Designs & Their Meanings The design of a hakama highly reflects the wearer in a variety of ways. Plainer designs are generally reserved for older women. Women below the age of 30 typically wear more intricate and floral designs. Unmarried women also have longer sleeves, or furisode.
Fitting
Foreign women may have more of a challenge when it comes to renting hakama. Like kimono and yukata, hakama tend to be sold in smaller sizes/lengths to fit the typical Japanese woman. If you are tall and/or wear bigger sizes in Japan, make sure that you check the measurements before choosing your hakama. In Japanese, you can search for トールサイズ and 大きいサイズ attire to suit your needs. There are plenty of cute designs out there, but it might take more time to find them in your size.
The Big Day
On the actual day, you should wake up much earlier than usual. Depending on the services that are available, you would either head to the kimono shop or have a certified kimono consultant come over to your place and help you put on the hakama. Then, you would get your hair styled. This usually takes up to 1.5-2 hours. I suggest going to school by car or taxi to avoid any unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions! Sources: 1. http://bit.ly/2n2ME9Q 2. Monden, Masafumi. Japanese Fashion Cultures: Dress and Gender in Contemporary Japan Photos: Farrah Hasnain The hair arrangement & kimono styling was provided by Fuji Birth. They can be found on Facebook Find Farrah on Twitter: @farrahdesu
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