Yukata for present

Hello all,

I am considering gifting a yukata to my friend on her wedding. Since I am novice at this I would like some help.
I did come across a few online shops but some of them mentioned used yukata.Do they sell handdowns? Also is it advisable to buy a dress without trying it on? Is nagajuben always necessary? Also how does one decide on the type of obi one would get for the dress?

Thank you for your help.

cheers
annabele

Is your friend Japanese? If not, does your friend know a lot about Japanese traditional wear, and how to put them on? If she knows how to put them on, and if she is not extremely tall or, um, plump, size is more like adjustable.

Would she know what kind of occasions to wear yukata for? "Yukata" is cotton home-lounging wear/neighborhood strolling kind of wear for summer, though people in Japan do wear them to go watch outdoor summer events like fireworks or to attend local festivals.

"Nagajuban" is not needed for cotton, casual "yukata" for summer. You can well wear camisole/petticoat combination or a western style long slip underwear instead.

If you are thinking of real "kimono," meaning (there are different styles) handwoven wool, silk, etc., more expensive traditional gear, then yes, not only "nagajuban" but a whole range of different accessories are needed together with them, also "tabi" socks and sandals.

People select the casual "yukata" and "obi" depending on color/design combinations they like. Some shops sell them in sets :)

I can imagine used "kimono" (the more expensive ones), but I cannot really imagine giving used "yukata" for a gift - particularly as wedding gift, considering the nature/intended use of the garment.

Thank you Ak for the reply. Well my friend is not japanese and is a novice at this as myself. But I am sure occasions to wear them would come about or so I hope!.I was considering giving her yukata with a obi and a geta set.The only doubt is about the obi belt which requires some skill to tie them right or do they come in pre styled versions?

If you get "yukata," "obi," and "geta" in a set, that would be OK :)

If you look around, there are shops that sell "obi" that is pre-tied into a knot on one end so that all you have to do is wrap it around yourself and fix it in place. The "regular" (not pre-tied ones) are something that one needs to learn to tie into the right style.

Your idea of a gift from Japan is lovely but you must be very sure that your friend like Japanese culture. I brought back gifts from Japan to a friend, a lady, the first time I went there. She accepted them but didn't look overly pleased with the gifts..just accepted them polity.
Before I left for my second trip she told me "please don't waste any money on gifts for me". I wasn't offended..I understand that people have different tastes.

Thank you AK and monkey see. After much search and though I managed to find the ideal combination of the yukata set and I have finalized on it. Also as a precaution I did ask my friend subtly about it and Thank fully her answer was positive!Anyways thank you for your help.

annabele,

Good to hear that :)