Long Japanese Kimono 'Yukika'

The pale kimono running on six centuries of geometry

Under the soft colour sits an old structure. Yukika lays a pale lilac ground with asanoha — the six-pointed hemp-leaf grid that's run through Japanese design for centuries — then scatters small flowers across it. The geometry gives the cotton a steady rhythm; the flowers keep it from reading as a hard graphic.

Printed on lightweight cotton, the lilac stays pale and the asanoha lines stay crisp, the whole thing airy and easy to wear — a yukata-weight kimono at the calm end of the range. The hemp-leaf motif has marked children's clothing for generations as a wish for strong growth, so the pattern carries some meaning under the prettiness.

A mauve obi tones in rather than contrasts, shaping the long line without breaking the pale palette. Its matching sash comes included.

It suits a daytime festival, a tea gathering, or a quiet evening when you want calm rather than colour. The piece you reach for to look put-together with no effort. The asanoha grid sits behind the flowers rather than over them, so the geometry reads as texture up close and as a pale, even tone from a distance.

For the woman who wants pale colour with real pattern under it. One size, cut long with a generous, wrap-front fit.

• Type: Full-length kimono
• Material: Lightweight printed cotton
• Pattern: Asanoha hemp-leaf geometry with scattered flowers on lilac
• Technique: Printed
• Closure: Wrap front, tied with the obi sash
• Sleeves: Long kimono sleeves
• Includes: Matching mauve obi sash
• Colour: Pale lilac
• Wear it with: Belted with its obi, for daytime festivals or quiet evenings