How to Make a Ninja Shirt

You can make your own shirt for a ninja costume.

The classic ninja costume, made popular through a variety of stories, games, television shows and movies, consists of a few separate, simple pieces of clothing. The whole outfit is called "shinobi shouzoku," and it includes hakama, which are wide-legged pants, and a kosode, or short kimono. A ninja also wears an obi around his waist, kyahan leggings over his hakama, wristbands, a mask and boots. You can make your own ninja costume, starting with the shirt, or kosode.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Black cotton fabric
• Scissors
• Fabric pencil
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron

Instructions

Construct the Body

1. Measure the distance between your shoulder and your knee with measuring tape. Double the measurement.

2. Cut two rectangles of black cotton fabric that are 15 inches wide and as long as the measurement from Step 1 with scissors. These will be the right and left body pieces.

3. Cut five rectangles of fabric that are 30 inches long and 15 inches wide. These will be the sleeve, collar and lapel pieces.

4. Take the body pieces and fold them in half along the length. Make a small mark with a fabric pencil at the folds. Make another mark 2 inches away.

5. Lay the body pieces together, right sides touching. Pin one long edge together, stopping at the second mark you made in Step 4. This mark should be 2 inches before the center mark.

6. Sew the pinned edge together, a half-inch away, with a sewing machine. Iron the seam allowance open and zigzag stitch the raw edges.

7. Take two of the rectangles you cut in Step 3 and fold them in half along the width. Make a mark at the fold near one edge. These will be the sleeves.

8. Lay the body piece out flat. Line up the marks on the sleeve edges with the center marks you made on the body. Pin the sleeve edges to the outside edges of the body piece.

Attach the Lapels

1. Sew the sleeves to the body, a half-inch away from the edges. Iron and zigzag stitch the seam allowances.

2. Take one of the remaining rectangles, and line up the long edge with the right inside edge of the body. Pin the rectangle to the body, starting at the body center mark. Take another rectangle and do the same to the left inside edge of the body. These are the lapel pieces.

3. Sew the lapels to the front of the body, a half-inch away from the edges.

4. Measure the distance between your shoulder and your hip. Make a mark this distance down from the top of the left lapel piece.

5. Make a mark 3 inches down from the center body mark, on the left side.

Attach the Collar

1. Locate the mark you originally made 2 inches away from the center body mark, on the left side. Connect this mark with the previous mark, using a curved line.

2. Connect the mark from the previous step with the left lapel mark. Cut along your drawn line.

3. Take the last rectangle, which is the collar piece, and cut the width to 6½ inches.

4. Take one long edge of the rectangle and fold it up 3 inches. Iron the fold. Turn the edge up another 3 inches, hiding the raw edge, and iron it again.

5. Pin the remaining half-inch edge of the collar to the body opening. Sew a half-inch away.

Finish the Ninja Shirt

1. Trim the lapel pieces to 6 inches in width and fold them in half toward the inside. Fold the raw edges under and sew the lapel pieces down, hiding the raw edges.

2. Sew the folded collar edge down. Make sure that the raw edges of the bottom of the collar are hidden inside of the lapels.

3. Fold the body together at the shoulder, right sides together, lining up the side and sleeve openings.

4. Sew the body from wrist to hem, a half-inch away from the edges. Iron and zigzag stitch the seam allowances.

5. Fold the sleeve and body hems up a half-inch, then another 1 inch. Sew the hems in place and iron them flat. Turn the body right-side out.

References

• Ninpo: History and Information
• Dementia: Simple Basic Japanese Garb
• Destiny's Lobster: Anne Liese's Fibers and Stuff

Resources

• Aikido Development Society: How to Wear Hakama