Obi Belt

The word Obi is a direct derivative of a Japanese word which means Sash. There was a distinctive difference in the sashes for men and women which were a part of the kimono attire.  The men’s sashes were narrower than the women’s – which was much wider and longer. The sashes helped to tie the Kimono together around the waist. The evolution of the Obi has changed from its initial years around the 16th and 17th century. With the changes either through necessity, or through the world of fashion, over the last 300-400 years the kimono has undergone umpteen changes and with it the Obi belts underwent similar changes to balance or compliment the new developments in a kimono. It was initially made of pure silk but has undergone changes over the years. The Obi belt has not only undergone changes on width and length but conceptual design changes over this period. These belts have been tied in different places of the body. It started out with the hips and in front but moved back and forth across the body over a period. From the front to the back and even the side the Obi has moved according to the fashion of the times. Among the women, an Obi sash could indicate whether a woman was a spinster or a married woman. The younger unmarried women had more vibrant and colorful themes than their married counterparts. Also they are tied differently between the married and unmarried women. There were many implicit rules, although unwritten, which was tacitly understood among the Japanese culture. There were certain knots applicable for certain kimonos. There were special obis for special occasions. Formal Obiís, and fancy fashionable obis again to be worn according to the event to be attended. The Obi worn completely depended on the situation and circumstances. The different types of women’s Obi belts are: Darari obiFukuro obi Fukuro Nagoya obi Hoso HanhabaKobukuro obi Hara-awase obi Heko obi Hitoe obi MaruNagoya obi Odori obi Sakiori obi Tenga obi .Tsuke obi  Inordinately designed with embroidered brocades an Obi belt could outweigh the costs of the entire outfit. It was design concentrated and more of an ornamental accessory. An Obi belt could easily identify the demographic background of the women who wore them. An obi belt could also adorn precious and semi precious stones to add richness to the design. Precious metal like gold and silver emblems and designs could also be intricately interwoven with the design to improve the aesthetics of the obi The menís and childrenís obi had the same significances as the womenís. However they were much simpler and used more moderate hues and shades. Usually the mens Obi would be unencumbered with designs and embroidery except among royalty and would sport singular or bi colored designs.

Obi Belt Knot

The Obi belt knot is a subject in itself. There is a host of ways to tie a knot (musubi). The significance of the knots ranged from the religious to the superstitious. There were knots to overcome malevolent spirits and most knots have an auspicious name and significance to the well being of the individual bearing the knot. Like the Obi, special significance was given to individual knots depending on the substance and importance of the occasion. The Obi also has a special significance in most ancient martial art forms. Mostly made of thick cotton and the color of the belt could signify the skill level of the wearer. This has percolated even to our modern times where usually the white belt is the beginner and the black belt is usually advanced with respective colors for each grade in between. The modern Obi belt has under gone a multitude of changes including cutting through typical traditional focus of eras gone by. Today more focus is on fashion than significance or superstition. It is no longer restricted to the kimono and is an accessory even to western dresses. It the modern era you could also find young women using Obi belts as a fashion accessory to jeans and skirt blouses. The materials used for the Obiís also have changed with the times. From denim to leather and other fancy linen all sorts of fabric have all being experimented on in making the Obi. This has given the Obi a very modern contemporary look and now used as a popular accessory by fashion designers across the world. There are many online tutorials which now teach the making of Obiís and also guide in how to tie the various knots.