Daichi Hakama - Sand

大地 (daichi): "the earth, the ground underfoot."

Walk into a kendo hall in Japan and everyone training there wears hakama, the wide pleated trousers the samurai class wore over kimono, tied at the waist with long cords. They never really left. Every March, women graduating from Japanese universities tie them on over kimono for the ceremony, the look of the schoolgirls of the Meiji era (1868 to 1912).

Daichi, the earth, names the color well: dry sand with a faint pink cast, in cotton-linen with a soft crinkle. The deep front pleats stay, while the cords give way to an elastic waist and a long matching belt that wraps around and knots at the front. The legs are very wide and swing when you walk.

For August, wear them with a plain tee and white sneakers, as one model does here, or go darker with a black tee and black shoes. Navy, white, black and gray versions of the same cut are in the hakama pants.

• Fabric: cotton-linen blend, light and breathable
• Waist: elastic with a long wrap tie belt
• Front: deep pleats
• Leg: very wide, relaxed through the hip; ankle length on most heights
• Sizes: jeans-style waist sizes 30 to 48 (10 sizes)
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in, 172 lb wears 32; 5 ft 11 in, 198 lb wears 34

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.