The major sources available to study clothes during the Nara period are documents that include "Ryo-no-gige" (the colleted commentaries on the Ryo code with the efficacy of law) and "Ryo-no-shuge" (the colleted commentaries on the Ryo code without the efficacy of law) and "Shoku Nihongi" (Chronicle of Japan Continued) and "Nihongi Ryaku" (Summary of Japanese Chronologies), and the materials kept in the facilities like the Shosoin Treasure House.
令義解、令集義解、『続日本紀』（しょくにほんぎ）、『日本紀略』（にほんぎりゃく）などの書物と、正倉院などに現在残っている資料が、奈良時代の衣服について研究するための主要な資料である。