How to tie a haori himo?
- by MaedaYumiko
- 2 min reading time
A simple guide to classic Haori-Himo tying – with small tips for a beautiful silhouette and a look at traditional Japanese dressing techniques.
The basic way to tie a haori cord
Today we'll show you the basic tying technique for a haori cord (Haori-himo).
Although it's often said, "You just make two knots," in practice, it's not so easy to get a nice shape.
If you've been unsure until now, this guide might help you.
1.
First, place the left cord over the right cord so that the left side is on top.
2.
Guide the end of the left cord under the right one and fold it towards you.
3.
Now lift the end of the right cord upwards.
4.
The lifted end is now wrapped around once and placed to the right.
Here, you should pay particular attention to the front and back of the cord.
When you guide the cord to the right, the beautiful patterned side should remain visible.
This small detail makes a big difference to the final shape, so it's worth paying close attention here.
5.
Now fold the end of the left cord and pass it through the loop you created.
6.
Finally, gently tighten both sides and carefully adjust the shape — done.
A beautiful drape of the Haori
A haori looks particularly elegant when the collar falls naturally and straight down.
Therefore, it is advisable not to tie the haori cord too tightly, but to leave some room.
The collar should not be pulled inwards by the cord, but should fall loosely and naturally.
A small note on tying technique
Since I also work in the field of historical costume clothing and traditional dressing techniques, I learned kimono not only as clothing to wear myself, but also as something that one beautifully dresses other people in.
Therefore, my way of guiding the cord and small details of the tying sometimes differ slightly from typical self-dressing techniques.
However, it is precisely these small differences that, for me, constitute the special charm and depth of kimono culture.
Wearing Kimono Freely and Individually
The method shown here is the classic basic form.
If you want to wear a haori in a modern style or with Western clothing, you don't necessarily have to close the cord.
A haori can also look beautiful when worn slightly overlapping and combined with a narrow leather belt.
Try out different styles and find your own way to wear kimono and haori.
Discover selected Vintage Haori from Japan here.