Hakama for Women With Hips

[GreenArrow]

Hi ladies.

I've had a few thoughts about other information useful to women.

The issue of shinais has been discussed at length (I may move the ongoing discusison about sourcing ladies 39 shinais over here some point).

How about hakama and gi? Reason is, the shinai, hakama and gi tend to be the first things we all need to get, just when the trepidation is at it's greatest...

OK, my experiences with hakama/gi.

First out, I'm not small any more. Running at UK dress sizes 16-18, and I have classic hourglass figure- i.e. something up front and hips to match...

Hakama.

This site has a few interesting observations about fitting of hakama for ladies

http://www.bujindesign.com/whakama.html

OK, their stuff is expensive- the Chibabogu equivalent of hakama- but info is also useful if you decide to re-engineer a cheaper set.

Or you can make hakama- they are surprisingly easy to make actually. For future reference, I got a pattern from RoundCircle publishing http://store.yahoo.com/roundearth/hakformarar.html. Carol, who runs the site, is very helpful, and had this to say when I commented on the usefulness of her hakama patterns:

Ahh!!! Mission Accomplished!! May I quote you??
I was trying to resolve Bad Fit, Bad Construction, Bad Information,
and high cost -- especially for grown-up women with Real Hips.
I can die happy now. ;-)

The pattern also comes with "fitting instructions" very useful. Alterations to the pleat positions and angle of the side vents make a huge difference to the fit.

Fabric to make: If your dojo allows you to wear white hakama it's REALLY easy as white cottons are readily available. If not (ours doesn't let us wear white unfortunately) the best source I've found is navy sheeting for a lightweight set- or you can get white cotton drill and dye it (Dylon machine dyes), at least you won't go smurff. I haven't found a source of indigo-dyed fabric yet.

Gi.

Not found a ladies Kendogi yet. Bujin does a ladies gi supposedly for iaido/kendo/aikido- (http://www.bujindesign.com/wdogi.html) (http://www.bujindesign.com/wdogi.html)) but not in indigo or navy. Not in rice-grain pattern either.

RoundEarth also does a gi pattern http://store.yahoo.com/roundearth/gipattern.html- same issue with fabric as above.

My conclusions to date:

1. Using standard kit: Get a big size for a gi- and tie it tight, hakama- get a decent one- will have more material in- and re-engineer if you want pleats to look good
3. If you feel creative- make your own
4. Save pennies for Bu-Jin kit!

Anyone else have experiences to share?

[Solinde]

I don't really feel that this is a big issue for me, although obviously my clothes would probably fit better if I looked more boyish. What came across my mind though was this NineCircles hakama (http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/product_details.asp?ProdID=188&CatID=29) that I noticed a few days ago. According to the info on the site it has "special features including reinforced back plate and side slits, extra long ties and wider front section for western hips". Has anyone tried it and can tell us if this makes it a better fit for women?

[tantadi]

You can try this:
http://home.att.net/~daimyo.outfitters/open.html

or this: http://www.kyotokimono.com/WhatsForSale/CustomMadeItems.html
or this: http://www.shop-japan.co.jp/english-boku/index.3html.htm
or this: http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_reberuniforms.htm

[Commander]

I noticed that the #8000 indigo dyed hakama i bought from kendo-bogu is very baggy and long, i need to wear it quite higher

Though the white hakama i got from kendoshop fits perfect and its the same size...

Strange.

[LarsCW]

I noticed that the #8000 indigo dyed hakama i bought from kendo-bogu is very baggy and long, i need to wear it quite higher

Though the white hakama i got from kendoshop fits perfect and its the same size...

Strange.

My hakama was too long too so I washed it and then dryed it 1 third of the cycle to check if it had shrunk enough and placed it back for another third which made it shrink enough.

Now I can wear it as I should.

Maybe an idea for you too Sarah. Just be carefull when you do it.

[Alison2805]

for some reason my hakama hems always end up higher at the front than at the back, god knows why, I dont have a beer gut or anything! And they always work their way up during training so they look too short. Ill just buy a longer hakama next time. I sewed an extra set of ties inside my gi to stop it from moving around under my do, which works well.

[Fonsz]

I thought I would like to add to this thread with some words about the Hakama from my favorite supplier who has got it covered well in this page:
http://www.chibabogu.com/catalog/information.php?info_id=15&osCsid=e8585b5fa9ab7d11a5b2f7018e113b8e
Hope this is any help and I'll be out of here in a jiffy.
Cheerio!

[GreenArrow]

I thought I would like to add to this thread with some words about the Hakama from my favorite supplier who has got it covered well in this page:
http://www.chibabogu.com/catalog/information.php?info_id=15&osCsid=e8585b5fa9ab7d11a5b2f7018e113b8e
Hope this is any help and I'll be out of here in a jiffy.
Cheerio!

