Hakama Continued

Look, I know it's the height of vanity to have my hakama be the subject of the last three posts (!), but I rationalize it with the knowledge that this will be interesting to anyone who hasn't worn one yet.

So, since my Hakama was on the long side (right at the tops of my feet), I decided I'd have to wash it or hem it or something.  After lengthy online searches to learn about how to wash a hakama, I finally resonated with a couple of people on an aikiweb forum who said "throw it in the washer, throw it in the dryer."  I particularly liked the comment about "they're basically Japanese sweat pants."    Mine's 100% cotton, BTW.

I figured that, since I sweat a lot, I'll probably not be able to depend on dry-cleaning over the years, or even any elaborate washing method. So I'd have to bite the bullet and machine-wash eventually anyway.

Also, I figure the way you treat your hakama might be indicative of your aikido.  For me, I want to treat it with respect, but I don't want to baby it, either.  My aikido is probably never going to have all the creases be perfect anyway, if ya know what I mean.  That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

So anyway, I washed it (cold water, low spin), and I even threw it in the dryer (low heat, only 20 minutes). Then I hung it overnight to complete the drying, and today I ironed the pleats back in as best I could (using an old pillowcase to make sure the iron never touched the hakama itself, since that would likely give it a post-iron sheen).

Feels pretty good, and I think it looks pretty good, too.  Oh, Yeah.

So yes, I'll probably wear it to tomorrow's class, and thereafter, including during my Shodan test.  I figure this is my own little way of saying "I'm ready."