Pleated hakama, variously described as full-cut trousers or a divided skirt, were an important item of dress for men of the Japanese imperial court and of the military, or samurai, class. Hakama are wide with broad pleats and taper towards the top, being secured with bands that wrap and tie around the waist. The sides are open halfway down, revealing the robes worn underneath. This example is of a type known as sashinuki,which would have been worn tied tight around the hems so that the excess fabric would have ballooned out over the ankles. Sashinuki were worn by court nobles.Man's trousers (sashinuki) in figured twill silk, Japan, 1800-1880Man's formal long trousers (sashinuki) in mauve figured twill silk with floral roundels.