Errr.... no mention of hips there though eh...??? You know, the bits that stick out at the sides, not the bit that sticks out front- that's the "Beer Gut" :wink:

[Fonsz]

Errr.... no mention of hips there though eh...??? You know, the bits that stick out at the sides, not the bit that sticks out front- that's the "Beer Gut" :wink:
You're right I just looked it over more closely and you're right. Since (I'm lucky) I don't have a beer gut or hips it's never been an issue. I don't suppose that Chiba's mentioning of how to measure can also be applied to hips? Just guessing here.

[Budo Angel]

well ladies I think you're being very brave anouncing your vital statistics to the whole wide world :tongue:

...and I weep to read the hakama abuse/issues... its sacred peice of clothing !!! (just kidding) a purist here.

Nope bujin are making women's widths. But otherwise that old broken record...custom cut/order. But be careful on this one - a good maker will understand you want the width of EVERY front pleat wider and in proportion. I know someone who tried this, it was better but still not right. Good luck ! :down:

You know, any more of these sort of wimins threads, and the blokes out there will think we're not from this planet :ninja:

[Alison2805]

what?? they dont already know?

[Commander]

I've noticed my hakama really spreads out, looks bulky compared to my white one...strange.

I've also noticed that the himo are thicker and quite stiff, i've worn it alot but i cant seem to soften them to tie easier. Any suggestions?

[Budo Angel]

Himo width and stiffness depends on the density of the cotton count is it #7,000 ? (easier to wash) or #10,000 (normally the top thickness, great for gradings/taikai, heavy going for everyday)...sweat breaks it down if you wash it out after each use (not wash with soap, not every time) I mean just water...

[neko]

hi all,
just wanted to tell you all a story about my quest to find hakama that fit.
the first pair of hakama i bought was from ebogu. i bought the correct length for my height, but it never fit quite right because well, i have hips. so i then bought a woman's cut bujin hakama in the heavy duck. the fit was great, but the damn thing was soooo heavy. not to mention that it wasn't indigo....just blue cotton duck. so i started thinking that surely the longer the hakama are (from ebogu), the wider the hips must be. so i emailed ebogu and asked what length would i have to buy to have the hips be **in. across (measuring across at the bottom of the vents). they emailed me back and i bought the length they told me.

well, today i shortened them to the correct length and they fit just great. the pleats hang nice and the waist needed zero alterations. it actually fits better than my bujin one! man, i am so happy! :)

[rottunpunk]

hakama seem to fit ok on me.
theres a bloke at the dojo who may find these useful though

the annoyance i have is the baggy bit of keikogi just above wher the sword goes. i have a womens kimono which should aid it, but the whole jackets a bit big.
i just adjusted by jubon so they took on a more figure hugging fit.
chidokan sent me this link a while ago, i want the two-tone pretty purpular ones
http://www.shop-japan.co.jp/english-boku/hakama5.htm

hey neko, i got my kendo ones from ebogu too-very happy with the. i also got them on a get the keikogi free (the amount save went on shipping and tax) deal they were doing at the time. they do seem to have their sizes sorted
:p

[neko]

i measured the width of my bujin hakama and asked for one that size, but your friend at the dojo should just measure around his widest part (no jokes please. ;)) while he has his keikogi on. it would make a difference i believe.

about your baggy bit of keikogi, (or was it the jacket?) anyhow, can't you just take in the sides some?

also, which hakama do you want? two tone purple??
i like the green. :) oh and the cases at the bottom of the page for carrying your uniform (do you call it a uniform in iaido?) around in, are pretty swell. actually the whole site has some great merchandise. i like all the shinsengumi stuff. :cool2:

[rottunpunk]

keikogi, jacket, top, thingy with sleeves-yeah, thats what i did with my jubon, but i might actually get someone who can sew to alter my proper thing
i want the the two-tone purple and theres some blue ones that are nice
the shinsengumi stuffs fun.
iai clothes are the same as kendo but with iai as a prefix instead of kendo
thanks for the tip on the measuring, ill let him know
:p

[neko]

iaigi??

i like saying that....

iaigi...iaigi...iaigi...:)

what is jubon?

oh and don't alter your proper thing....your thing is probably just fine the way it is. :wink:

excuse my drunkeness...i just returned from a bachelorette party. what do you call those (bachelorette party) across the pond?

[Solinde]

what do you call those (bachelorette party) across the pond?

Hen party was the word that I learnt in Brighton last weekend. They were all over the place! :eek:

[neko]

ha! hen party...that's cute. :)

[rottunpunk]

hen parties/nights for women, and stag nights for blokes.
they tend to have them in they day time as well as night in blackpool, it goes with the tacky nature of the place

jubon is the under jacket, usually used when wearing montsuki (sp?)/kimono sleeves, which my purple one is
:p

[Andy_Watson]

Brighton is a prime target for Hen parties in the UK, especially when all the invitees dress up as mini-skirted policewomen and go around handcuffing young lads (who may well later turn out to be "batting for the other side").

