EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, this website for Kimono Place is for "view only". No orders will be taken until further notice. If you have questions concerning a previous order, please send an email to Sue or Melissa at famtree@bellsouth.net

	Off White Obi with Black, Orange and Gold Flourishes--SOLD $65.00
	Bright Green Obi with Heavy Embellishment $85.00
	Red and Black Silk Hitoe Obi $53.00
	Silk Red and Black Hitoe Obi $43.00
	Narrow Pink & Black Hitoe Obi $40.00
	Pale Green Obi with Mottled Design $95.00
	Nagoya Obi with Silver, Pink & Gold Pink Mums $55.00
	Abstract Handpainted Obi $90.00
	Black Obi with Hexagon, Butterfly, Plum, Chrysanthemum Design-ON HOLD $125.00

      Simply: a belt for kimono; but an obi is so much more than that. The obi is a decorative, but necessary accessory for kimono wear. Japanese taste is to choose a colors in an obi that don't necessarily match the kimono, but compliment it by using opposite colors or focusing on a non-dominant color. There are several types of obi distinguished by material, weaving technique, shape and length. Obiage and obijime are also part of the kimono ensemble--these also work for a robe belt in a pinch!

In the movie Memoirs of a Geisha meiko (geisha apprentices) wear obi tied with the long ends loose (more provocative), while geisha and other women wear them tied in smaller bows (more sophisticated). There are a few hundred ways to tie the bows in back--we can really only do one or two! Some of the books on our Resources page address tieing the obi.

      Obi also make dramatic wall hangings, table runners and curtain swags. A few books on the Links page have some suggestions. Email us a picture of how you've used an obi for decorating and it could appear on this site!