese garment worn by men, boys and young women in summer. It consists of a short-sleeved jacket and matching pants. Traditional Jinbei are made of dyed hemp or cotton, often in blue or green, while modern Jinbei may have floral patterns or prints. Jinbei can replace the yukata in summer. Women's jinbei are often more colorful and decorated with popular Japanese images. Today, Jinbei is often used as pajamas with shorter jackets and an elastic waistband.
Jūnihitoe
The jūnihitoe is an elegant and intricate kimono worn by court women in Xth century Japan during the Heian period. Its name means "twelve layers" of silk that are layered, reaching a total weight of up to 20 kg. The garment closest to the body is white silk, followed by ten differently named layers, finished with a final layer or coat. The colors and layers of the jūnihitoe are significant for the status and taste of the woman. Some colors have poetic names, such as "plum tree in spring bloom". Only the sleeves and neck reveal all the layers.
The jūnihitoe is a heavy and restrictive garment, so much so that court women often had to sleep in it. The layers could be adjusted according to the weather conditions. During the Muromachi period, the number of layers was reduced to five. The junihitoe has only been seen in museums or films since the end of the 20th century. Its production has almost been abandoned. The existing clothes are priceless and are the most expensive among the Japanese traditional clothes. Only the Japanese imperial family wears them again on important ceremonies, such as the wedding of Princess Masako and the ascension to the throne of Emperor Akihito in 1990 by Empress Michiko. Even his lady-in-waiting wore a modified junihitoe, typical of the Edo period, rather than the Heian period.
Kimono
Kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, also considered the national garment. It used to refer to all types of clothing, but now it is specific to clothing worn today by people of all ages and genders. Kimono dress is a T shape with a collar, long sleeves and a length that reaches the ankles. Unmarried women wear a kimono with very long sleeves called furisode. The dress is rolled up with the left flap on the right and tied with a belt called obi. The kimono for women used to be one size, but now it is available in different sizes. Kimonos for sumo wrestlers are custom made. In the past, the kimono was washed in pieces, but now modern washing methods have made this process obsolete. The kimono can be fixed to avoid wrinkles during storage. Today there are many variations of colors, styles, fabrics and accessories.
Hakama
Hakama is a traditional Japanese garment that looks like a pleated pair of wide pants. In the past, only men wore it, but nowadays, women also wear it. It is tied at the waist and falls to the ankles. It took its present form during the Edo period and was worn by nobles, especially samurai, during the medieval period. Before World War II, wearing hakama and haori in public was common. However, after the war, more and more Japanese people adopted Western clothing for everyday wear. There are two types of hakama: those with split legs called "umonori" and those without a split called "gyōtō hakama." The umonori is divided like a pair of pants, while the gyoto hakama is actually a skirt. The hakama has 7 layers, 5 in the front and 2 in the back, representing the virtues considered essential by the samurai. Some martial practices continue this tradition, but the meanings vary. Today, the hakama is worn almost exclusively for ceremonies and shrine visits, by performers in Japanese dance, and by tradition in some bujutsu-derived martial practices, such as iaidō, kenjutsu, kendō, kyūdō, daitōryū aikijūjutsu, aikido, aikibudo, and some schools of ju-jitsu.
Yukata
Yukata is a traditional Japanese summer garment worn for summer events such as fireworks and Obon (a Japanese Buddhist festival honoring ancestor spirits). It is a formal type of kimono. There is also another type of yukata used as a bathing robe in ryokan inns, hence its name meaning "bathing garment". It appeared during the Heian period, where nobles wore it after bathing. During the Edo period, warriors also wore it.
Tabi, Zōri, Geta and Waraji
Tabi are traditional Japanese ankle socks that separate the big toe from the others. They appeared in the 16th century and reached a peak of popularity during the Edo period (1603-1868). Unlike elastic socks, tabi are made of two parts of non-elastic fabric, with an opening at the back to put them on, closed by buttons. The name comes from "tanbi", which means "at skin level". Once worn by samurai and the upper classes, today they are used with zōri sandals, geta, or similar shoes for formal occasions such as the tea ceremony or with the kimono. Men usually wear white tabi, while women may wear brightly colored ones. There are also reinforced jika-tabi for work, often with a rubber sole.
Zōri are traditional Japanese sandals, without heels, made from natural materials such as rice straw, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber or other synthetic materials. They are often worn with the kimono, but can be replaced by other traditional sandals when worn with yukata, such as geta. For more formal occasions, zōri are worn with tabi, special socks. Reed-covered zōri similar to tatami mats are usually used for work or combined with modern or traditional clothing.
Geta are traditional Japanese sandals, a combination between a clog and a flip-flop. They are made of a wooden block supported by two teeth and held on the foot with a cord that separates the big toe from the other fingers. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as the yukata, less often with the kimono, but can also be worn with Western clothing in the summer. High-soled geta, for snow or rain, are preferred to other traditional sandals such as the zōri because they are more in line with the ideal of personal cleanliness in traditional Japanese culture. Typically, they are worn with tabi socks.
Waraji (草鞋) are traditional Japanese straw rope sandals. They used to be the most commonly used footwear by the common people, but during the Gekokujō period they became popular with samurai for foot battles. Today, they are almost exclusively worn by Buddhist monks and with socks called tabi. Waraji are traditionally worn so that the front toe of the shoe protrudes 3 to 4 cm. They can be made from a variety of materials such as hemp, myōga, palm fiber, cotton, rice straw, etc. and it is important that the materials chosen are durable. There are different techniques for tying the strings to the sole, such as nakachi-nuki, yotsu-chigake, takano-gake, etc. which depend on the wearer (Buddhist monk or farmer).
Japanese style clothing
The clothes in a Japanese style are inspired by this style without being entirely faithful to it. Our kimonos, yukatas and more are not in a traditional Japanese style for some, and are inspired more than they imitate. The same goes for Japanese pants, such as harem pants or Japanese streetwear pants. The strength of Yukata is this large choice of Japanese clothes in all styles, traditional, casual or streetwear oriented, which will surely please all the Japanese culture lovers.
