---

Obijime are long braided cords made with the kumihimo technique. Each obijime comes in a certain length & width with tassels on its ends. Are they all the same size? No, definitely not. Just like with kimono, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all. Even within the same formality there is a difference.

So what are the sizes that you can roughly expect to find?
From measuring the obijime for my web shop, I noticed the following measurements. All are taken excluding the tassels. Do note that antique obijime are naturally smaller in size.
Length: A lot of obijime stay between 140-160cm, casual or formal. Some go up to 180cm, these seem to be modern, if not “Long Size” obijime. Sanbuhimo are an exception due to being naturally shorter as the knots are hidden in the back. Saganishiki brocade sanbuhimo can be long comparatively to regular casual obijime, often being a similar size.
Width: Casual obijime seem to stay around 1cm in width, for both flat & round obijime. Flat casual obijime can go up to 1.5cm but that seems to be the max. Formal obijime don’t seem to go under 1cm in width and go up to 2cm for Furisode obijime. Most formal obijime are around 1.5cm in width.

Can I tell apart formality by looking at the measurements of certain obijime?
In some cases, yes! With most obijime there will be indications of formality regardless of their measurements. Take for example the two obijime in the pictures below. Both look identical, their sizes are not too different from each other either. The one thing that sets them apart is their width.
A lot of the times larger widths mean it’s worn with higher level formality kimono. In this case, both of them would be worn with the highest level formality kimono already, so what is exactly their difference? One is worn with kurotomesode, the other? Furisode!
Obijime for furisode can be quite thick, more than what you’d find with casual kimono. Not as thick compared to marukuge obijime, but still a bit thicker when you compare them to any casual obijime.

(Foto wit/goud rond kurotome obijime + wit/goud rond furi obijime)

How do I measure my ideal obijime length?
This is a tricky question as there isn’t a straightforward answer that everyone can use. It does mean that you do need to measure whilst wearing your kimono & obi, it’s almost impossible to measure accurately otherwise.
One way to measure is to take a measuring tape whilst wearing your obi in the intended way (let’s say, otaiko musubi) and measure your waist. Multiply this measurement by 1.5 times and there you have it.

The problem is that the measurement you just took doesn’t mean a lot when you are buying obijime. Because of the way that obijime are braided, they are very stretchy. Some more than others.
I’ve noticed that casual obijime stretch much more compared to formal obijime, this could also be because of the gold/silver woven in that makes them less stretchy. The amount of stretch in every obijime is different as well.

If an obijime is not my ideal length, can I still wear it?
Absolutely, and the length shouldn’t hold you back from wearing it! Because of the stretchiness of the kumihimo braiding, they fit a range of sizes. At best, take the initial measurements as a rough guide.
Labelling them with certain sizes (S/M/L/XL) thus makes no sense. My personal suggestion? Buy whichever obijime catches your eye and wear it with your beautiful kimono!

---