Though patterns are roughly demarcated to two types; one is yusoku-monyo (traditional design motifs, used either in single units or repeated to create patterns, based on designs from Heian courtly decorations) that are scattered over the whole of kimono between the embroidery of the beauty of nature, and another is that the motif are taken from traditional literature such as the Tale of Genji or scenery of a noh play called 'goshoge,' compared to the kimono of the court nobles and common folks as described later, it seems that the design lacks boldness and there is a tendency to avoid blank space.
文様は花鳥風月の刺繍の間に有職文様がまんべんなく全体に散らされている物、また源氏物語などの古典文学や能の風景から画題をとった「御所解」に大分されるが、後述する公家や庶民の着物に対して柄行きの大胆さにかけ、余白を嫌う傾向が挙げられる。