Hakama Folding / Maintenance

[TKD Samurai]

Well, earlier this year I got a pair of hakama pants (the skirt-like pants that samurai wear) to use for martial arts demonstrations and tournaments. Those demos and tournaments passed, so I kept my hakamas stuffed in a drawer. More tournaments and stuff are coming up, so I took them back out and tried them out again, only to think that they didn't look as crisp as the first time I got them. I recall from someone that hakamas should be folded a certain way for storage, but I don't know how to do it. Can someone help me out with how to maintain my hakamas properly?

[Debitt]

I remember seeing a picture of your hakama! XD Anyways, I have mine on a hanger in my closet, but I know there's a way to fold them. ^_^ I'll ask my grandma sometime very soon and let you know!

[Ingemar]

I never successfully folded my hakama, but I do know you have to line the pleats up. (Furthermore, I have never washed my hakama for fear of losing the pleats in the process).

[Esoteric]

'tis quite complicated, and I think you can only really learn by watching (or at least seeing pictures of the process. But I'll try and explain briefly.

Hold it up and shake it out, check the inner pantleg seems and make they're folding to the side which makes it lay flat. Lay it down, with the back side up. Straighten the legs so the the seems line up on the sides. Grab the top of the hakama, pull it forward and gently flip it over so as not to lose your progress. Begin finding/lining up pleats from the middle of the hakama out. Once everything is straight and neat, you'll notice the pantlegs are about three inches wider than the back-board at the top. Fold each pantleg inward so that the sides are completely straight with the back board. Now, fold the hakama in thirds from the bottom up (if the back board sticks out, fold it in too). It should now be a nice flat rectangle. Fold the long ties in thirds or quarters and lay them in an 'X' on the hakama. Take the short ties and loop them one at a time around the 'X' (this part must really be shown.) Fold up remainder of short ties and tuck under the loops to hold them in place.

Now after all of that, I suggest you find someone who can show you properly!

[oro!]

Yeah, I've had mine for a year, and don't yet know how to fold it perfectly, or even near that. (I haven't even washed it, either!) My suggestion to you is to look up a website with pictures of the process.