Sewing A Hakama: Step by Step Instructions
Third in my series of CosPlay lenses, here is my lens about the art of making a hakama. As this lens grows it will come to include step by step instruction for making a pattern, selecting the fabric, and finally sewing the hakama.
This was originally intended to be a section on my Lord Sesshomaru Costume lens, however, as you can see that lens got rather long! Additionally, I plan to make other costumes from the InuYasha series (each with it's own lens), many of which will also require the making of a kimono. As such I have decided to create a separate lens for the sewing instructions of a hakama, so that it can be linked back to each of these lenses.
NOTE: The construction of this lens began on March 22, 2008, but is an ongoing process as it is being updated and added to while I create the pattern and sew the hakama, so it may be a while before I have this lens completed, since it will not be finished until my hakama is also finished.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
PLEASE READ!
During the week of June 20th, this lens will be undergoing some major changes, edits, and updates. Several modules are temporarily empty while I edit them off-line. Things might look skimpy for a bit while I move stuff around, but I'll have the content back up soon. Probably around July 13th. I'll let you guys know when I'm done with the updating, by sending out a squid cast about it.
Hakama
The Uniform of a Samurai.
Putting on a Hakama on YouTube vids
Hakama wearing
Practice for putting on a hakama (a kimono worn by Samurai) as quickly as possible.
Runtime: 2:53
19624 views
10 Comments:
What is a Hakama?
What Wikipedia has to say:
Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing resembling a wide, pleated skirt. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both men and women. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles.
There are two types of hakama, divided ( "horse-riding" hakama) and undivided. The umanori type are divided like trousers, but nearer the bottom of the garment. Both types are identical in outside appearance. A third type, "mountain" or "field" hakama, were traditionally worn by field or forest workers. They are looser in the waist and narrower in the leg.
Hakama are worn over a kimono (Hakamashita). There are four straps, a long one on either side of the front of the garment, and a short one on either side of the rear. The rear of the garment has a rigid board-like section, called koshi-ate, and a toggle (often referred to as a 'spoon' by Westerners) which is tucked into the rear of the obi, and helps to keep the hakama in place.
Hakama were originally worn by samurai; it is often said that they used it to disguise their footwork and stances from an enemy, but some people claim that in reality the warrior would tuck the hakama up through the belt when a confrontation was imminent, just as the sleeves of the kimono were tied back with cord.
Later on, hakama were also used to protect clothing from dirt and tearing.
Hakama have seven deep pleats, two on the back and five on the front. The pleats are said to represent the virtues considered essential by the samurai. Many martial artists continue this tradition, but different sources give different meaning to these pleats. Although they appear balanced, the arrangement of the front pleats, (three to the right, two to the left) is asymmetrical, and as such is an interesting example of asymmetry in Japanese aesthetics.
Types of Hakama: Mens Hakama
Hakama can be worn with any type of kimono except yukata (light cotton summer kimono generally worn for relaxing, for sleeping, or at festivals or summer outings). While striped hakama are usually worn with formal kimono, stripes in colors other than black, grey and white may be worn with less formal wear. Solid and gradated colours are also common. A hakama makes any outfit a little more formal.
While hakama used to be a required part of men's wear, nowadays men usually wear hakama only on extremely formal occasions and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Hakama are also regularly worn by practitioners of a variety of martial arts, such as kendo, iaido, aikido, ect. Sumo wrestlers, who do not wear hakama in the context of their sport, however, are required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever they appear in public. As hakama are one of the most important parts of traditional male formal dress, sumo wrestlers are often seen wearing hakama when attending appropriately formal functions.
There are many ways for men to tie hakama. First, the obi is tied in a special knot (an "under-hakama knot") at the rear. Starting with the front, the ties are brought around the waist and crossed over the top of the knot of the obi. The ties are brought to the front and crossed below the waist, then tied at the back, under the knot of the obi. The toggle is then tucked behind the obi, the stiff board adjusted, and the rear ties brought to the front and tied in a variety of ways. The most formal method results in a knot that resembles two bow-ties in a cross shape.
Kamishimo, kataginu, and naga-bakama:
Hakama traditionally formed part of a complete outfit called a kamishimo. Worn by samurai and court men, the outfit included a formal kimono, hakama, and a sleeveless jacket with exaggerated shoulders called a kataginu. The character Jiraiya from the manga/anime Naruto wears one of these.
Instead of hakama, samurai visiting the shogun at court were sometimes required to wear very long hakama called naga-bakama (long hakama). These resemble normal hakama in every way except their remarkable length in both the back and front, forming a train one or two feet long and impeding the ability to walk normally, thus helping to prevent a surprise attack or assassination attempt. Naga-bakama are now only worn in theatrical performances, particularly noh plays.
