Wafuku: The Difference between Kimono and Yukata

Wafuku is from the kanji 和服: 和 (wa) means Japanese and 服 (fuku) means clothes. So Wafuku is traditional Japanese clothes. People in Japan still using Wafuku although Western clothes are well-known in Japan. They wear Wafuku in some special occasions like weddings, funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies (seijin shiki), and festivals (matsuri). 

Japan has some Wafuku, they are: Kimono, Yukata, Haori and Hakama.

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Haori

Haori can be described as a half coat. It can be used after Kimono.

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Hakama

Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono (hakamashita).

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Men’s Hakama

While hakama used to be a required part of men's wear, nowadays typical Japanese men usually wear hakama only on extremely formal occasions and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Hakama are also regularly worn by practitioners of a variety of  martial arts, such as kendo, iaido, taido, aikido, ryu-te, and kyudo. Sumo  wrestlers, who do not wear hakama in the context of their sport, are, however, required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever they appear in public.

Hakama are also part of the every-day wear of Shinto kannushi (priests) who maintain and perform services at shrines.

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Women's Hakama

While men's hakama can be worn on both formal and informal occasions, except as part of martial arts wear, women rarely wear hakama except at graduation ceremonies and for traditional Japanese sports such as kyudo, some branches of aikido and kendo. Only very rarely are hakama worn by women at tea ceremony. The image of women in kimono and hakama are culturally associated with school teachers. Just as university professors in Western countries do their academic caps and gowns when their students graduate, many female school teachers in Japan attend annual graduation ceremonies in traditional kimono with hakama.

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People ouside Japan nowadays can't differ between Kimono and Yukata. They think both of them are same. But actually they totally different.

So, I'll figure them out with showing the differences


Obi
Obi is the "belt" of the Kimono or Yukata. The difference can be seen between the knot of the obi
Kimono: The shape look like "pillow" or square
Yukata: The shape is simple ribbon

Kimono Obi. Source

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Cloth Material

Kimono: Thicker and usually made from silk

Yukata: Thiner and usually made from cotton

Kimono material. Source

Yukata material. Source

Sodetake

Sodetake is sleeves of Kimono or Yukata

Kimono: Usually the length is more than our thigh

Yukata: The length never more than our thigh

Kimono sodetake. Source

Yukata sodetake. Source

Occasion

Kimono: Formal like wedding, seijin shiki (Coming-of-age ceremony), etc

Yukata: Nonformal like summer festival, etc

Kimono occasion. Source

Yukata occasion. Source

Don't be wrong. The left side of Kimono or Yukata is always on the top
If it's not, the Kimono or Yukata is for death person.







So, can you guess which is Kimono and which is Yukata?
Leave comment ^^

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Source:
Aoto, Yasuo. 1984. Nippon: The Land and Its People. Tokyo: Nippon Steel

Wikipedia