What is the difference between a yukata and a kimono?

No. An everyday kimono would be more like a komon, or maybe a wool kimono. Yukata are unlined kimono-like garments made of cotton and are meant to be worn as bathrobes (like at hot springs resorts), though they are also typically worn during the summer to attend things like fireworks festivals or other summer events. Some people might wear them for other things during the summer, like shopping, but technically speaking that's not appropriate and isn't something a kimono purist would do. Basically, yukata are SO casual that their use is extremely limited. Yukata also require much less in the way of accessories than kimono -- you need a slip, a couple of ties, an obi (hanhaba or heko), obi ita, and geta to wear the yukata properly. It sounds like a lot but in comparison to kimono, it really isn't that much and it's much easier to put on alone.

Kimono, on the other hand, come in a variety of materials and levels of formality, so that you could (in theory) have a different kimono appropriate for any occasion and season. Silk is the best known traditional material, but there are other kinds as well, such as wool and the modern polyester kimono. They come lined or unlined and in various weights of fabric depending on the season. You can get them casual enough for just spending a day on the town or formal enough to wear to a wedding -- as a guest or as the bride or groom. There are special varieties for occasions like funerals, children's first shrine visits after birth, weddings, dancing, and the like. All kimono require the same basic accessories to be worn properly -- kimono slip, juban, han eri, obi, obi age, obi jime, obi ita, obi makura, several ties to hold things together, tabi, and zori. There may also be optional accessories such as a kasane/date eri, hair accessories, obi dome, and kimono shawls. And to make things even more complicated, accessories must match the kimono in terms of season and formality.

Typically, a kimono or kimono set will be more expensive than a yukata or yukata set, but there are exceptions -- for example, designer kimono can be very expensive, while casual polyester kimono or second-hand kimono in any material can be very cheap.

A yukata is most certainly not a short, puffy dress.

A yukata is a type of kimono made of cotton. It is the most informal kind. "Yuu" is a reference to hot water, and they were originally only worn after the bath. Yukata can be just as expensive as other types of kimono, depending on whether they were hand-sewn or machine-made, and who designed the fabric, etc. It is still possible to get a hand-woven, indigo-dyed yukata made for you in Japan. In fact, most women still buy their kimono as a bolt of fabric and have it sewn to their measurements. A machine-made yukata, however, should be very cheap for you. It is not really everyday dress. Most girls only wear them in the summer for festivals, or at home when no one is visiting. In Tokyo only, there seems to be a yukata fashion movement during the summer where girls add accessories normally only seen on more formal kimono, but this is not acceptable in other places. If you go out in yukata, make sure you are wearing at least a hadajuban and susoyoke (a special skirt and shirt cut for the lines of the kimono).

An "everyday" kimono would be a komon. It's like the jeans and t-shirt of kimono. They can be synthetic, wool, hemp, or (if older) sometimes silk. It is second-least formal, for every day errands, cleaning, etc. To make it less formal, wear it with a hanhaba obi- the same kind of obi worn with yukata. To make it regular formality for it's type, wear it with a Nagoya obi. For summer, you may see them without a lining- women who wear kimono regularly tend to pick thin, gauzy fabrics for the hot, humid summer days. When worn properly in layers, you can't see through them.

What you spend depends on where you get it from, whether or not it's an unusual pattern or hard to get size (the bigger you need it, expect to pay more), and age/condition. I've paid more for some yukata than some komon.

One of the more expensive, but most reputable, places to get either one is at Ichiroya.com, although I have a small private collection for sale as well here in the US. Check e-bay as well, but be aware that not all sellers are as reputable as their feedback shows because the Feedback time limit expires before Japanese SAL shipping can reach America- which means we can't leave feedback at all half the time. If a package never shows, you're screwed on SAL. ALWAYS use EMS if you're buying from Japan! If you want to learn how to use a concierge site, Rakuten is a good place to go. It translates auctions into English with a little accuracy and helps you buy straight from Japan. This may or may not be cheaper, depending on what it is you buy and from whom.

I recommend you go to the library and search for a book called "Kimono" by Liza Dalby. It'll tell you all about them, and she makes it interesting to read about.

A yukata is a shorter dress with a more puffier bottom to it a kimono is a longer more traditional dress . Both are around the same price i have both but i favor the yukata because its more free flowing

Wow! thanks! Exactly what I was searching for. I tried looking for the answers on other websites but I couldn't find them.

yes, it could be

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