Hanpi (sleeveless body wear) (半臂)
Hanpi is a formal court dress of military officers and a bugaku (traditional Japanese court music accompanied by dancing) costume, which are a sleeveless body wear worn underneath ho (outer robe/vestment).
(There are narrow sleeves for bugaku.)
It is a sleeveless silk dogi (padded undershirt) of which the migoro (body of the garment) is made using double width cloth and has a tarikubi (v-neck overlap) like that of a kimono (Japanese traditional clothing). A cloth called Ran, which is made with a cut of the same cloth, is sewed on around of hem, with gathers at side and back for ease of movement.
For sokutai (traditional ceremonial court dress), it is in black (originally dark suo (deep dark red)) like ho and has no sleeve, and for bugaku costume, it is made with colorful woven fabric and has narrow sleeve.
To Wear
The fact is that civil officers also wore hanpi as well as military officers, but the custom fell into disuse.
Unlike civil officer's wear, side of ho is not sewed for court dress of military officers or bugaku costume, from which hanpi is showing and this is why it is still used at present.
It is worn with a cord tying around waist and a decorative cord is attached through the cord.
This decorative cord is called 'wasure-o' (a narrow decorative strap used for hanpi garment), which is made with ra (loosely woven sheer silk fabric like net) of 3m65.8cm length and 10cm width.
This is folded 3 times and put through left waist.