Nagare Haori - Khaki

流れ (nagare): "flow, the current of a stream."

Rakugo storytellers work alone, kneeling on a cushion with nothing but a folding fan and a hand towel, and play every character in the tale with a turn of the head. Many slip off their haori as the opening chat, the makura, ends and the story proper begins. In Tokyo you can still catch rakugo most days at yose halls such as Suzumoto in Ueno or Suehirotei in Shinjuku.

The khaki here is pale, a sand beige with a pink cast and nothing like army green. The haori hangs open past the hip, edged by a flat collar band, and the wide kimono sleeves move with every gesture, which any storyteller would appreciate.

Over black, tee and jeans both, it looks finished without looking fussy, and the pale color suits spring. Asian sizing runs small. The deeper Nagare colors sit in the Japanese outerwear, but this one belongs to whoever tells the best story at dinner and slips it off halfway through, like a rakugo teller.

• Fabric: soft, lightweight rayon with a fluid drape
• Front: open, no closures
• Sleeves: full-length wide kimono sleeves
• Fit: long and loose, falls past the hip
• Sizes: S to XXXL, Asian sizing that runs small
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in, 172 lb wears XL; 5 ft 11 in, 198 lb wears XXL

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.