You’ve decided to put your son in hakama for his graduation ceremony, but once you open a rental website, you find products labeled with different names like “montsuki hakama” and “haori-hakama,” ranging from solid black to brown or cream with various patterns — and many parents aren’t sure which to choose. On top of that, hearing “montsuki” (a crested garment) might make you picture an all-black kimono, but when you actually look at products for elementary school boys, you’ll find plenty of brown and cream options with crests as well. Let’s take a moment to sort out the terminology here and go through things step by step.
To get straight to the point, the real decision point for elementary school graduation hakama is whether to choose a black montsuki haori-hakama or a colorful patterned haori-hakama (as the Koromogoyomi editorial team sees it). At elementary school graduation ceremonies, patterned versions with crests are actually the mainstream choice, so there’s no need to insist on solid black.
Sorting Out the Terms: Montsuki Haori-Hakama and Haori-Hakama
A montsuki haori-hakama is formal attire combining a kimono and haori (a short coat worn over the kimono) bearing a crest, paired with hakama (a pleated skirt-like garment); “montsuki hakama” is simply the shortened name for it. “Haori-hakama,” on the other hand, refers to the haori-and-hakama combination in general, including versions without a crest (as the Koromogoyomi editorial team sees it). Adding a crest raises the formality, so montsuki haori-hakama outfits are generally said to be worn for weddings, ceremonies, and other formal occasions. When choosing a crested option for rental, it often features a pattern called “tsu-mon” — this isn’t a specific family crest, but a general-purpose crest design used for formal wear.
For adult men, the defining feature of a montsuki haori-hakama is a family crest on both the kimono and the haori. The most formal version pairs a solid black kimono and haori bearing five crests with striped hakama known as sendaihira — this is the most formal attire for men. The level of formality also changes with the number of crests, decreasing in order from five crests, to three, to one.
That said, a graduation ceremony doesn’t call for the most formal attire — even adults typically attend in semi-formal dress. There’s no need for an elementary school boy’s graduation outfit to match the highest level of adult formality. In recent years, more and more boys have been wearing hakama to their graduation ceremonies, and increasingly, families are choosing colorful patterned haori-hakama rather than sticking to black montsuki.
What Colors and Patterns Are Chosen for Elementary School Graduations?
Looking at actual rental shop lineups, many of the products categorized as “montsuki hakama” for elementary school boys are not solid black at all. The combinations are varied — navy-and-black gradation paired with patterned hakama, brown paired with arrow-feather patterned hakama, gray stripes paired with hakama featuring a flower-diamond pattern, and more.
At another rental shop, you’ll find options like a brown montsuki paired with black hakama, a cream montsuki paired with mocha-beige hakama, or an olive-green montsuki paired with beige hakama. This shows that even with a crest, colors and patterns are offered in a wide range for children. The idea that a montsuki must be black doesn’t seem to apply, at least to rentals aimed at elementary schoolers.
How to Choose Something That Won’t Stand Out at a School Event
Given all this, a natural approach to choosing hakama for graduation is to first decide whether to lean toward black montsuki haori-hakama for a more adult, formal look, or a colorful patterned haori-hakama that expresses your child’s personality — and if going with color and pattern, to choose “within the range of semi-formal crested wear, something that suits your child.”
Beyond that, the impression made by the colors and patterns of the haori and hakama can also depend on the mood of the school or class. Since this varies by circumstance and region, it’s reassuring to check with the homeroom teacher’s guidance or get a sense of what others are planning. Since this becomes a photo to treasure, letting your child choose a color they genuinely like is also a good approach.
For girls’ graduation hakama, we cover that separately in Elementary School Graduation Hakama for Girls: When to Start Deciding and What to Choose.
Moving Around and Restroom Concerns on the Day
One thing parents often worry about is the restroom. Hakama come in two main constructions: ando bakama, where the hem is connected all the way around like a skirt, and umanori bakama, which are split like trousers. Most boys’ hakama available for elementary school rental are ando bakama. How you handle the restroom differs depending on which construction it is.
Exactly how to lift and rearrange the hem of the kimono and hakama depends on the hakama’s construction and how it was tied during kitsuke (dressing in kimono). Since the steps for women’s hakama don’t directly apply here, it’s most reliable to have the shop staff show you the actual steps using the specific hakama your child will wear, at the time of dressing. With a home-delivery rental, instructions are sometimes included in the box it arrives in, so it’s worth reading through them in advance.
Once you’ve learned the steps, it’s reassuring to practice once at home with your child before the actual day. Being able to move calmly through it beforehand is much better than trying it for the first time at the ceremony venue.
When Should You Start Booking?
According to information from rental shops, many open hakama rental bookings around April of the graduation year, with reservations tending to concentrate between August and September. At other shops, bookings gradually increase from around May, becoming busiest from July through September. While the exact timing varies somewhat by shop, it’s common across the board for bookings to cluster in the summer months.
If you want to secure a color and pattern you really like, it’s reassuring to decide on your candidates before the busy summer season. If you’d like to know more about the booking process in detail, please also see When to Book Graduation Hakama and How the Rental Process Works.
In Summary
The real decision point for elementary school graduation hakama is whether to go with a black montsuki haori-hakama or a colorful patterned haori-hakama. Semi-formal wear is the mainstream choice at elementary school graduations, and many families choose crested options in a rich variety of colors and patterns, including brown and cream. Since restroom handling depends on the hakama’s construction, it’s reassuring to have the shop show you at the time of dressing and to practice once at home. Just make sure to get your booking moving before summer so you can choose calmly and without rushing. …Having walked through all these steps, what matters most of all is that moment when your child looks at their own reflection in hakama and smiles with delight. We hope the graduation ceremony becomes a wonderful day for you and your child alike.