When I put on the yukata it never looks neat.

[starsparkling]

I borrowed a yukata from a friend for a Japanese festival I'm going to. Thought it would be fun! smile

It fits like how it's supposed to, but when I tie the smaller sash it always looks lumpy. And when I put the larger sash over it (obi I think), it's not straight and clean.

I've been practicing retying it and whatnot and it gets slightly better but still... ehhh..

How can I make it neater?

[Clonz 200]

Hmm, trust me, I have the same problem x.x
Have someone tie it for you, it'll be so much easier o3o
yum_puddi

[Profligates]

Can you ask your friend to help you put it on? It can be difficult for a beginner to put on by yourself so it's nice to have someone help out.

[spuntino]

You'd probably be better off browsing tutorials at Immortal Geisha Forums, truth be told. They often have threads helping beginners.

There are also a lot of videos on YouTube that help out. This one is particularly easy to follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZtGi21ysM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEGSemM222g

It helps if you have a full-length mirror to stand in front of, so you can see that everything is straight before you commit to it.

To avoid lumps on your soft ties, you'll need a wider, thick band (datejime) to flatten things out before putting on the obi.