I realise this has nothing to do with hakama's or hips but wanted to clear up any strange images our continental cousins have with Brighton - it is a bit strange though.

[Solinde]

all the invitees dress up as mini-skirted policewomen and go around handcuffing young lads (who may well later turn out to be "batting for the other side").
I (...)wanted to clear up any strange images our continental cousins have with Brighton
In what way do you think that that just helped? :eek: :wink:

Don't think I saw any policewomen with handcuffs though...only a few devils, some beauty contest participants and some really horrible party in glitter wigs. :dead:

[Andy_Watson]

Ah maybe the weather was too unpredictable for mini skirts on policewomen (or to be PC, female policeoccifers).

Brighton is a bit of a weird old place, on the one hand it is supposedly upmarket with a rising property price due to popularity. On the other hand it is full of nasty little chavs who should be drowned at the end of the pier perhaps while they are still in the womb.

[Nakura]

On the other hand it is full of nasty little chavs who should be drowned at the end of the pier perhaps while they are still in the womb.

Or preferably used as tameshi-giri practice...

[Steve]

I have a quick question for all you Kendo ladies out there. My girlfriend has trouble tieing her hakama tightly because of her hips. For me (and most other guys) the betls sit above the hip bone, but below the navel. For her, and i assume all other ladies, if she sits them at that spot to tie them the curvature of her hips doesn't allow them to sit there properly; they tend to want to rise up higher well above her hips (closer to her navel or above). That area is nice and "straight" as far as curves go (the equivalent of a guys rectangular hips) but if she ties them there she can't breathe.

So, my question is do you ladies have a different method for tying the hakama belts (and tightenting them) to accomodate your hips? If you do, please post your method up (with pictures preferably...real or drawn) or message me directly.

Thanks a million,
Steve

[Steve]

one other thing. The same goes for her obi as well. What a disaster trying to get that to just sit right!!

Do you gals tie them differently to accomodate your hips compared to guys? Do you all wear your hakama / obi higher up than guys do? If you do...how the heck do you breathe?

Anyhow, any help you can offer would really be appreciated.

Steve

[Kirinhale]

I had that breathing problem! It's awful, i just bought myself a shorter hakama, a cotton one, and i tie it on my hips, quite low. It feels firm enough to hold for 2 hours of practice but i won't know for sure till tomorrow. I'll post how it went :silly:

[Solinde]

Why would there be a breathing problem? There's no point in tying it that hard. On the contrary I find obi to be a help in that it makes it easier to feel when I am actually breathing/working from the stomach.

And yes, most girls/women do wear their hakama than you guys because our hip area starts to get wider some distance above the hipbones. You might have noticed. :wink:

[rottunpunk]

perhaps she is tying it too tight?
i tie mine above the hip. i also have a cheap old cotton obi which is quite narrow, which seems to work better on me than big posh ones. i think i tie it normally...
how is she tying her hakama straps?
i do them so they are above the obi knot. also, i do them so they just go straight around the waist, instead of that low down knot tying thing (if that makes any sense) and finish with a pretty bow
this is for iai, but i did the same for kendo and as far as i can remember everything stayed together
:p

[Alison2805]

I tie mine around my waist and its fine. You dont need to tie it so tight you have trouble breathing.

[Kirinhale]

I didn't tie it too tight, it was just annoying to have something tied around my waist and it made breathing difficult. Anyways, i wore my hakama on my hips today, it went fine, i just tied it tight enough and it didn't shift or anything :p

[Alison2805]

It can take a bit of getting used to :] Was there any diffeent way you tied it so it stayed put?

[Kirinhale]

Umm, hard to explain :p After tieing the front himo on your back, you pull them back to the front to cross them, well I crossed them lower, and then obviously i tied them lower again on my back, and i put the plastic thingie (ugh, can't remember what it's called) behind the lowest knot on my back and then just pulled them to the front and tied them where the front himo were crossed. If that makes any sense...:silly:

[Alison2805]

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but I just recieved my new hakama last night. My old one was too short so I had a look around various sites to see how to get the correct length. One site explained that hakama sizes are perfect for guys because they tie it at hip level. Some girls do this too, but I tie mine at my waist.

So, I ordered my hakama one size too big. Voila! It fits perfectly!!! The hem sits right at my ankle.

Ive also found that ordering gi exactly right for my height will fit beautifully across the shoulders, but too small around the bust - which is ok if you dont mind tieing it a little looser than its supposed to be tied. I dont mind, the do covers it anyway.

Oh, and the summer gi I got is even smaller across the bust than the same size normal gi. But it is beautiful!!!