Nagare Haori - Purple

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

Purple dye in old Japan came from the roots of murasaki, a gromwell with small white flowers, and it took so much root to color so little silk that Japan's court ranks of the 600s kept it for the very top. Edo dyers later made a bluer shade of their own, Edo-murasaki, and in kabuki the swaggering hero Sukeroku wears a headband dyed in it.

This purple is light and bright, a clear lilac violet, on a long open haori that falls to mid-thigh. The wide collar band frames the front from neck to hem, the kimono sleeves hang loose, and the rayon moves with every step.

Give the color plain company: a white tee, dark jeans and clean white sneakers, as in these photos. It's for gallery openings, birthdays and any night the dress code says color. The sizing is Asian and runs small; the size reference sorts that out before you choose from the haori jackets.

• 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.