Karusan-bakama:
Some hakama during the Sengoku period had the hems made narrower than the body in imitation of the ballooning trousers worn by the Portuguese. This style carried on into the Edo period and became called karusan-bakama. In addition to the taper, they had a secured band of cloth - looking rather like a pants cuff - sewn around each leg's hem, so the ballooning fabric would not open out like regular hakama.
Sashinuki Hakama:
Sashinuki are a type of hakama that are meant to be worn blousing over the leg and exposing the foot. To accomplish this, they are somewhat longer than normal hakama, and a cord is run through the hem and drawn tight, creating a "ballooning" effect . To allow for the body required, more formal sashinuki were six-panel hakama rather than four panels. Technically, this cord around the ankle makes sashinuki a type of kukuri- (tied) hakama. The earliest form of sashinuki were cut like normal hakama (albeit a bit longer) and have a cord running through the hem of each leg. These cords were pulled tight and tied off at the ankle. This was the form commonly worn during the Heian period. Sashinuki were worn by court nobles with various types of leisure or semi-formal wear.
Formal Edo era Hakama
Types of Hakama: Womens Hakama
While men's hakama can be worn on both formal and informal occasions, except as part of martial arts wear, women rarely wear hakama except at graduation ceremonies. In some schools, hakama are reserved for senior students. Only very rarely are hakama worn by women at tea ceremony.
While formal men's hakama are made of striped fabric, women's hakama tend to be of single-colour or gradated fabric. Women wear hakama at the true waist, while men wear them slightly below. When a woman wears a hakama, she must also wear a men's obi.
The method of tying the ties is also different, with women's hakama being tied in a simpler knot or a bow. As with men's hakama, the front ties are first brought to the back, then to the front, then tied at the back in a knot. Then the back himo are brought around to the front. At this point, they may be tied with a bow at the left hip, just in front of the opening, with the ends of the ties at equal lengths. For more secure fastening, the ties may be wrapped once at center front, then tied inside at the back.
Hakama Flickr Photos
Part of Aiki-do demonstration
Ronin of Disgaea: Hour of Ddarkness
Sensei Nick Sleep demonstrating Iaido kata during our club demonstration at a lo...
I met some schoolgirls who were going to a graduation ceremony on the way to my ...
The shirt, hakama, that you wear under the kendo armor. Part of my kendo equipme...
I went for coffee the other day, just across the street, really, but brought my ...
A Shrine Maiden.
The art teacher at the school I work at. She was dressed in this yukata for grad...
Of all the procession shots I took, this was THE one I was most happy with. The ...
ONLY 4 DAYS LEFT TO PREORDER ASIAN TRADITIONS CALENDAR (FEATURING MOMOKOS AND TR...
the hakama I wore during graduation
after a graduation ceremony in the streets of Yokohama
Photography by Wasabi-Jesus
![Edo dwellers [Kyoto] by andie_travel](http://static.flickr.com/2005/2167999836_9df10666df_s.jpg)
![Samurai trio [Kyoto] by andie_travel](http://static.flickr.com/2051/2168001240_478ef5d1e5_s.jpg)
model: natsumi
Late Meiji or early Taisho photograph. A simple pose made unusual by the surroun...
Actually, this is kind of casual. This is hakama, not kimono. Ako works hard s...
Did a large bleach cosplay and i think it turned out rather well. And the hakama...
More detailed shots of the Fleece Storyteller Hakama.
More detailed shots of the Fleece Storyteller Hakama.
Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn on...
Green Fleece and Canvas Hakama and Haori style hoodie.
A little different from a traditional Hakama.
A little different from a traditional Hakama.
Salamanzar Rodriguez is perhaps the least understood and most dangerous of the t...
Photography by Wasabi-Jesus
The yougest of the Rodriguez brothers, Jeroboam has always felt the need to comp...
This canvas hakama has the new cargo pocket that Markus design for us...
Photography by Wasabi Jesus
Side opening Long Jawns, A traditional style Kimono and medieval style hood.
Side opening Long Jawns, A traditional style Kimono and medieval style hood.
Green Fleece and Canvas Hakama and Haori style hoodie.
Blue Fleece and Canvas Hakama and Haori style hoodie.
Green Fleece and Canvas Hakama and Haori style hoodie.
Blue Fleece and Canvas Hakama and Haori style hoodie.
Jawn seen wearing his full Burbah attire.
