---
node: kamakura
type: period
slug: kamakura_period
title: "Kamakura period"
lead: "Under the first warrior government dress grew plainer and more practical: samurai wore the matched hitatare of jacket and hakama, and the kosode, once an undergarment, was increasingly worn as visible outer clothing."
published: 2026-07-27
updated: 2026-07-27
---

## Overview

The Kamakura warrior class favored function over the Heian court's layered splendor. The hitatare, a top and hakama of the same cloth, became standard samurai dress, and armor was worn over practical robes.

## Key garments and style

Women too shed the heaviest court layers; the kosode moved outward as everyday wear, sometimes with an uchikake robe draped over it or hakama below. Ease of movement now mattered as much as display.

## Transition

In the Muromachi period the kosode would complete its rise to become the principal garment across classes.