How to wear ladies kimono, comfortably.

In this video, I'll show you one way to put on a ladies kimono comfortably in about seven minutes. Keep in mind that the kimono is hundreds of years old, and the closest approximation is like a dress from the 50s, with snaps and straps and all sorts of doodahs hidden beneath. While it's not as easy as slipping on a pair of jeans, the effect is well worth the effort. We start with the hadagi during the winter months, though this is optional in warm weather. All garments are folded with your left over your right. Tie the cords comfortably around your hips. Slip on the top of the hadagi, left over right, and be sure to pull on the back collar so that it is loose and does not touch your neck. Next, we put on the nagajuban. Be sure that there are collar stiffeners, or erishin, inserted into your collar. Slip on the nagajuban so that it's well balanced, left over right. Keep the collar loose. To secure the nagajuban, clip a cording belt on the inside collar, lace it through the armholes around the back, and clip it to the front again. Not all nagajuban have an emon nuki strap, but it's not necessary. I still recommend them. Unlike men's kimono, your collar should not touch the back of your neck. Use the emon nuki to adjust it, or pull on the back of the nagajuban. Next, tie a datejime around your underwire, not your waist. Wrap the ends around twice, twist, and tuck. Be sure your nagajuban is not scrunched in the back by pulling on the sides. Next, slip on the kimono over the nagajuban. Pay careful attention to the collar. Tuck the sleeves of the nagajuban into the sleeves of the kimono. Next, align the bottom of the kimono to your heels. Fold it in, left over right, pulling the very edges of the kimono upwards slightly. Secure at the hip using a koshihimo, or a narrow datejime, which is what I prefer. Be sure the koshihimo is securely in place, tight but comfortable. Just as before, wrap it twice, twist, and tuck. Flatten out the bunched up kimono on the top so that it covers the koshihimo. This part of the kimono, unique to ladies, is called the hashiori. Use a coating belt to secure the collar in place. In order to get a flat hashiori, lift up the inner hidden layer of the kimono while flattening the outer layer downwards. Be sure your kimono is straight in the back by pulling on the sides. Next, tie a second datejime around your waist. You can keep a datejime flat and comfortable by folding it in the back, like so. Once again, wrap twice, twist, and tuck. Next comes the obiita, which keeps the obi flat. I recommend ones with a which means it's pre-folded and sewn. Others need to be folded lengthwise. They vary greatly. Keep a flap about the width of your waist, fold it next to your body, and wrap the rest of the obi tightly around your waist. It should be comfortably stiff, but it's not a corset. Let yourself breathe. Adjust it so that the pattern is where you like it. Once it's comfortably secure, clip it in the back using an obi basame. This is a post-war invention for easy wearing. It also assists when the obi are antique or short so that you don't wear them out by tying them. Pull on the ends to tighten the obi and drop both sides behind your back. Next, the obi makura. With the curve on top, position the makura where the top of the obi should be located and gently lift it onto the obi basame. Tie the makura strings and tuck them behind the obi. Straighten out the obi as necessary. The top should, ideally, be straight. Next, the obijime. Drop your hands behind you and lift the bottom half of the obi up so that it folds behind itself. The leftover flap should then be tucked in between the large loop and the inner fold you just created. Secure the flap by lacing the obijime through the loop and tying both ends in front. Be sure it's tied tightly or the obi will fall apart. Tuck both ends into the obijime at the side. Finally, the obi age. A touch of color. Hold it in the center, insert it into the obi loop, and spread it over the top of the obi makura and any cords or straps that may be showing. Tie it loosely and neatly in the front and tuck it into the obi. Be sure to tuck the sides in too so that it covers any odd ties. This method is called the taiko musubi and is the most common method of tying an obi. And that's that. It may take a few tries to get the hang of, but when you're used to it, you'll be able to put on the kimono in less than 10 minutes.