Japanese clothing during the Meiji period
Meiji era clothing changed quickly as Japan opened to the world and built a modern state. After the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration in 1868, officials urged Western style as a symbol of progress, while many people still wore traditional clothes at home.
Western-style clothes, called yōfuku, first spread among men in government and official jobs. Uniforms helped push Western dress into daily life. At first, Western clothes were expensive and rare, so people mixed them with kimono (wafuku).
Experts describe three phases of the switch. Bunmei kaika (1868–1883) saw Western goods and outfits being adopted and mixed with Japanese styles. The Rokumeikan era (1883–1890s) brought more Western influence and dress reforms. In the 1890s, a nativist revival pushed kimono back into everyday life for many, especially women, while Western outfits remained common in official and urban settings.
Work and practicality also shaped fashion. Kimono sleeves were long and could get in the way in factories, so Western clothing became common for work. By the end of the 1870s, government officials, university students, teachers, doctors, and many workers were wearing Western-style clothes or mixing in Western pieces. Hats, belts, and other Western accessories became popular too.
Women changed more slowly than men. Many women kept wearing kimono at home, and Western dress was mostly worn by a few students, geisha, or foreigners’ companions. Over time, the kimono reasserted itself as everyday clothing for many women, with Western styles saved for formal events, official duties, or specific jobs. The Empress began wearing Western clothing in 1886, influencing court fashion, though most women did not adopt Western dress as everyday wear as quickly as men.
Kimono itself evolved. In the Meiji period, obi (the sash) often tied at the back, and outfits became more layered. Styles for everyday wear and for special occasions changed, with new patterns and colors. Some motifs on kimono grew patriotic, and designers experimented with new fabrics and decorations. By the end of the period, kimono had become a flexible everyday garment again, while Western dress lingered as a sign of formality or official status.
Hair, hats, and fashion language also shifted. The government pushed men to cut their topknots and adopt Western hairstyles; hats became a social marker of modernity, and words like haikara described Western-influenced fashion. Anti-fashion movements appeared too, with groups arguing for a return to simpler, native styles.
Overall, Meiji fashion reflected Japan’s broader changes: a rapid move toward modernization and Western influence, tempered by a strong undercurrent of national pride and a later push to revive traditional dress. By 1912, Western ideas had left a lasting mark, but kimono remained a central part of Japanese clothing for many people, showing the period’s blend of old and new.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:20 (CET).