How to Style Hair for a Yukata

Co-authored by Danielle Chiz

Last Updated: November 5, 2022

A yukata is a traditional Japanese garment worn for both formal and informal occasions. If you want to wear a yukata, you may wonder how to style your hair for the occasion. You can go with something simple, like a bun, or try an elegant up-do for a more formal look. Whichever style you pick, with a little time and care, you can pull off an appropriate hairstyle.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Putting Your Hair in a Bun

1
Pull your hair into a high ponytail. A simple bun starts with a simple ponytail. Detangle your hair if necessary with your fingers or a comb. Use your fingers or a comb to brush all your hair back. Pull your hair so the base of the ponytail rests near the top of your head. Loop a hair tie around your ponytail to secure it in place.^{[1]
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2
Use your fingers to twirl the ponytail in circles. Twist your ponytail into one thin strand. Keep twirling until your full ponytail is in a tight, neat coil.^{[2]
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3
Wrap the coil into a bun. Curl the coil around the base of your ponytail, circling the hair tie. Keep curling until your coil is wrapped securely around the base of your ponytail, concealing the hair tie and forming a neat bun shape. If you have longer hair, you may need to keep coiling your hair around the base of the bun, creating a topknot.^{[3]
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4
Secure your bun. Take a hair tie and wrap it around the bun. Loop it around the bun so it's pulled in a tight, neat circle. If necessary, add bobby pins to pin down loose strands of hair and keep the bun looking neat.^{[4]
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- Use bobby pins that are close to the color of your hair to conceal them.
5
Add a bow for embellishment. If you want to conceal the hair tie and pins, you can use a bow to do so. Try using an elegant, lacy bow with something like a fake flower on it. As yukatas are elegant outfits, it's helpful to have a fancy bow in place after securing your hair in a bun. You can either use a ribbon as a bow or go for a clip on barrette/bow.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Braiding Your Hair

1
Section your hair into three equal parts. Use a comb or your fingers to separate your hair into three strands: one on either side of your head and one in back. The strands should be roughly equal in length.
2
Braid each section of hair. Once you've separated your hair into three strands, neatly braid each strand. Secure the ends of each braid with a hair tie.
3
Braid the three braided strands together. Once the three strands are braided, braid them all together. Secure the ends of the braid with a hair tie.
4
Pull your braided hair into a bun. Twist your braided hair together to form a tight, neat bun. The bun should rest near the nape of your neck. Use a hair tie or hair clips to secure your bun.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Doing an Elegant Roll Up

1
Tie two small locks of your hair in back. Take one small strand of hair from either side of your head, pulling from the hair that's near your temples. Make sure the strands are roughly even in size. Pull them behind your head and use a small hair tie to secure the strands in place.
2
Braid two strands of hair from behind your ears. Pull two strands of hair on either side of your head. Aim for hair just above your ears, keeping the strands of equal size. Braid each strand of hair and secure the braids with hair ties. Let the braids hang in front of your head for now.
3
Tie the rest of your hair at the bottom. Pull any remaining hair together near the tips of your hair. Use a hair tie to secure your hair near the bottom, leaving only about two or three inches of hair below the hair tie.
4
Loop the end of your hair between the tied back strands. Take the bottom of your hair, which you just secured, by the tips. The two original strands of hair you tied together should form a loop near the top of your hair. Feed ends of your through the loop. Pull the ends of your hair through the loop to make a nice, uniform knot.
5
Tie your bun in place with your braided strands. Take the two strands of hair you braided. Wrap them around the knot you just made to secure it. Then, pin the braids in place. When you're done, you'll be left with an elegant, braided up-do.
- For an added elegance, you can pin a flower barrette or headpiece into your up-do.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is this a pin up or knot roll-up bun?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

The third style is a roll up. It is similar to that of a pin up.