Obi Belt

The obi is the belt that closes a kimono, and tying one properly takes a lesson, a mirror and a friend behind you. Most people who buy a yukata outside Japan get none of those, which is why a third of the kimono worn at Western festivals are worn with the belt wrong. These twenty-three come pre-tied: the knot or the bow is sewn in place, a hidden closure does the fastening, and the kimono closes the way it should in thirty seconds. Fourteen narrow obi in woven cloth for a man's kimono, a yukata or over a coat, and nine wide brocade obi with a sewn bow for a woman's kimono.

What an obi is, and where it sits

The obi wraps the closed kimono twice and holds it. On a man it is narrow, ten centimetres or so, and sits low on the hip, tied at the back in a simple knot. On a woman it is wide, thirty centimetres, sits above the waist, and is tied at the back in one of several bows that take their names from drums and butterflies. The obi is also the surface a kimono outfit puts its colour on: a plain navy yukata with a gold brocade obi is dressed; the same yukata with a plain black obi is Sunday. The kimono and yukata here each come with a matching obi; these are the ones you buy to change the look, or to wear the obi on its own.

Narrow obi: fourteen, in woven cloth

A thick woven cloth, pre-tied with the knot sewn on a tab that hides an adjustable closure, in black with fine silver pinstripes, grey with white dotted stripes, plain black matte or ribbed, charcoal streaked like slubbed yarn, black with a tone-on-tone dash, black with wavy white stripes, black with grey rain streaks, striated in fine grey lines, black with white pinstripes in groups, navy with broken white streaks like starlight, navy with white stitched stripes and a dotted centre, dark teal with white flecks, off-white with short black streaks. One size. They close a man's kimono or a yukata, and they close a coat, a long cardigan or a shirt dress, which is how Tokyo has been wearing them for a decade.

Wide obi: nine, in brocade with a sewn bow

A brocade woven with the pattern, the bow already made and sewn on a piece that sits at the back, some with a gold cord: white with small flowers in red, purple and green; pastel pink and green with chrysanthemums and blossom; gold with silver-white flowers and swirling water; violet with flowers in pink, blue and white; black with silver chrysanthemums, cranes and clouds; ivory with green pine, red plum and a hexagon lattice; black with autumn flowers on a gold lattice; red with cherry blossom and chrysanthemums; yellow with flowers, fans and clouds. One size. They go with a woman's kimono or yukata and they are the piece that makes the photograph.

How to put on a pre-tied obi

Close the kimono left over right and hold it. Wrap the obi around, knot or bow at the back, and fasten the hidden closure; adjust so the band sits flat and the kimono does not gape. For a narrow obi, low on the hip bone; for a wide one, above the waist with the bow centred at the back. Over a coat, the narrow obi sits at the natural waist and the coat's collar is left open. The obi should be snug enough to hold and loose enough to sit down in.

Care

Woven and brocade cloth over a firm core: do not wash; brush, spot-clean with a damp cloth, and store rolled or flat, never folded across the knot. Made to Japanese designs in Asia, and every page says so.

Obi belt: the questions we are asked

Is a pre-tied obi cheating?

No. Pre-tied obi are sold in every kimono shop in Japan, and most people who wear a yukata to a festival wear one. The knot is the same; you just do not have to make it behind your back.

Which obi for a man?

A narrow one, tied low on the hip. The black, navy, grey and charcoal woven obi are the ones.

Can I wear an obi without a kimono?

The narrow ones, yes, over a coat, a long cardigan or a shirt dress. The wide brocade ones stay with the kimono.

Is it one size?

Yes. The hidden closure adjusts across the usual range; each page gives the length.