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Hakama Series - Hibakama (Scarlet Hakama)

The bright red hakama with a white kimono is a common sight in both anime and video game characters. Shrine maidens or Miko also wear this combination of colors when they work at Shinto shrines. Honestly, there is a LOT of history and cultural significance wrapped up in this one. 

Anime/Games: Inuyasha, Genshin Impact, Sailor Moon, 

So let's talk Design.

Design Considerations

Cultural Significance

This is one I'd pay attention to if I was creating a character of my own. I assume that already created characters have had this research done and have taken their artistic license. 
Some of the research taught me a few things:
  • The color is technically scarlet or vermillion, not "red". 🤷
  • Miko are not part of the Shinto clergy. Sometimes they are just seasonal workers. 
  • Generally, Miko are young women in their teens or early 20s. After a certain age, they wear different colors. 
  • This was based on Heian nobility colors and fashions. 

Color

Like I said earlier, the color is vermillion or scarlet. However, it is unlikely that you'll be wrong getting red fabric. That is the only color and it tends to be solid. However, there are some artistic interpretations that add subtle designs, gradients, and maybe bleached shapes. 

Fabric

The fabric is typically a cotton/cotton blend. Silk for more formal occasions. You can also use linens. 

Leg Shape

This is one of those situations where you can create a skirt or a trouser type hakama and it still works. My tutorial here will be for a skirt type, but you can borrow from the split-leg post to make your own trouser style hibikama..  

Pleats

5 pleat in front and 3 in back for the skirt. It would only be 1 pleat in back for trouser style. Typically the front pleats have a 1" depth while the back pleats have a 1.5" depth. However, you can play with this depth however you like. 

Side Openings/Sasahida

These will definitely have the side openings similar to the other styles. The length is generally 15" from the waist. I have a post about modesty side panels and antique pockets if you want coverage. 

Waistband

Besides the color, this is the more distinguished part of hibakama. The waist band in front and back can be quite tall, almost like an obi. (Typically these are not worn with a big obi or han obi underneath.) The front waistband has large, thick white stitches along the bottom where it meets the skirt. The himo are thicker too and makes a pretty bow on the front. 

I will note that this is not true of all characters with hibakama. The style evolved throughout history. For example Kikiyo from Inuyasha seems to have a martial arts style hakama that is scarlet. Which makes sense since she's from the Heian era and she's an archer. 

Measurements

You need 2 measurements for this skirt: 
  • Waist Circumference
  • Waist to Ankle Length
From these two measurements we can calculate everything else. 

How Much Fabric?

 This is going to depend on if you are making a skirt or trouser style hibakama. My tutorial is going to be for the skirt style. You can reference my post on Classic Hakama for trouser style. 

Most patterns I know will layout patterns on the crossgrain, so I will also suggest doing this. This means you use the height of the bolt for the length of your hakama as long your waist to ankle length is less than 60" you should be fine.
To get a rough estimate of the area of fabric you need, take your Waist to ankle Measurement + Hem. 
If you want you can also add Waistband thickness to the height. It looks like a 3"- 4" band in front and back so you will need about 6"-8" for that. If that is going to make it too tall to fit on your fabric bolt then you'll calculate that separately. 

For the length of fabric you need you will take your Waist circumference + Pleat Fabric + Seam Allowance. For a skirt you will have a total of 9 pleats. You will need 2" of fabric per pleat to get a 1" pleat. If you want deeper pleats then just remember you need double the fabric for pleat depth. 
There are 4 seams that are 3/4" which will add up to 3". 

So Waist Circumference + (9*2) + 3" = the length of fabric you need by inches. Divide your length by 36 to get the yardage. 

Example: 32" + 18" + 3" = 53"
Yards: 53 ÷ 36 = 1.47 (round up to 1.5)

Feel free to add "buffer" it never hurts. 

Construction

Skirt Panels
  1. Cut out the large rectangles for your skirt panels. 
  2. Use the fold technique to make the sasahida (side openings)

  3. Alternatively, you can use bias tape and cut the sasahida. 
  4. Fold the pleats like so in the front panel: 


  5. Fold the pleats for the back panel like this: 


  6. Baste down the pleats and press. 
  7. Lay the front panel over the back panel with the right sides together and sew up the side seams. 

Himo/Belts

  1. Cut 4 times your waist measurement in length and 4" tall rectangle stripe for the front belt. 
  2. Cut a rectangle 5" more than your waist measurement and 6" - 8" tall for the back belt. 
  3. Fold both in half length wise so the wrong side of the fabric faces outwards. 
  4. Sew around the edges, starting from the short edge and stopping in the middle of the long edge. 
  5. Cut each belt in half, trim the seams and turn out. 
  6. Set aside to attach to the waist band. 
    (Illustrations tbd)

Waist Band

  1. Cut 2 rectangles that are 2/5ths of your waist measurements and 6" - 8" tall. 
  2. Fold in half and press, then unfold. 
  3. On the front rectangle, on the right side of the fabric, sew the himo's cut edge near the fold. Sew down. 
  4. Fold the sides and hem
  5. Do the same for the back belt and waistband. 
  6. Line the raw edge of the bottom of the waist band with the right side of the fabric laying onto the wrong side of the front skirt panel. Sew along the edge. 
  7. Fold up, fold the top edge to make a folded hem and line up with the right side of the front skirt panel. Sew down. 
  8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 for the back panel. 
  9. Take a large needle and white cording to make the large stitches on the front panel. 
  10. Use a ladder stitch to close up the sides of the waist band up to the lower edge of the belt. 
And that should do it! 

References/Alternative Methods

Taeliac's Fakie Hakama - this includes the trouser version of hibakama as well as skirt version. 
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