Hakama
Below that on the inside, there may be a hakama-dome (袴止め)[citation needed] (a spoon-shaped component sometimes referred to as a hera) which is tucked into the obi or himo at the rear, and helps to keep the hakama in place.
Hakama are also regularly worn by practitioners of a variety of martial arts, such as kendo, iaido, taidō, aikido, jōdō, ryū-te, and kyūdō.
In addition to martial artists, hakama are also part of the everyday wear of Shinto kannushi, priests who maintain and perform services at shrines.
In cooler weather, a montsuki haori (long jacket) with a white haori-himo (haori-fastener) completes the outfit.
[citation needed] Hakama traditionally formed part of a complete outfit called a kamishimo (上下/裃).
Worn by samurai and courtiers during the Edo period, the outfit included a formal kimono, hakama, and a sleeveless jacket with exaggerated shoulders called a kataginu.
Samurai visiting the shōgun and other high-ranking daimyō at court were sometimes required to wear very long hakama called naga-bakama (lit.
Some hakama during the Sengoku period had the hems made narrower than the body in imitation of the ballooning trousers worn by the Portuguese.
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 (指貫), also called nu-bakama, 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.
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.
Women's hakama differ from men's in a variety of ways, most notably fabric design and method of tying.
[9] This look stems from the attire worn by high-ranked aristocratic woman in the Heian era, as well as court performers such as shirabyōshi.
Before the advent of school uniforms in Japan, students wore everyday clothes, which included hakama for men.
While Western dress was being adopted at the time, she also believed corsets to be restrictive and harmful to women's health.
[13] She adapted the clothing worn by ladies-in-waiting at the Japanese imperial court to make a uniform for her Jissen Women's School.
Like all types of traditional Japanese clothing, it is important to fold and store hakama correctly to prevent damage and prolong the life of the garment, especially those made of silk.
In some martial arts it is also an old tradition that the highest ranking student has the responsibility to fold the teacher's hakama as a token of respect.