Photography by Wasabi Jesus
Ben sports his hakama%u3000%u30D9%u30F3%u3055%u3093%u306E%u306F%u304B%u307E%u3067%u3059%u3002
I encountered a couple who had just finished their wedding ceremony at Yasaka Ji...
Hakama is an outer garment worn over the kimono that is either split between the...
Not the men but the women performed the samurai !
Amazon Spotlight
patterns.
People around the world have recognized this opportunity, producing resist designs in textiles by shaping and then securing cloth in various ways before dyeing. Yet in no other country has the creative potential of this basic principle been understood and applied as it has in Japan. Here, in fact,
it has been expanded into a whole family of traditional resist techniques, involving first shaping the cloth by plucking, pinching, twisting, stitching, folding, pleating, and wrapping it, and then securing the shapes thus made by binding, looping, knotting, clamping, and the like. This entire
family of techniques is called shibori.
Designs created with shibori processes all share a softness of outline and spontaneity of effect. Spontaneity is shibori's special magic, made possible by exploiting the beauty of the fortuitous things that happen when dye enters shaped cloth.
Usually it is in response to the fact that a craft is being lost that the need for preserving and documenting it arises. The motivation behind this book is no exception, but the authors have gone far beyond simple documentation. Extensive research and experimentation have led to the revival here of
shibori techniques that were once well known but have now been largely forgotten in Japan. In addition to more conventional techniques, the work of contemporary fiber artists in Japan and abroad in shibori textile art and wearable art is presented, to suggest the extent of the creative innovation
possible.
Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing
Amazon Price: $31.68 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $48.00
Used Price: $28.61
The 104 color and 298 black-and-white plates include a photographic Gallery of Shibori Examples, based on Japan's largest collection of traditional shibori fabrics. Included also are a detailed guide to basic natural dyes used in Japan, the making and care of an indigo vat, and a list of suppliers
in North America, as well as a glossary and bibliography. Now available in paperback, this full documentation of one of the world's most inventive and exciting dyeing techniques continues as a classic in the textile field.
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
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Link List
- Mr. Cardon's basic Japanese garb
- Simple basic Japanese garb
by Magariki Katsuichi no Koredono, CM, CS, OSC For our purposes, there are two basic garments: kosode and hakama.
While these patterns may not be exactly correct and authentic to
pre-Edo Japan, they're pretty close, and fine for beginners.
Great Hakama on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Reader Poll:
Folding Your Hakama
Hakama are often considered particularly challenging to learn to fold properly, in part because of their pleats and in part because their long ties must be correctly smoothed and gathered before being tied in specific patterns.
Various martial arts traditions in which practitioners wear them have prescribed methods of folding the hakama. This is often considered an important part of etiquette.
In some martial arts it is also an old tradition that the highest ranking student has the responibility to fold the teachers hakama as a token of appreciation.
Hakamas on Flickr Photos
Wedding photos (1 of...
Wedding photos (2 of...
Wedding photos (4 of...
Miko (巫女)
Tenjin Matsuri (天...
closer to being a dr...
R0013444
Rental hakama
New Canvas hakama
Black tan Hakama
Miko
loden robes
Captain Rhys
Casey prepping for t...
Casey prepping for t...
Casey prepping for t...
Casey prepping for t...
the duel
Canvas Tied Hakama
Canvas Hakama
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a hakama in the snow
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Story Teller Hakama
Green Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Green Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
Blue Storyteller
New Poll Module
Reader Feedback: Do you wear a hakama if your costume requires one?
CosPlay: Hakama or no?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes! I wear a hakama during CosPlay. I believe in authenticity.
Seiaeka says:
If I make a costume, I would rather have the satisfaction of knowing that I took the time to learn something new and did something I've never done before in order to achieve that character. Why make a costume if you're going to just cut corners? Where's the pride, the satisfaction, the experience?
Posted October 09, 2008
Seiaeka says:
If I make a costume, I would rather have the satisfaction of knowing that I took the time to learn something new and did something I've never done before in order to achieve that character. Why make a costume if you're going to just cut corners? Where's the pride, the satisfaction, the experience?
Posted October 09, 2008
Catarina says:
Definitely. Sure, I could make something that resembles a hakama, but it doesn't give me the same amount of satisfaction that creating a real hakama will give me.
Posted June 12, 2008
No! As long as I achieve the right look for my costume, I see no need to wear a real hakama.
Here's my favorite link:
New Guestbook
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EelKat
This lens is undergoing some major edits and updates so it might look a bit skimpy for a bit while I move things around, but I'll have the content back up soon. I'll let you guys know when I'm done with the updating, by sending out a squid cast about it. Posted March 26, 2008 |
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