belly warmer

The haramaki, or belly warmer, is a winter staple in Japan. Young and old, men and women, the haramaki does not discriminate (my father was a landscaper, and he used to wear one all the time). I have a few, and they really do keep the belly warm. You can pull them halfway down over your butt, too, so you don’t flash any skin when you bend over in those low-rise pants (slot machine!).

They are just tubes, so they are very easy to make. I got some nice high-tech stretch fabric with fuzzy backing from Rose City Textiles and just sewed one seam (I made my 11″ wide and about 30 cm tall). I did not even bother to finish the cut edges because they do not unravel. Now, with this one (about 11″ wide and more like 40cm tall) I was inspired by a sporty haramaki I saw in a sports shop. Pockets! For gels and keys and such! Genius! I made it as a gift, so I am not sure I got the pocket placement just right, but hopefully the recipient is running miles and miles in the wintry weather with a toasty belly.

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7 Responses to belly warmer

  1. carolyn says:

    my belly is so big right now, I think it’s keeping itself pretty warm. ;(

  2. freecia says:

    I knew someone had the idea for Spanx before there was Spanx! Really, that shapewear is warm.
    I’ve always been taught that keeping the belly warm is essential to ward off colds and aid in digestion. And even if you’re super warm in the summer, you should cover up your tummy if you have a fan running. Asian wisdom?

  3. Arawa says:

    Fabulous! Miles and miles? That is a lot of pressure to put on a person. Umm…just sayin’.

  4. Jennifer says:

    What a brilliant idea!

  5. amy k. says:

    is that your belly size? I know it is. that is not a belly you have but a wasp waist.

    and does it just ride below your boobies? and is there bunching under your pants? many questions. the pockets are brilliant and sure to cause curious bumps. I am sorry in advance for when I see you next and stick my hand up your shirt to check this out.

  6. Alma says:

    Sorry this has nothing to do with the bellywarmer but I had to tell you… do you know about Field Notes books? fieldnotesbrand.com. Retro blank notebooks. The pens look kind of meh. But the notebooks–ooh.

  7. Anna says:

    Ah! I’ve been meaning to make something just like this, because my belly gets frozen while I’m out running. No matter how many layers or how warm the rest of me is, the belly needs something extra.

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