Shrinking my hakama

Nero · 3rd May 2004, 09:27 AM

hey there fellow swordsmen/women,

Ive been doing kendo for 5 months now and recently got my lovely gi and 10000 hakama from e-bogu (does that make me a rich boy show off?) and ive noticed that the hakama hangs just a little low, touching the top of my feet. I wear it quite high already so i cant really pull it up any more, and so i was thinking about putting it in a warm wash and shrinking it a little. Is this a good idea? I don't think it would shrink much, and if it shrank a little i think it would fit perfectly.

If this is plausible and im not mad, what would be the best way to go about shrinking it? I don't want to put it in the washing machine as it would feck up all the pleats, so would putting it (folded) into a bucket of warm water shrink it?

Hope someone can help me!

**Masahiro** · 3rd May 2004, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Nero

hey there fellow swordsmen/women,

Ive been doing kendo for 5 months now and recently got my lovely gi and 10000 hakama from e-bogu (does that make me a rich boy show off?)

No, but that certainly makes your uniform speak lounder than your kendo. Puhahahahahahaha. .. ...

**Andoru** · 3rd May 2004, 10:05 AM

Nero - try lukewarm water. Normally cotton hakama will shrink a little after a few washes.

**Hyaku** · 3rd May 2004, 10:10 AM

Just hem and stitch the bottom.

**taiwnezboi** · 3rd May 2004, 10:21 AM

You don't like it touching the top of your toes? I thought the hakama was supposed to conceal footwork, so shouldn't that be a good thing? I like to have mine at that length.

**ctan** · 3rd May 2004, 12:00 PM

Hi! It can get a bit dangerous if it's too long though. Tripping on hakama can lead to serious falls. The correct hakama length should result in the hemline "cutting" right across the ankles; it should be slightly higher at the back and lower in front. My hakama was a bit long as well (about 1 inch), and I just got the local seamstress to pull up the hem a bit; took a day and cost me like $5.

**Catherine** · 3rd May 2004, 02:58 PM

Hi,

It sounds about the right length to me - but it is harder at first to get used to a long hakama.

The best way to shorten it would be to take up the hem BUT make sure that your ankles don't show. A common mistake for people early in their training is to have hakamas that are too short. A visual reference for you - if your hakama shows your ankles, you will look like a harry high pants.

Catherine

**slidercrank** · 3rd May 2004, 10:41 PM

Just fold your new hakama as you would after training, and then lay it nicely in the bathtub. Fill the tub with lukewarm water and let it soak for half an hour. Hang up to dry. The pleats will be preserved and you should notice some shortening after the first wash.

Vapour · 3rd May 2004, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by slidercrank

The pleats will be preserved ...

Why do you want to preserve the pleats? I can't think of any better way to while away a Sunday afternoon than struggling with iron, board and hakama trying to get the pleats back in. (Cue much cursing)

**Hai_hai** · 4th May 2004, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by Nero

...I wear it quite high already so i cant really pull it up any more, and so i was thinking about putting it in a warm wash and shrinking it a little...

Your hakama can shrink with the proper technique.
1. Machine wash the hakama in hot or cold water.
2. Put it into a dryer on high heat.
3. Throw away.
4. Buy new hakama a size smaller.

Nero · 4th May 2004, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by Hai_hai

Your hakama can shrink with the proper technique.
1. Machine wash the hakama in hot or cold water.
2. Put it into a dryer on high heat.
3. Throw away.
4. Buy new hakama a size smaller.

Thanks Hai Hai, I'll do it right away!

**mystic_kendoka** · 4th May 2004, 04:36 AM

but really stitching the button works and u dont notice it, i did it with mine, and noone knows, and it works perfect

**Andoru** · 4th May 2004, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Vapour

Why do you want to preserve the pleats?

Coz it's proper etiquette!! Those pleats are meant to symbolize values you know...

Vapour · 4th May 2004, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Andoru

Coz it's proper etiquette!! Those pleats are meant to symbolize values you know...

Thank you for your admonishment. I am new to these boards, and didn't realise that I had to fit all my key points in the first sentence of every post in order to avoid being quoted out of context. I shall try and do better in future.

However, the point of my post was that it all seems a bit wussy to be gently folding the hakama and applying the subtlest of caresses in a bath of lukewarm water. Far more fun, honest, is to machine wash them, give them a thoroughly good spin dry and then practise trying to acheive zen calmness while ironing the pleats back in again. It must be some sort of masochisitic streak in me I guess. Does nobody else do it this way?

**taiwnezboi** · 5th May 2004, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Vapour

However, the point of my post was that it all seems a bit wussy to be gently folding the hakama and applying the subtlest of caresses in a bath of lukewarm water. Far more fun, honest, is to machine wash them, give them a thoroughly good spin dry and then practise trying to acheive zen calmness while ironing the pleats back in again. It must be some sort of masochisitic streak in me I guess. Does nobody else do it this way?

or just machine wash and forget that the pleats ever existed =P