Hakama are split into a front and back section at the top, which are tied at the waist, often with visible hip vents and usually covering the midriff. Hakama are normally worn over a kimono and are very often red in color, although any color may be used. Traditional hakama are long garments, but non-traditional hakama short skirts and hakama shorts are often seen in anime.
Hakama were commonly worn both by samurai, miko and kannushi, practitioners of many martial arts including kyuudou, and often by sumo wrestlers when appearing in public outside the ring.
They were traditionally worn by men with either a kataginu sleeveless jacket/vest in an outfit known as kamishimo (lit. upper & lower) or over a formal, long-sleeved montsukikimono, with the family crest on it. Sometimes a haori is worn over the latter.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they were part of the standard female Meiji schoolgirl uniform until the introduction of the serafuku. They were commonly worn by both female college students and female teachers or professors at graduation ceremonies. They were also a fashionable day to day outfit for young women during this time period, often paired with a kimono with a simple geometric or floral print. Women's hakama tend to be either solid color or with a graduated hue, and hakama meant for young women may be sparsely decorated with floral decorations, paired with a solid color kimono.
