Learning How to Make a Yukata - Part Three: Mens and Womens Differences

When it comes to sewing a yukata, there are three differences between a yukata for a man and for a woman.

Men's Yukata

Woman's Yukata

(Photos from Yukata Kimono Market.) 

Patterns and Colours

• Women's patterns are often bright and consist of large floral or nature motifs. They can come in any colour but traditionally were mostly deep indigo. However, women tend to wear more subdued colours when they get older. 
• Men's patterns often use stripes or subtle patterns, with usually subdued blacks, blues or greens. Sometimes prints include dragons, animals, or theatre motifs.

Length

• It is customary for woman to wear ohashori (the fold seen underneath the obi) therefore women's yukata come longer than average woman's height in order to make the fold.
• Since an ohashori on men's yukata is not used, the length is simply the height of the wearer.

 Sleeves

• Since woman's obi are wider, they have "cut" away the sleeves from the body. Slightly more than half the length of the sleeve is left unattached. The edge is left open.

• A man's sleeve is mostly attached to the body, leaving only a small flap. Often this flap is sewn closed.

Sorry, the measurements on the mens's sleeve is really hard to read on the dark picture above. It's 10 cm for the overhang and 37 cm for the attachment.

(Just a note: I don't have any research on children's yukata at this time. I will be leaving those out of the tutorial... for now.)

Stay tuned for part four; alterations!