Japanese Embroidered Clothing

Cherry blossom and bamboo embroidered into a crew-neck sweatshirt and two shirts, stitched into the cloth rather than printed on it.
3 items

Embroidery, not print

Why embroidery

A printed motif sits on top of the fabric and fades with washing. Embroidery is stitched into the cloth, raised off the surface, and it keeps its edges. It is also how Japanese motifs have been worked into clothing for a long time, which is why the three pieces here are embroidered rather than printed.

The motifs

Sakura, the cherry blossom, is the most recognisable image in Japanese design. Its short bloom has long stood for how brief good things are. Bamboo stands for resilience, the plant that bends in wind and does not break. Both appear here.

The pieces

The Sakura Embroidered Sweatshirt carries a cherry blossom branch embroidered across the chest and sleeves on a substantial 320gsm cotton-rich base. It is a loose crew neck, not a hoodie. Hoodie details like a kangaroo pocket and drawstring hood are left off on purpose so the embroidery reads clean across the chest. It runs M to XXXL.

The Embroidered Short Sleeve Shirt has bamboo embroidered in green against black, set to one side of the chest rather than centred, with knotted fastenings alongside a plain button placket and a flat collar. The Embroidered Mandarin Collar Shirt is long sleeved, with a fine tonal pattern raised across the chest and knotted fastenings down a low stand collar. Both shirts are also in Japanese t-shirts.

How to wear them

Let the embroidery be the only detail. The sweatshirt sits best over Japanese pants or straight trousers with nothing busy underneath. The mandarin collar shirt wears buttoned with dark trousers; the bamboo shirt is a summer shirt over wide legs.

Caring for embroidery

Wash the sweatshirt cold and inside out, without bleach, then dry it flat or on a line to protect the stitching. The two shirts take a gentle cold cycle, hang to dry and a cool iron only.

Measurements come from the manufacturer's flat size table for each garment, converted to centimetres and mapped onto one size ladder. Available for 1 of the 3 garments here, last checked 2026-09-16. How we measure.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the design embroidered or printed?

Embroidered. The cherry blossom, bamboo and tonal patterns are stitched into the cloth, so they are raised and keep their edges through washing.

Is the Sakura Embroidered Sweatshirt a hoodie?

No, it is a loose crew neck. The hood and kangaroo pocket are left off so the embroidery reads clean across the chest.

What does the cherry blossom mean?

Sakura's short bloom has long stood for how brief good things are, which is why it is the most recognisable image in Japanese design.

How do I wash embroidered clothes?

Wash cold and inside out, without bleach, and dry flat or on a line. The embroidered shirts take a gentle cycle and a cool iron only.