Why Is It Called a Kimono? The History Behind the Name

You have probably worn one, seen one, or searched for one online. But have you ever stopped and wondered — why is it actually called a kimono?

It is one of those words that has quietly slipped into everyday English, used to describe everything from a traditional Japanese ceremonial garment to a cotton dressing gown worn over pyjamas on a slow Sunday morning. And yet most people who wear them have no idea where the word comes from, what it originally meant, or how it made its way from the streets of ancient Japan to the wardrobes of women across the UK and US.

The answer is both simple and surprisingly layered. Here is the full story.

What Does the Word Kimono Actually Mean?

Start with the word itself. Kimono is a Japanese word made up of two parts:

Ki — meaning "to wear" or "to put on" Mono — meaning "thing" or "object"

So quite literally, kimono means thing to wear. That is it. Nothing more poetic than that — at least not in the original translation.

It is worth pausing on that for a second, because it tells you something important about how the Japanese originally related to this garment. It was not given a grand or ceremonial name. It was simply the thing you wear — the default garment, the everyday clothing. The fact that it needed no more specific name than that tells you how central it was to daily life.

Where Did the Kimono Come From?

The origins of the kimono trace back to the Heian period of Japan, roughly 794 to 1185 AD, when the Japanese began developing a distinct style of wrapped garment using a technique borrowed partly from Chinese clothing traditions.

The early version was a simple, straight-cut robe worn close to the body, typically layered — sometimes up to twelve garments deep for aristocratic women, each chosen for its colour combination and the statement it made about the wearer's status and taste. The colours and their layering had their own language, a system called kasane no irome, meaning the colour combinations of the seasons.

By the Edo period (1603–1868), the kimono had evolved into the form most people recognise today — the T-shaped garment with wide sleeves, wrapped left over right, and tied with a broad sash called an obi. It had become not just clothing but a full cultural expression. The fabric, the pattern, the colours, the way it was tied — everything communicated something about the person wearing it: their age, marital status, the occasion, the season.

Silk was the prized fabric of choice for formal kimonos. For everyday wear, cotton was the more practical choice — lighter, washable, and more forgiving in a working life.

Also Read: What Is Hand Block Printing? The Ancient Art Behind Every Eastern Loom Piece

How Did the Kimono Become a Western Wardrobe Word?

This is where the story gets interesting.

Japan was largely closed to the outside world until the mid-1800s, when trade with Europe and the United States began in earnest. Japanese art, ceramics, and textiles flooded into Western markets and sparked a cultural fascination — a movement historians call Japonisme — that swept through Europe in the late 19th century.

Kimono robes were among the most coveted Japanese imports. Western women began wearing them as dressing gowns and loungewear, drawn to the loose, draped silhouette that was a welcome relief from the tight corsets and structured clothing of the era. The kimono became a symbol of a freer, more artistic way of dressing — worn by painters, writers, and women who considered themselves ahead of their time.

By the early 20th century, fashion houses in Paris and London were producing their own kimono-inspired designs. The word had entered the English language not as a foreign term but as a category — a way of describing any loose, wrapped, open-front robe.

And that is the version that stuck.

The Kimono in Fashion Today

Today, the word kimono covers an enormous range of garments, united mainly by their silhouette — open front, wide sleeves, a relaxed wrap shape. From a silk kimono robe worn at a wedding morning to a lightweight cotton kimono used as a beach cover-up or a boho layer over a summer dress, the word has expanded far beyond its Japanese origins.

In the UK, the same garment is often called a dressing gown or robe when worn for loungewear purposes. In the US, kimono robe is the more common term. In both markets, the garment is the same — what changes is the name.

This evolution of language around the kimono reflects something genuine about how clothing moves across cultures over time. A garment that was once the everyday dress of a feudal Japanese society is now a global symbol of relaxed, considered dressing — worn by women from London to Los Angeles who value comfort, craftsmanship, and a little bit of beauty in the everyday.

How The Eastern Loom's Kimonos Fit Into This Story

At The Eastern Loom, our kimonos take the silhouette of the Japanese tradition and interpret it through the lens of Indian craft. Rather than silk from Kyoto, we use hand block-printed cotton from Rajasthan, plant-based silk, and vintage sari fabrics. Rather than an obi sash, our pieces are worn open, layered, lived in.

The result is something that carries two textile traditions at once — the Japanese wrap shape and the Indian artisan hand. It is not fusion for the sake of it. It is simply what happens when a beautiful silhouette meets a beautiful craft.

Browse our cotton kimono collection, our luxury silk kimonos, or if you are looking for something warmer, our kantha kimono jackets — each one made by hand in India, each one with its own version of that simple original idea: a thing to wear.

Also Read: Kimono Robe vs Dressing Gown: What's the Difference?

FAQs About the Kimono

1. Is a kimono Japanese or Chinese in origin? 

The kimono as we know it is Japanese, developed during the Heian period from around 794 AD. However, its earliest influences were drawn from Chinese wrapped garment traditions that arrived in Japan centuries earlier. Japan took those influences and developed something entirely its own over hundreds of years.

2. What is the difference between a kimono and a yukata? 

A yukata is a lighter, more casual version of a kimono, traditionally made from cotton and worn in summer, at festivals, or at ryokan (traditional Japanese inns). A formal kimono is typically made from silk, has more layers, and requires a more elaborate method of dressing. In Western fashion, the distinction is rarely made — both styles influence what is broadly called a kimono robe or kimono dressing gown.

3. Is it disrespectful for non-Japanese people to wear kimonos? 

This is a question many people ask, and it is worth addressing directly. The broad consensus — including from many Japanese people and cultural commentators — is that wearing a kimono-inspired garment as loungewear or a fashion piece is not considered cultural appropriation. What matters is context and respect. Wearing a kimono-style robe at home or as a boho layer is very different from wearing a formal ceremonial kimono in a way that mocks or trivialises its cultural significance. If you are curious, we have explored this question in more detail in our dedicated blog on the topic.

4. Why do Western kimonos look different from traditional Japanese ones? 

Western kimono-style garments take the silhouette — open front, wide sleeves, wrap shape — but adapt it for Western wearing habits. They are typically shorter, often without an obi, and made from a wider variety of fabrics including cotton, silk, and wool. They are designed to be worn loosely as a layer rather than formally wrapped and tied. The Eastern Loom's kimonos sit firmly in this Western-adapted tradition while drawing their craft from India rather than Japan.

5. What is the correct way to wear a kimono? 

In traditional Japanese practice, a kimono is always wrapped left over right and secured with an obi sash — wrapping right over left is reserved for dressing the deceased, so it carries significant cultural meaning. For Western-style kimono robes and dressing gowns worn as loungewear or a fashion layer, there is no such rule. Wear it open, belted, draped — whichever way feels right to you.

Explore The Eastern Loom's kimono collection — from lightweight cotton kimonos and hand block-printed styles to luxury silk kimonos and kantha kimono jackets, each made by hand in India.