Polyester Kimono + Polyester Obi sash

Polyester clothing is good for beginners like me, but difficult to wear, because it does not fit to body like silk one.

I used to wear this polyester one when I go to Sado (tea ceremony) lessons.

The above obi sash style is common for young girls especially in summer season.

This polyester Kimono costs only $100. This polyester Obi sash costs less than $40.

Chirimen Kimono + Nagoya Obi

I went to a lecture meeting about aging issue.

I bought this genuine silk Kimono at around $900, which could be worth around $20,000, and this obi sash cost only $300, which could be priced as 2-3x.

My Kimono teacher knows a good Kimono wholesaler :-)

Dogwood Furisode Obi sash style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜ハナミズキ＞Dogwood




Pretty flower everybody loves
誰からも愛される可憐な花

Flower Tateya Furisode Obi sash style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜花立矢＞Flower Tateya



Expressed Samurai’s arrow bag with lovely flowers.
かわいらしい花を立矢に添えてみました。

Bell-bottom Bunko Furisode Obi sash style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜末広文庫＞Bell-bottom Bunko



The collaboration of sick Bunko and authentic Suehiro Bell-bottom.
Bunko = Samurai lady’s stationary
シックな文庫に格調高く末広を添えてみました。

Laying over Bunko Furisode Obi sash style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜重ね文庫＞Laying over Bunko



hree feathers swinging every time she walks, more flamboyant Bunko.
歩く度にゆれ動く三枚の羽根。同じ文庫でもより華やかに。

Butterflies Furisode Obi sash Style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.

＜蝶々＞Butterflies



butterflies flying from flower to flower. good for ladies of small stature.
花に飛び交う蝶々と帯結びに、、。小柄な方に向くチャーミングな結びです。

Authurium Furisode Obi sash Style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜アンスリウム＞ Authurium



Subtropical flower. Bold but bright flower.
南国に咲く花。大胆で鮮やかな花。

Banboo Leaf Furisode Obi sash Style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜笹りんどう＞Sasa Rindo bamboo leaf



expressed one of The Sendai Date family crest, “Bamboo and spadger”. Bamboo leaf is expressed by Kofukuro Obi sash with Japanese gold and silver.
Sasa Rindo = A crest of three gentian flowers with five leaves arranged like bamboo leaves.
仙台伊達家の家紋の１つ「竹に雀」をイメージしております。日本の金銀の小袋帯を使い竹の笹が結ばれております。

Darari Furisode Obi Sash Style

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers


＜だらり＞Darari Loosing style



This used to be town girls formal costume in the 17th century Edo period, but now preferred by Maiko dancing girls. They like to make it longer after more gracefulness. The Hollywood movie “Sayuri” is full of misunderstanding. Please please do not take their way of wearing kimono and dancing seriously.
江戸時代の町娘の晴れ着姿ですが、今では舞妓が優美さを求めてより長く結ぶようになりました。

Origami crane Furisode Obi Sash

Furisode (振り袖) = the most formal style of Kimono worn by unmarried women in Japan. They say this long swinging sleeve is to throw off evil spirits.

Obi Sash (帯) = Various expressions generated from one simple long Obi sash. A large variety of flowers produced by differences of color and gathers.


＜折り鶴＞Origami crane



expressed an image of carefully folded origami paper crane. We were careful about keeping the beauty of folded lines, but producing cool pomposity.
千代紙で丹念に折った鶴のイメージを帯び結びに表現してみました。折りたたんだ線の美しさを壊さないよう落ち着いた中に華やかさを。。

How to Wear Kimono - Step 6

STEP 6: Wearing OBI Sash


Finally, you are going to wear Obi sash.



Tie the obi sash on your back. Bind the obi string of the obi holder.




Wind the narrower Obi end one and half times around your waist.




Clip the narrower end to the front temporarily.





Form the Obi back.

Place the temporarily clipped end into the formed Obi back.

Put the obi belt into the Obi.

Bind the Obi scarf and put them into the Obi.

How to Wear Kimono - Step 5

STEP 5: Wearing OBI sash

In this lesson, I introduce how to wear Nagoya-obi style, a daily use style.



This is called Nagoya obi, which indicates a type of shape and length, in stead of a type of textile.


Obi Holder




Hold the wider end of a Obi sash two times. Its width has to be the same as the Obi holder width.



Place the Obi holder one knuckle away from the end of the holded end.

Cover the bump of the obi holder with Obi scarf.

Cover the Obi holder and the obi scarf with the holded Obi end.

How to Wear Kimono - Step 4

STEP3: Kimono

Wear Obi foundations.

A Date sash belt


Pinch both ends of the lower color.


Release any twinkles around the sash.

Obi Sash board

Wear the above Obi sash board.

How to Wear Kimono - Step 3

STEP 3: Kimono

Finally, you are going to wear Kimono.

Now, you are going to wear Kimono (finally !)


A rubber belt


Wear a rubber belt.

Release any wrinkles around the belt.

How to Wear Kimono - Step 2

Next, you wear Juban underwear. Whether your final style can be beautiful or not depends on how you wear this Juban underwear without wrinkling. You make every efforts to remove wrinkles and create good space between the neckline and the collar.



In order to make the neckline sharply, insert collar stay into the color. Handstick the edge of the collar so that it can be inserted smoothly.

Remember your waist belt you placed when you wear the Hadagi underwear. That belt has two clips with velcro strap edges. Clip the edge of the collar with those clips.

Remember your waist belt you placed when you wear the Hadagi underwear. That belt has two clips with velcro strap edges. Clip the edge of the collar with those clips.

Hand stitch 10 cm-long elastic cord at the position which starts at 7-8 cm from the collar.

Then, place another waist band. Insert this edge into the above elastic cord as well.

Grab the middle of the Juban underwear just below the waist belt as circled in the right image to remove the wrinkles on the back and to create good room between the neckline and the collar, which is supposed to be a sexy point.

Next, you wear Juban underwear. Whether your final style can be beautiful or not depends on how you wear this Juban underwear without wrinkling. You make every efforts to remove wrinkles and create good space between the neckline and the collar.

How to wear Kimono - Step 1

STEP 1: Underwear

In order to wear Kimono beautifully, the body has to be I shape rather than S shape. Big breast, slim waist, and big hip are not ideal in this case. If you happen to be such a lucky woman, you have to use pads, belts and towels and make the breast, the waist, and the hip to be the same height. Ideal fashion for middle-aged women, isn’t it?


Wear a hip belt, a waist pad and a waist belt to make the body straight.

Hip Belt

HIP BELT: with TowelFold a towel into triangle and Place it on the hip belt.If you are a fat women with big hip, this correction is not necessarily.

WAIST BELT: Cover upper part of your waist.

How to Wear Kimono - intro

I took a-year-long lessons (but once a month!) about the way of wearing Kimono. Average Japanese women grew up without learning how to wear Kimono. Our grand-mother-generations wear Kimono daily, but after WWII things have been changed. Now, most women wear Kimono only in special occasions such as coming-of-age day, wedding party, or Shichigo-san (talk later).